Comparing Daily Life Long Ago and Today
About this lesson
In this 45-minute Grade 2 lesson, children open a mystery letter written by a girl who lived about 100 years ago and hunt for clues about her daily life. They sort her chores, schooling and play into a then-and-now chart and draw one thing that has changed. You need an envelope, chart paper, markers, plain paper and crayons.
- Grade
- 2
- Subject
- History
- Time
- 45 min
Objective
Students will compare daily life for children about 100 years ago with daily life today by identifying at least two things that have changed and one thing that has stayed the same.
Materials
- One envelope with the mystery letter (handwritten by the teacher before class, text provided in the main activity)
- Chart paper and markers
- Sticky notes or small paper strips
- Plain drawing paper folded in half
- Crayons or coloured pencils
Hook
Hold up a sealed envelope and tell students it was found tucked inside the wall of a very old house, and the note on the front says, 'To the children of the future.' Ask them to whisper to a partner who they think wrote it and when. Explain that they will be history detectives today, and their job is to find clues about how the writer lived.
Main Activity
Open the envelope and read the letter aloud slowly: 'Dear children of the future, my name is Rosa and I am 7 years old. Every morning before school I carry two buckets of water from the well. I walk 3 kilometres to school, and we write on small chalk slates. After school I help Mama wash clothes by hand in a big tub. At night we light a candle so we can see. My favourite toy is a wooden doll my grandpa carved. What is your life like? Love, Rosa.' Read it a second time and ask detectives to raise a hand each time they hear a clue about Rosa's life, writing each clue on a sticky note (water from the well, walking to school, slates, washing by hand, candles, wooden toy). Draw a large T-chart labelled 'Rosa Long Ago' and 'Us Today' on chart paper, place the clue notes on the left side, and in small groups have students decide what children do today for each one (taps, cars or buses, paper and tablets, washing machines, electric lights, plastic or electronic toys) while the teacher records answers on the right. Finally, each student folds a paper in half and draws one part of Rosa's life on the left and the same part of their own life on the right, labelling each side with a word or short phrase.
Discussion Questions
- Which part of Rosa's day would be the hardest for you, and why?
- What is one thing Rosa did that children still do today?
- Why do you think people stopped using candles and wells in most homes?
- If you wrote a letter to children 100 years in the future, what would you tell them about your life?
- Do you think Rosa had fun as a child? What clues make you think so?
Exit Ticket
On a sticky note, finish this sentence and place it by the door: 'Long ago children ___, but today children ___.'
Differentiation
Support: Give struggling learners a pre-folded drawing page with the topic already written at the top of each side (for example, 'Getting Water' with 'Long Ago' and 'Today'), and let them work with a partner to talk through the clue before drawing. Reread the matching sentence from the letter to them as needed.
Extension: Advanced learners write a short reply letter to Rosa of three to five sentences explaining two things that have changed and one thing that has stayed the same, then predict one way life might change again in the next 100 years.
