How Homes Have Changed

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The homes pictured above are probably not in your neighborhood, nor do your neighbors dress like the people in the pictures.

These pictures were taken more than 200 years ago in the United States. Homes have changed a lot since this time, but the purpose of a home has always stayed the same.

• Why is shelter, such as your home important?

Your answers might have included that you need a home so you have a place to sleep, eat, and be safe. A home is a place where your family lives.

• Do you think that people have always lived in homes like those in your neighborhood?

As you see from the pictures above, the answer is no!

People have lived and still do live in all types of homes, and some people or families have more than one home.

• Can you name a few different types of homes that people lived in long ago?

You could mention tee-pees, cabins, castles, or caves. These are all correct.

Looking at homes gives us a clue as to the people who built them and the time period in which they were built.

If you see a picture of a home that has no indoor toilet, you can make a guess that it was built before 1930 because that is when indoor plumbing became widely available in the United States. Many houses made by the American settlers had only one room. This was because people were making their own homes and needed to make them quickly. Also, with one room, people were safer and warmer because family members were all huddled together.

Houses change according to the needs and wants of the people living there.

You will get to see how one piece of land changed over 300 years and all of the different homes that land provided for both animals and humans. Listen to the story The House on Maple Street by Bonnie Pryor twice. The first time, relax and enjoy the story. 

Now, print the Timeline of Maple Street activity from the Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar. Skim the worksheet, and then start the video again. As you hear or see answers for each square, pause the video and fill in the blank or draw the picture according to the directions.

After viewing and listening to the video, think about the place where your home stands today.

• Was your home standing many years ago?

As you continue through the lesson, you will take a closer look at how homes have changed over the years.