A Day in the life

A Day in the Life: Rural Family Comparisons

Introduction
We will be discussing differences between life today in 2007, and life in the late 1800s-early 1900s (roughly 1890-1910). The children will be able to note drastic differences, as well as many similarities, by viewing pictures from the earlier time and then making lists about their daily life.

Materials
• Pictures from historical society (20-25 pictures)
• Journal notebook kept in class
• Pencils, markers, colored pencils (something to draw and write with)
• Large sheets of paper or black board, dry erase board
• “What is Agriculture?" worksheet or paper where they can log definitions and notes, I created one using questions from the lesson
• Take home sheet: matching “Agriculture in your life sheet?”

Goals:
• Students will look at pictures to see how families have changed over time.
• Students will start to see the differences that agriculture played in the past and the role agriculture does today, when comparing their life to the pictures.

Objectives:
• Students will explain what agriculture is and it’s role in society (why they need to be aware of all aspects)
• Students will explain 8-10 similarities and differences in family life from 1890-1900 and today, 2007: clothing, jobs, houses, technology are examples.

Activity:
Introduction
• (5 minutes)Ask the children to close their eyes and imagine their lives without T.V, Game Boy, X-box, cell-phones, refrigerators, microwaves and McDonalds.
o Tell the class, today, they will be discussing differences in the daily life of people from the 1880-1900, and their lives today.
o Inform them that they will be learning about the impact of rural agriculture life and the importance that agriculture plays in everyday life.
• (10 minutes)Hand out “What is agriculture work sheet?” In a class discussion, write the word agriculture on the board and ask the students what they think agriculture means? —make sure to have them get a definition established and written down.
o Definition: science of cultivating (maybe use simple term of “working”) soil to produce crops and raising livestock and other animals for products
o Why is agriculture important? Why know the history?
o How does agriculture affect our life, or how does it impact our life?
o What do we use as agriculture products?
o What kinds of agriculture are still used today? (Examples: milking cows, growing eggs and chickens, farming and selling goods)
o Other questions to mention:
• Society and community: support, sharing of goods, helping neighbors, did neighbors help out, were they strangers or likely family?

Development
o (5 minutes)Share various pictures with the class; found at Winona Historical Society, and are from Winona and surrounding areas
• (5 minutes)Give 5 pictures to each group of 4 students. Allow students to make observations (8-10) about the people or places in the pictures. Have them make lists on a piece of paper: What do they see in the picture?
• Clothing, family members
• Housing
• Machinery, vehicles, technology
• Farms, land
• (5 minutes)Share those lists and put them up on walls around the room
• (3 minutes)Next, in small groups, make a list of things they have today
• Clothes
• Housing
• Machinery, vehicles, Technology
• Farms, land
• (5 minutes)Share and discuss differences and similarities the students have with the two lists they have made comparing pictures and their life:
o Some questions to facilitate discussion:
• Where were their houses? Do the pictures show neighborhoods or individual homes surrounded by land?
• Who may have lived in the house? Who lives in your house?
• Did they look happy or sad, and why do you think so?
• Did life look difficult? Was there a lot of work to do?

Closure: (7 minutes)
• Ask if the students have any questions from the lessons
• Have students take remaining class time to journal a couple of sentences what life would have been like in the 1880-1900, and how would they feel living then?

Assessment:
• Lists during group work will be checked to see if they matched pictures
• Reading their journals to see how they answered the sentences about life back then (the differences to today)
• Take home sheet of “Agriculture in Your Life” to match products (check to see if they understand where products come from)

Resources:
• USDA Ag in the classroom review sheet. www.agclassroom.org
• What is agriculture sheet? Created by Erica Deitelhoff
• Winona Historical Society: pictures of various farming families.