Comparing the Children of the 1800's With the Children of Today
Focus of the Lesson:
Students will compare and contrast the lives of children from the 1800's with the children of today by analyzing historical photographs of schools, home life and recreation.
Standards Assessed:
History Standard 2: Students know how to use the process and resources of historical inquiry.
History Standard 3: Students understand that societies are diverse and have changed over time.
Assessment:
Students will complete 3 assignments that demonstrate the differences and similarities between children's schools, home life and recreation from the 1800's and today. Each assignment will be graded against the rubric and the standards demonstrated in the assignments will be highlighted on the rubric.
Assignment 1: Photograph Analysis Worksheet of school picture.
Assignment 2: Home life picture journal response. Instructions to the students: Write about what you think home life was like judging by the picture. You may write in first person (pretending like you were a child back then, or in third person (write about what you think a child from then would experience). Then write a paragraph about what you think is the same, and different about home life in the 1800's and home life now.
Assignment 3: Venn Diagram of the recreational photo. Instructions to the students: Create a Venn Diagram using your photo comparing the recreational activity on the photo to an activity we do today. Show similarities and differences. Draw a picture on the back of a recreational activity from the 1800's or from today.
Time:
Three1-hour lessons
Materials:
- access to computer and the Internet, optional, or
- print outs of primary documents representing children in schools, at home and in a recreational setting (see links below)
- rubric for assessment
- paper
- crayons or markers
- pencils
- Photo Analysis Worksheet
- student journals
Possible Procedures
Note: Students should have prior knowledge of basic computer skills if you will be using the computer for this lesson. If students do not have these skills, have a lesson prior to Lesson 1 to teach these skills.
Lesson 1: KWHL Chart.
Create a chart on poster paper or make an overhead of the chart below to access prior knowledge from the students on what they know about kids that lived in the 1800's. Then find out what they want to know and how to find the answers to their questions. The K stands for what they know, the W stands for what they want to know, the H stands for how they can find the information and the L stands for what they learned after the lesson. (15 minutes)
Inform the students that they will be finding primary source documents (real documents from history, pictures, diaries, newspaper articles etc.) that tell about children's lives from the 1800's. Tell them they will be looking for pictures that tell about schools, home lives and recreation of children from the 1800's. They need one picture for each category.
Lesson 1 cont. Selecting Photographs.
Either have printouts available for the students to choose from (possible photos to use are listed below), or access to the Internet. Students must find documents that are dated in the 1800's only for this lesson. Instruct them how to locate the dates on the sites so they do not waste time finding unrelated documents. Use the following sites on the Internet or have book marked images available. (30 min on computer, 20 minutes with printouts or book marked images)
1. Go to the website for the Colorado Digitization Program, Click on 'Search', Click on Home Life & Customs under Sample Searches, then choose either Children, Recreation or Schools and look for images relating to the topics. Also look under People.
2. Go to the Library of Congress American Memory Website. Once you're there, click on Collection Finder, scroll down to timeline and choose 1850-1899, then choose Work and Leisure ~ Films ~ 1894-1915 .
After students have chosen photos from each category have them take time to look at the pictures and talk about them with partners or in small groups. (15 minutes)
Lesson 2:
Describe the assignments to the students. Model to the students how to analyze pictures by using the Photo Analysis Worksheet with a picture of a school of your choice. Also review with them how to do a Venn Diagram. Then have students begin the assignments (1 hour).
Lesson 3:
Students continue completing assignments. When students are finished, have them share their work with peers. Talk about what students learned from the lesson. Discuss which inferences the students made with their pictures and help to confirm or reject them to elevate inaccurate pre-conceptions.
Continue filling out the KWHL chart and focus on How to find the information (students may have more ideas about how to find information after this lesson) and what they learned. (1-2 hours)
Possible Pictures to use:
http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421749Page.htm
http://www.gjhistory.org/pix/1880s_culture.htm
http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421640Page.htm
http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P042/P0421830Page.htm
http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/images/P001/P00111043Page.htm
http://www.gjhistory.org/pix/1890s_recreation.htm
http://archive.dmns.org/cdpimages/br61-481.jpg
http://archive.dmns.org/cdpimages/br61-315.jpg
http://archive.dmns.org/cdpimages/br61-269.jpg
-Natalie Wilson, Prairie Ridge Elementary School, St. Vrain Valley School District
