American Centuries

Pocumtuck Valley
Memorial Association

American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Winter in New England: Then and Now

Winter in New England: Then and Now

Details

Author
Courtney Imbriglio
Topic/Subject Area
Media, Periodicals, Communication; Natural Phenomena, Weather, Climate; Science, Technology
Historical Era
Rise of Industrial America, 1878–1899, New Millennium, 1990–Present
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5)
Creation Date
2007
Last Revision Date
2024

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About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

By viewing a photograph of a late 1800s blizzard, students will understand that there are differences and similarities between people’s lives now and in earlier times. Students will understand that people are much better prepared for severe weather conditions today, due to inventions such as radio, television, and computers.

Materials & Resources

Books
Collection Items
Websites

Teaching Plan

  1. Begin by reading aloud The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. When finished, ask children the following questions:
    • Do you ever play in the snow?
    • What are some things that people do when it snows?
    • Can a snowstorm ever be dangerous?
  2. Ask students these questions: Do we have any way of knowing when it will snow? How? Discuss answers to the questions.
  3. Tell students that in the past, people did not have television, radio, and computers to warn of dangerous weather conditions. People often predicted the weather by looking at the sky, and observing different types of clouds. Today, we look to the sky, and we also have many kinds of weather instruments (thermometer, barometer, etc.) that measure weather.
  4. Share with students the picture “Snow Storm” and tell them that this was a dangerous snowstorm that struck in 1888. People did not have warning that it was coming, so they did not prepare. When the storm came, some areas were hit with 50 inches of snow (use two yard sticks to show the depth of 50 inches). People were stuck in the snowstorm, and were not able to get home safely. Trains were stuck on railways, and sleighs pulled by horses (show sleighing in a one-horse cutter)were not able to move because of strong winds and heavy snow. People could not communicate over long distances because telegraph lines were covered with ice. Tell students that a telegraph was invented before the telephone and messages were sent in code over wire lines.
  5. Ask students how people prepare for blizzards today. Make a list on large chart paper.
  6. Have students use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast what it would be like to live during a blizzard in the past compared to today.
  7. In the weeks that follow, have students keep a notebook to chart and record the daily temperature, wind direction, and precipitation, if any. Students could make a windsock to determine wind direction.
  8. As an extension, students could visit the KnowItAll.com website pages listed under Materials & Resources to see how media has advanced over time. With the advances, we have much more warning and time to prepare for bad weather.