Finding Out About the Past
You can find out a lot about the way people lived in the
past by asking them about the houses they grew up in. For example, when families
were bigger, children shared bedrooms, and often slept in the same bed.
Where there was a root cellar, children might have to help by fetching carrots
or cabbages in the winter. If a wood stove was used, boys might have
to chop wood or bring it in.
Talk to some of the older people in your community about houses in the
past. Here are some questions to help you.
How have houses changed?
Are they heated differently now?
Are the bathrooms different?
Did people store their food differently?
Did people use the rooms in different ways?
In which room did people spend most of their time? Why?
Was there a room that was only used on special occasions? When would it
be used?
Why was it empty most of the time? When did this change? What caused the
change?
You can find out many other things about the past by talking
to older people. Here are some ideas:
The Christmas Concert in the Past
School in the Past: How is it different from today?
Where was the school located in your community 50 years ago
Chores for Children:
What work did boys have to do at home?
What work did girls have to do at home?
Berry Picking in the Past
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