Vertical Study of History

Age

6-9.

Materials

• Booklets of Stages in the Progress of Civilization
• Time line on which each space is a century with 100 centuries (10,000 years) are represented for B.C.E. in white, 20 centuries for C.E. in red.
• Set of labels for each booklet, these with dates indicated on back.
  

Preparation

Vertical study means to study a specific subject. This is taking one subject: e.g.. shelter and looking at it through time. The purpose for this is to take a subject and look at how humans met their needs with this subject through history. The younger child finds this easier to work with and enjoys the comparison of different aspects of the same thing through time. This lesson is also more impressionistic for the young child, allowing her/him the opportunity to imagine what things were like at different ages. The vertical study is impersonal as it is involved with things.

Presentation

1. Choose cards which the child can relate to: shelter or lighting.
2. Give the pictures one at a time without regard to order.
3. Give a story with each picture and the name orally.
4. After you have done this, have the child give you the names.
5. Ask if she has a picture of her own house or can she draw one.
6.  This involves the child in the project more.
7. Give the reading labels and have the child place under the appropriate picture.
8. Repeat for the series in this way with other cards and lessons.
   

Variation

A group of children can build shelters through the ages and do research on this.