Recently, kindergarten students in
San Jose Elementary School's Dual Language program were treated to a special history lesson when 103-year old community member Martha Horton visited their class.
Assisted by her daughter, Mrs. Horton talked to the students about her life and the many changes she has witnessed in her 103 years of living. Her accounts provided the students with a vivid picture of her childhood and surroundings during the early 1900s.
She explained that while some things were different when she was growing up, several things are the same – just modernized.
During her presentation, Mrs. Horton informed the students that growing up she ate cereal for breakfast just like many of them, but her cereal had to be cooked, while their cereal is boxed and ready to eat.
Playtime was also different during her childhood. There were no Xbox games or iPods to keep children entertained, instead Mrs. Horton and her siblings played in sand pits where they made sand castles, and went swimming in a canal versus the swimming pools used today.
"It is important that students learn about change and continuity in order to make sense of history and how it affects their lives," said Janice Williams, San Jose Elementary dual language kindergarten teacher. "Mrs. Horton’s visit shows the students that the children of her time had a lot more responsibility and exposure to real life experiences versus the students of today."
Mrs. Horton's visit was part of the school’s new dual language unit, "Long Ago and Today." Here children are introduced to the concept of change and continuity over time. They learn that many years ago life was different than it is today and although life may have looked different for children back then, children today still need and have many things similar to children of the past.
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