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"Photographs remind us of the persistence of the past in the present -- they show us not only what we have lost, but what such photographs help us to regain."
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--Martin W. Sandler
(1)
Primary students' knowledge of history is very limited. A five-year old child believes things are as they have always been. History is an abstract concept to children and a verbal explanation will not suffice. Photographs provide a mean for making history much more concrete. This unit is intended to teach primary students about the New Haven of the past in comparison to the New Haven of today. Students will think about how they live their lives today and ponder what it would have been like to live at the turn of the twentieth century. Topics for instruction include play, school, transportation, and the shore. While this unit was written for primary educators in New Haven, it can be easily adapted for older students or other locales. Please see the modifications section for more details.
The first two sections are provided as a reference for the teacher. Sections that follow are meant for classroom use. These remaining sections describe how to use the recommended photographs and often contain optional student activities. The initials
TWC
are used to refer to photographs from the book
This Was Connecticut: Images of a Vanished World
by Martin W. Sandler. Please see the
Lesson Plans
section for more information on teaching the first three lessons.
The best way to use the photos is to scan and burn them to a CD. Ask your school's Library-Media Specialist if you can borrow a laptop, projector, and screen. I have taken and can provide you with the modern-day photographs used in this unit. Please e-mail me at jenjf5678gmail.com for information on obtaining these photographs as well as the historical photographs.
