School Days
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Lesson Overview
Best for 2nd – 5th Grades
Although the basics of learning remain the same, much has changed about going to school and attitudes toward learning in the last 200 years. In this program, students discover what it was like to attend a one-room schoolhouse in 19th century America, exploring a variety of “school supplies” to compare school life and learning in the 19th versus 21st centuries. They can also practice their penmanship, a common lesson for students in the 19th century.
Program Objectives
Students will:
- Make inferences about life in the past based on the examination of objects.
- Compare and contrast school in the 19th century with school today in terms of supplies, curriculum, classroom environment and rules.
- Explain how school, school supplies, and learning have changed with new technologies and the shift away from an agrarian society.
Standards & Skills
6.1.4.C.17: Determine the role of science and technology in the transition from an agricultural society to an industrial society, and then to the information age.
6.1.4.D.11: Determine how local and state communities have changed over time, and explain the reasons for changes.
Chronological Thinking | Critical Thinking
The Lesson Plan
The full lesson plan, including images and activities for students, can be found via the link below for the Written Lesson.
- There are two different versions of our School Days program. Both lessons cover the same content and meet the same curriculum standards.
- The Written Lesson plan contains content, images and activities for you to present to your students. The Video Lesson incorporates videos of a METC educator presenting the content and interpreting objects.