Then and now
History · Early Years · The School
Words for time
The PAST is what already happened. The PRESENT is now. The FUTURE has not happened yet. Say what you did yesterday. That is the past. Say what you are doing now. That is the present. Say what you will do tomorrow. That is the future. Getting these three words solid is the foundation of all history.
What has changed
Look at a photograph of a street a hundred years ago. Now look at one from today. Some things changed completely. There are cars instead of horses. The clothes changed. The shops changed. But some things did not change at all. The road is in the same place. The church is still there. Historians look for BOTH. What stays the same is as interesting as what changes.
Putting things in order
Take three pictures. A baby. A child. A grown-up. Now put them in order. That order is a TIMELINE. Everything in history sits somewhere on one. And what came first? That is a question you can already answer.
Look at a photograph of a 1950s kitchen. Put it beside your own. CHANGED: no microwave. No dishwasher. A much smaller fridge, or none at all. No plastic containers. SAME: a table to eat at. A kettle. A sink. Plates. A window. Now count both lists. Most people expect the changed list to be much longer. They are surprised that it is not. That surprise is the lesson.