Section 3: Historical Diaries, Student’s Own Journals.
We can learn details of daily life and attitudes of people of former historical periods through words left in diaries, or reminiscences. “Then and Now” sheets use quotes from diaries and journals for students to read and compare aspects of their own lives with those of children of other eras. See sample sheets in resource materials packet. These sheets may be introduced as part of a field trip, or in connection with other language arts activities, such as reading aloud in class
A Gathering of Days
, by Joan W. Blos.
Excerpts included are from
Diary of Anna Green Winslow, a Boston schoolgirl of 1771
, from Lucy Larcom’s A New
England Girlhood
, published in 1889 but written about growing up in early nineteenth century New England, and from the autobiographical
A New England Boyhood,
by Edward Everett Hale, published in 1893, which begins its narrative in 1822. Topics for discussion include food, clothing, the child’s role in the family, education, and holidays.
Classroom teachers can plan for their students to enter notes in journals regularly twice a week during this unit.