Lesson 3: Diary Of An Individual
Provides a glimpse of life and perspectives from the past.
(Adapted from Historical Records in the Classroom)
Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts
Grade Levels: 4 - 9
Time Frame: 4-8 class periods
Materials Needed:
Learning Objectives: Students will:
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Gather information about rural life from diary entries.
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Compare and contrast daily life in the past to life today.
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Write diary entries that reflect a young person's life today.
Procedure:
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Distribute a copy of the individual's diary and a worksheet to each student.
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Identify and define unfamiliar terminology.
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Direct students to complete the worksheet by analyzing the entries from the individual's diary.
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Conduct a class discussion sharing information gathered.
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Instruct students to begin writing their own diaries for the next 5 days. Have them include information about their daily lives.
Extension:
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Ask students: If someone found their diary 100 years from now, what would they want to tell people of the future about a student's life today?
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Share, collect and keep in a historical school time capsule.
DIARIES
Directions: Complete the following worksheet by gathering answers from the diary entry.
Family:
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members, roles, values, structure, daily living
Chores:
Education:
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subjects, private/public, systems, teachers, students
Work:
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type, location, wage, working conditions, income, leisure time and opportunities
Interests:
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art, literature, music, paintings, poetry, recreation
Gender Roles:
Environment during that era:
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climate, land fertility, water resources, location, terrain, geographic region, resources, land, crops, physical geography
Place of residence:
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living conditions, size, materials for housing, neighborhood, physical/social features
Urban/Rural setting:
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towns, cities, forts, living conditions, geographic factors, population, residential patterns
Daily Life:
Religion:
Economic status:
Economy:
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business, leisure activities, residential, industries, markets, factors for growth, finance, social mobility
Institutions:
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development, banks, schools, hospitals, social agencies
Trade:
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ports, major items, hazards/rewards, price of goods, shipping, railroads
Legal:
Culture:
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heritage, beliefs, values, folklore, fashion, customs
War:
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daily lives, participation, roles, physical devastation, economic hardships, impact on property, use of technology, technological innovations
Technology:
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developments, affects, importance, uses, farming practices, communication, innovations
Transportation
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types, cost, travel time, trails, roads, bridges
Labor:
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class distinctions, systems, workforce, unions, owners, movements
Health:
DIARY QUESTIONS
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What were the behaviour of men, women and children during that era?
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What was it like to be a teenager in this society?
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What role did economic interests play in the development of family life and its relationship to the community?
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To what extent did family roles, values, and structure change during that era?
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How did the community view single women?
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Were women justified in seeking new roles and rights in society?
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To what extent were women confined to the social conventions of that era?
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To what extent were the lives of farm children and urban children different?
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What impact did transportation have on the pattern of economic development in the region?
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How did the perspectives of industrial workers and employers differ?
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Would life in a city of that time have been more or less satisfying than life in a city today?
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What issues facing today's cities are similar to those of the mid 19th century?
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What was the social composition of the city's population in terms of ethnicity, religion, class and race?
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Were some major problems facing the city in that period?
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What problems did immigrants face and what opportunities were afforded to them during that era?
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What jobs were open to new immigrants?
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What opportunities did immigrants seek?
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How did immigrants help contribute to the development of the city, province, country?
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How were gender roles defined?
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Did gender roles differ among different cultural groups?
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What role prevented women from taking an active role in society?
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How did the public at large view women who held leadership roles?
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What responsibilities did women take on at home during the war?
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What new occupations were open to women during the war?
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To what extent did the war change gender roles and traditional attitudes toward women in the workforce?
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What contributed to the rapid economic growth of the city?
Primary Sources
Lesson 3: Diary Of An Individual
Provides a glimpse of life and perspectives from the past.
Dear Diary
http://www.archivesalberta.org/diary/diary.htm
A soldier who never returned from the war, A hermit with a drinking problem, A sober judge with a heavy dose of social morality, A city fire department waiting for the alarm, A woman exercising her recently-won right to vote, A woman with a Harlequin Romance view of life, A woman with regrets, A ski hill first aid station, A budding artist during her encounter with Royalty
The Canadian Letters and Images Project
http://www.mala.bc.ca/history/letters/
An online archive preserving Canada's photographs and other personal materials
National Archives of Canada
http://www.archives.ca/
Living Memory, Diary of Lady Macdonald 1868, Diary of William Lyon Mackenzie King 1945
Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation
http://search.civilization.ca/
http://www.civilisations.ca/vmnf/boucher/3.2/3.2.1.htm
Pierre Boucher Travel Diary
City of Edmonton Archives
Eva McKitrick Fonds, 1909-1983
Diary of Her Father
[Top] |
Lesson
1: Conducting a Historical Inventory
Lesson 2:
Historical Maps
Lesson 3:
Diary of an Individual
Lesson 4:
City Census
Download
Lesson 3 in Word Document format.
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