A 2-page Grade 3 social studies worksheet comparing pioneer life in Upper Canada with life today.
Students read about Sarah (1835) and Maya (today) and fill in a comparison chart, sort statements into a Venn diagram, put a pioneer child’s day in order, match pioneer tools to modern ones, and explain what has changed and what has stayed the same. Includes a 2-page answer key.
This free then and now worksheet asks Grade 3 students to compare the life of a pioneer child in Upper Canada with their own life today, and to notice what has changed and what has stayed the same.
Students read about two girls, Sarah in 1835 and Maya today, and fill in a comparison chart. Then they sort statements into a Venn diagram, put a pioneer child's day in order, match pioneer tools to modern ones, and explain their thinking in two short answers.
The then and now worksheet uses five different ways of comparing, so students practise more than one thinking skill.
Part
Activity
Marks
A
A school day, then and now: paired reading and chart
8
B
Venn diagram: pioneer child, child today, or both
8
C
A pioneer child's day: put six events in order
3
D
Tools then and now: match seven pioneer tools to modern ones
7
E
Think about it: what changed and what stayed the same
4
It supports the Grade 3 strand Communities in Canada, 1780–1850 in the Ontario social studies curriculum, where students compare life in early settler communities with life in Canada today. It pairs well with our pioneer life worksheet, which introduces the homestead, pioneer jobs and First Nations contributions.
Why Compare Then and Now?
Comparing then and now is one of the first ways young students learn to think like historians. When a Grade 3 student notices that Sarah wrote on a slate while Maya uses a notebook or tablet, they are spotting change over time. When they notice that both girls go to school and play with friends, they are spotting continuity, the things that stay the same.
Pioneer life is a good topic for a then and now worksheet because the differences are big and easy to picture. Before electricity, families in Upper Canada read by candlelight, carried water from a well, churned their own butter and washed clothes on a washboard. Most children walked to a one-room school where students of all ages learned together. Children today have machines for many of these jobs, but they still help at home, learn at school and spend time with family.
The then and now worksheet also teaches the language of comparison: both, but, instead of, easier and the same. Encourage students to use these words in Part E of the then and now worksheet. For more background on the period, see Upper Canada in The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Then and Now Worksheet Questions
These questions match the then and now worksheet PDF. The chart, Venn diagram and number boxes are on the printable sheet.
Part A – A School Day, Then and Now
Sarah, 1835Sarah walks two kilometres to school along a dirt road. Her school has one room and one teacher for children aged 6 to 14. She writes her lessons on a small slate with chalk. At noon she eats bread and cheese from a tin pail. After school she must hurry home to help feed the animals.
Maya, todayMaya rides the school bus. Her class has 22 students who are all in Grade 3. She writes in a notebook and sometimes uses a tablet. At lunch she eats a sandwich from her lunch box and plays on the climber at recess. After school she goes to swimming lessons.
Fill in the chart for Sarah and for Maya:
Getting to school: Sarah, 1835 and Maya, today
Who is in the class: Sarah, 1835 and Maya, today
What they write on: Sarah, 1835 and Maya, today
After school: Sarah, 1835 and Maya, today
Part B – Venn Diagram
Write each letter in the correct part of the Venn diagram:
(a) Carried water from a well
(b) Goes to school to learn
(c) Watches videos on a screen
(d) Read by candlelight
(e) Plays games with friends
(f) Buys clothes at a store
(g) Helped make soap and candles
(h) Rides in a car or bus
Part C – A Pioneer Child's Day
Number these events from 1 (first) to 6 (last):
Eat supper by candlelight
Wake before sunrise and milk the cow
Walk to the schoolhouse
Climb up to the loft to sleep
Eat porridge by the fireplace
Pull weeds in the garden after school
Part D – Tools Then and Now
Match each pioneer tool to what we use today: (a) washing machine; (b) tractor; (c) notebook and pencil; (d) light bulb; (e) car or truck; (f) clothing factory; (g) butter bought at the grocery store.
Slate and chalk
Candle
Washboard
Butter churn
Spinning wheel
Ox and plough
Horse and wagon
Part E – Think About It
Name one thing that is easier for children today than it was for pioneer children. Explain why. (2 marks)
Name one thing that has stayed the same for children since pioneer times. (2 marks)
Then and Now Worksheet Answer Key
The then and now worksheet key is on pages 3–4 of the PDF. In Part A, accept answers with the same meaning as the reading.
Part A answers (Q1–4)
Getting to school: Sarah – Walked two kilometres on a dirt road; Maya – Rides the school bus
Who is in the class: Sarah – Children aged 6 to 14 with one teacher; Maya – 22 students, all in Grade 3
What they write on: Sarah – A slate with chalk; Maya – A notebook and sometimes a tablet
After school: Sarah – Helps feed the animals; Maya – Goes to swimming lessons
Part B answers (Q5)
(a) Carried water from a well: Pioneer child only
(b) Goes to school to learn: Both
(c) Watches videos on a screen: Child today only
(d) Read by candlelight: Pioneer child only
(e) Plays games with friends: Both
(f) Buys clothes at a store: Child today only
(g) Helped make soap and candles: Pioneer child only
(h) Rides in a car or bus: Child today only
Part C answers (Q6)
Wake before sunrise and milk the cow
Eat porridge by the fireplace
Walk to the schoolhouse
Pull weeds in the garden after school
Eat supper by candlelight
Climb up to the loft to sleep
Part D answers (Q7–13)
Slate and chalk: (c) Notebook and pencil
Candle: (d) Light bulb
Washboard: (a) Washing machine
Butter churn: (g) Butter bought at the grocery store
Spinning wheel: (f) Clothing factory
Ox and plough: (b) Tractor
Horse and wagon: (e) Car or truck
Part E answers (Q14–15)
Sample: Getting water is easier because we turn on a tap instead of carrying heavy buckets from a well. 1 mark for the idea, 1 for the reason.
Sample: Children still go to school, play with friends, help their families and celebrate holidays. 1 mark for the idea, 1 for an example.
Teaching Ideas
Read the stories aloud first. Before handing out the then and now worksheet, read Sarah's and Maya's stories to the class, and have students raise a hand every time they hear something that is different today.
Build a giant Venn diagram. Use two hula hoops on the floor and let students place picture cards before they do Part B.
Bring in real objects. A candle, a washboard or a slate makes Part D memorable. Many museums and pioneer villages lend kits to schools.
Act out a pioneer day. Groups mime the events in Part C and the class guesses the order.
Extend the then and now worksheet. Ask students to interview a grandparent about what school was like when they were young and add a third column to the chart.
Yes. The two-page worksheet and its answer key are free to download and print as a PDF, with no account needed.
How was a pioneer child's life different from a child's life today?
Pioneer children did many more chores, such as carrying water, feeding animals and making soap and candles. They often walked to a one-room school, wrote on slates and read by candlelight. Today, many of those jobs are done by machines.
What has stayed the same since pioneer times?
Children still go to school, play games with friends, help their families and celebrate special days together.
How does a Venn diagram help compare then and now?
The left circle holds things only true for pioneer children, the right circle holds things only true today, and the overlap holds things that are true for both. It shows differences and similarities at a glance.
What grade is this then and now worksheet for?
It is written for Grade 3 and supports the Ontario strand Communities in Canada, 1780–1850. Grade 2 and Grade 4 students can use it with support or as review.
Ready to compare? Download the free then and now worksheet PDF (use the Download button above), print it double-sided, and keep the answer key pages for marking.