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Summary and Objective
The students will compare and contrast children's leisure time activities of the 19th and early 20th centuries with leisure time activities today. In doing so, they will come to understand that some games and toys have persisted over time, while many of the games and toys popular today are recent inventions. The changes are primarily due to technological developments such as electricity and the computer. Gender roles have evolved and changed as well.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
List on chart paper the kinds of activities children do during their free time now. Note which activities are usually done by girls, boys, or both.
Step 2.
Show a map of the United States and find Tennessee. Discuss how far away it is from our location. Read the book "Daniel's Duck" by Clyde Robert Bulla. While reading, discuss the setting of the book. During what time period could this take place? How do the children know?
Step 3.
Discuss how Daniel occupied his time during the long cold winter. Is this something that most children did during that time period?
Step 4.
Show the children the items collected from the American Centuries Website. Click on each picture, share the information about each one, and discuss with the class. Did boys and girls do different things in their free time? Why might that be? What skills might the boys have been learning from their activities? What were the girls learning?
Step 5.
Do boys and girls have different hobbies today? Are they encouraged to do the same things? Can girls play marbles or go bowling today? Can boys play with dolls? What skills, if any, do children learn from their toys and games today?
Step 6.
As a follow-up activity, teach the children to play marbles. Hold a class marbles tournament.
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