History for Kids - Time in a Bottle


Collecting things from one's lifetime and putting them in a time capsule is a history lesson that will never be forgotten.

What you'll need:

Magazines or newspapers with pictures
Sealable container
Tape or other sealant
History log

What to do:

1) Have your children collect pictures of a few important things from their life to date.

2) Tell your children that the items will be put in a time capsule so that when future generations find it they can learn something about your children and their time.

Some things to collect that represent the life and times of a period are games and toys, new technology, means of transportation, slang, movies, presidential campaign memorabilia, great speeches, poetry and fiction, music, heroes, advertising, events, television shows, fashions, and accounts of issues and crises.

Also have them include a letter describing life today to the person who opens the time capsule.

3) Meet together for a "show and tell" of the items.

4) Once everyone is satisfied with the collection, label the items by name and with any other information that will help those who find them understand how they are significant to the history of our time.

5) Place the items in a container, seal the container, and find a place to store it.

6) Write in the history log a short description of the time period and record the location of the time capsule.

Questions to ask:
What did the collection of items tell about the period? Did the items tend to be of a certain type?

History Activities for kids ages 4 to 11:



 
 
 
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