Putting Things in Order
A 40-minute Kindergarten lesson on putting several events into the order they happened.
Putting Things in Order is a free 40-minute Kindergarten to Grade 2 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.1.K-2 — put several events in the order they happened. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Kindergarten to Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.His.1.K-2
Kindergarten to Grade 2 · History
D2.His.1.K-2
Create a chronological sequence of multiple events.
Objective
Students will be able to put four events in the order they happened and say how they know.
Students are successful when they can
- Puts four events in order.
- Uses first, next, then, last.
- Says what told them the order.
What you need
- Picture cards of a familiar sequence
- A washing line and pegs
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — this morning
5 min- Take three things that happened this morning, in any order.
- Peg them on the line in the right order together.
Teach — what tells you the order
13 min- Take four cards of making toast, shuffled.
- Order them, saying first, next, then, last as you peg.
- Ask how you knew. The bread has to be in before it can pop.
- Swap two and read it again. It stops making sense.
- Say the test: does each step make the next one possible?
“You cannot butter it before it is toasted. That is how you know the order.”
Guided practice — peg four
12 min- Pairs order two sets of four cards.
- They say the order aloud with the four words.
- For one set they say what told them.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the put-it-in-order page.
- Read each set aloud.
Close
2 min- Give a set out of order. Take the first and the last.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Orders by which picture they like.
Why: Preference is the readiest sorting rule.
Fix: Ask what has to happen before the next thing can. Order is about dependence, not liking.
Gets the first and last right and muddles the middle.
Why: The ends are the memorable ones.
Fix: Work from the ends inwards, out loud. The middle is decided by what fits between.
Thinks any order is fine if the events all happened.
Why: All four are true.
Fix: Read a swapped version aloud. It is audibly wrong, which is faster than any rule.
If they are not there yet
- Three cards rather than four.
- Give the first card in place.
If they finish early
- Order six cards.
- Order events across a whole week.
- Find two events where the order does not matter.
Exit ticket
Put these in order: butter it, get the bread, wait for the pop, put it in the toaster.
What to look for: Bread, toaster, pop, butter. A muddled middle means working from the ends inwards needs practising.
Printable practice for D2.His.1.K-2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Put It in OrderNumber the steps from 1 to 4.
Questions about Putting Things in Order
How long does the Putting Things in Order lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Putting Things in Order teach?
D2.His.1.K-2 — D2.His.1.K-2, History for Kindergarten to Grade 2: “Create a chronological sequence of multiple events.” In plain terms, put several events in the order they happened.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Picture cards of a familiar sequence, a washing line and pegs and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: orders by which picture they like; gets the first and last right and muddles the middle and thinks any order is fine if the events all happened. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Put these in order: butter it, get the bread, wait for the pop, put it in the toaster.” Bread, toaster, pop, butter. A muddled middle means working from the ends inwards needs practising. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Putting Things in Order?
Yes — 1 printable D2.His.1.K-2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Putting Things in Order free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.His.1.K-2 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.