Culture and Change

Contributor: Danielle Childers. Lesson ID: 10139

Have there been any new inventions in your short life so far? Do you think cell phones and computers have always been around? Walk back in time to see how much culture has changed in just a few years!

categories

People and Their Environment

subject
Social Studies
learning style
Auditory, Visual
personality style
Golden Retriever
Grade Level
Intermediate (3-5)
Lesson Type
Quick Query

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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Do you know how to write a formal letter to send in the mail or how to dial on a rotary phone?

  • Have you even heard of a rotary phone?

It's OK if you haven't. Although these were all common items at one time, they are now nearly extinct.

  • Do your parents or grandparents say, "Back when I was a child . . . "?

Have you ever wondered what other experiences, traditions, and beliefs may have changed over time? Take a closer look at culture and how it changes.

The culture (the set of beliefs that a group of people lives by) changes over time, sometimes slowly, at other times very quickly.

For example, the Unites States has been changing very quickly over the past 150 years and more.

Ask a grown-up what life was like when he or she was a child.

  • What were some jobs typically held by men and women?
  • Was there a routine for mealtimes?
  • How did he or she gather information for school projects?
  • How do your these answers differ from what you experience in each of these areas?

As you can see, life was much different just a short time ago.

  • Why do you think there has been such a big change?

There are many reasons, but the main one is the invention of higher technology. With new inventions and greater technology, we find more efficient ways to live our lives. Most of the time, this change is good, but at other times, it can have a damaging effect.

  • Can you think of a way that technology has had a damaging effect on humans or the environment?

If you get stuck thinking of ideas, here are some topic ideas that might help:

  • pollution
  • food ingredients
  • construction in the rain forest

Now, can you think of some others?

When you are ready, continue on to the Got It? section to fill a time capsule!

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