<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<link href="/archive/styles/global.css" rel="stylesheet" title="default" type="text/css" />
<link href="/archive/styles/global_import.css" rel="stylesheet" media="all" title="default" type="text/css" />
<script type="text/javascript" src="/archive/scripts/archive.js"></script>
<style type="text/css" media="screen" title="default">
@import url("/archive/styles/global_import.css");
@import url("/archive/styles/level2_import.css");
SPAN.disclaimer{
text-align: right; font-style:italic;
}
</style>
<!--[if IE]>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/archive/styles/global_print.css" type="text/css" title="printpreview" media="print" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/archive/styles/level2_print.css" type="text/css" title="printpreview" media="print" />
<![endif]-->
<style type="text/css" media="print" >
#screen-version{display:none;}
</style>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/archive/styles/archive.css" type="text/css" title="default" />
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../style.css" />
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../learning.css" />
<title>Classroom Activities: Developing Historical Perspectives on Communications Technology</title><!--======TITLE HERE======-->
<meta name="DC.Title" content="Classroom Activities: Developing Historical Perspectives on Communications Technology" />
<meta name="DC.Publisher" content="U.S. National Library of Medicine" />
<meta name="DC.Date.Issued" content="2001-10-23" />
<meta name="DC.Date.Modified" content="2009-08-11" />
<meta name="DC.Type" content="Exhibitions" />
<meta name="DC.Rights" content="Public Domain" />
<meta name="DC.Language" content="eng" />
<meta name="DC.Identifier.URL" content="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive/20120104/onceandfutureweb/classroom/developing.html" />
<meta name="NLMDC.Description.Notes" content="archived" />
<meta name="NLMDC.Date.Archived" content="2012-01-04" />
<meta name="NLM.Permanence.Level" content="Permanent: Stable Content" />
<meta name="NLM.Permanence.Guarantor" content="U.S. National Library of Medicine" />
<meta name="generator" content="BBEdit 5.1.1" />
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
<!--
function popup(url) {
newwindow=window.open(url,'exhibition','height=375,width=297 status=yes,scrollbars=yes,resize=no,menubar=yes');
if (window.focus) {newwindow.focus()}
return false;
}
// -->
</script>
<!--DO NOT REMOVE!! NLM survey script - contact wwwnlm@nlm.nih.gov with questions -->
<script src="/share/scripts/survey.js" type="text/javascript" language="javascript"></script>
</head>
<body bgcolor="#333333" link="#cc0000" alink="#ff9900" vlink="#000000" text="#000000" onload="">
<!-- -->
<a href="#skip" style="color: red; display: none;">Skip to Content</a>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="archeader">
<tr>
<td id="arcbanner" ><img src="/archive/images/head_left.gif" alt="" width="334" height="55" border="0" usemap="#nlm_logo" id="NLMBanner" /></td>
<td valign="top" width="*"><div id="archivetext">Archives</div></td>
<td id="arcsearch"><form method="get" action="http://search.nlm.nih.gov/homepage/query" target="_self" name="searchForm" id="searchForm" >
<label for="PARAMETER" id="searchLabel">Search NLM Web Site</label>
<input name="PARAMETER" id="PARAMETER" type="text" class="text" size="12" />
<input name="imageField" type="image" src="/archive/images/button_go.gif" alt="Search" align="absmiddle" class="gobutton" />
<span class="navbar" ><a href="/">NLM Home</a> | <a href="/about/archives.html">About the Archives</a></span>
<input type="hidden" name="FUNCTION" value="search" />
<input type="hidden" name="MAX" value="250" />
<input type="hidden" name="DISAMBIGUATION" value="true" />
</form>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="breadcrumb" >
<td colspan="3"><span id="arccontainerheader" class="breadlinks"><a href="/index.html">Home</a> > <strong>NLM Archives</strong> > </span> <span id="disclaimerheader"><strong>Document content is not current. Links may be broken.</strong></span><span class="spacer"></span></td>
</tr>
</table>
<p> </p>
<!--BEGIN FORM-->
<form method="post" action="http://wwwindex.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/htsearch">
<input type="hidden" name="config" value="ofw_exact" />
<center>
<img src="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/onceandfutureweb/images/x.gif" alt="blank space" width="1" height="47" /><br />
<img src="../images/dots.gif" alt="dots" width="747" height="1" /><br />
<!--======BEGIN TABLE 1======-->
<table width="747" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" summary="table 1">
<!--======BEGIN TOP LEVEL NAV======-->
<tr valign="top">
<td width="213"><a href="../home.html"><img src="../images/hdr-oncenfuture.gif" width="213" height="26" alt="The Once and Future Web" border="0" /></a></td>
<td width="92"><a href="../information.html"><img src="../images/navtop-information.gif" width="92" height="26" alt="Information" border="0" /></a></td>
<td width="123"><a href="../exhibition.html" onclick="return popup('../exhibition.html')"><img src="../images/navtop-exhibition.gif" width="123" height="26" alt="Exhibition Library" border="0" /></a></td>
<td width="114"><a href="../learning.html"><img src="../images/navtop-learning.gif" width="114" height="26" alt="Learning Station" border="0" /></a></td>
<td width="118"><a href="../resources.html"><img src="../images/navtop-resources.gif" width="118" height="26" alt="Online Resources" border="0" /></a></td>
<td width="82"><a href="../feedback.html"><img src="../images/navtop-feedback.gif" width="82" height="26" alt="Feedback" border="0" /></a></td>
<td width="5"><img src="../images/x.gif" alt="blank space" width="5" height="5" /></td>
</tr>
<!--======END TOP LEVEL NAV======-->
</table>
<!--======END TABLE 1======-->
<!--======BEGIN MAIN TABLE======-->
<table width="747" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" summary="main table">
<tr valign="top">
<!--======SPACER======-->
<td width="747" colspan="7" bgcolor="#ff9900"><img src="../images/x.gif" alt="blank space" width="747" height="5" /></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top"><!--======NAV BAR HERE======-->
<td colspan="7" bgcolor="#ff9900" align="left"><a href="../database/seca-networkedworld.html" onmouseover="document.navimga.src='../images/nav-a-roll.gif'; document.navimga.src = '../images/nav-a-roll.gif'" onmouseout="document.navimga.src ='../images/nav-a.gif'; document.navimga.src = '../images/nav-a.gif'"><img src="../images/nav-a.gif" width="126" height="21" alt="Networked Worlds" border="0" name="navimga" /></a>
<a href="../database/secb-partlives.html" onmouseover="document.navimgb.src='../images/nav-b-roll.gif'; document.navimgb.src = '../images/nav-b-roll.gif'" onmouseout="document.navimgb.src ='../images/nav-b.gif'; document.navimgb.src = '../images/nav-b.gif'"><img src="../images/nav-b.gif" width="109" height="21" alt="A Part of Our Lives" border="0" name="navimgb" /></a>
<a href="../database/secc-partdreams.html" onmouseover="document.navimgc.src='../images/nav-c-roll.gif'; document.navimgc.src = '../images/nav-c-roll.gif'" onmouseout="document.navimgc.src ='../images/nav-c.gif'; document.navimgc.src = '../images/nav-c.gif'"><img src="../images/nav-c.gif" width="123" height="21" alt="A Part of Our Dreams" border="0" name="navimgc" /></a>
<a href="../database/secd-savewire.html" onmouseover="document.navimgd.src='../images/nav-d-roll.gif'; document.navimgd.src = '../images/nav-d-roll.gif'" onmouseout="document.navimgd.src ='../images/nav-d.gif'; document.navimgd.src = '../images/nav-d.gif'"><img src="../images/nav-d.gif" width="124" height="21" alt="Saved by the Wire" border="0" name="navimgd" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top"><!--======SETS WIDTHS FOR TABLE======-->
<td width="8" bgcolor="#ff9900" rowspan="3"><img src="../images/x.gif" alt="blank space" width="8" height="14" /></td><!--COL1-->
<td width="20" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/curve2-up-l.gif" width="20" height="26" alt="curved left corner" /></td><!--COL2-->
<td width="690" bgcolor="#ffffff" colspan="3"><img src="../images/x.gif" alt="blank space" width="690" height="1" /></td><!--COL3,4,5-->
<td width="21" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/curve2-up-r.gif" width="21" height="26" alt="curved right corner" /></td><!--COL6-->
<td width="8" bgcolor="#ff9900" rowspan="3"><img src="../images/x.gif" alt="blank space" width="8" height="1" /></td><!--COL7-->
</tr>
<!--======BEGIN MAIN CONTENT======-->
<tr valign="top">
<td width="20" bgcolor="#ffffff"></td><!--COL2-->
<td width="440" bgcolor="#ffffff" align="left"><img src="../images/x.gif" alt="spacer" width="440" height="1" /><br />
<font class="bodyheadlg">Classroom Activities</font><br />
<font class="bodyhead">Developing Historical Perspectives on Communications Technology</font><br />
<ol>
<li><font class="bodycopy">Ask students to think about and list various technologies and methods they use to communicate with others. Record their responses in a column under a heading of "Communicating in the 21st century."</font><br /><br /></li>
<li><font class="bodycopy">Optional: Show this <a href="../images/learning-sample.jpg">image</a> (printable) and tell them that the lithograph was created to represent "The Progress of the Century." Ask students if they can identify a communication technology invented in mid-nineteenth century depicted in the lithograph.</font><br /><br /></li>
<li><font class="bodycopy">Ask students to give examples of communications technologies and methods used until the late 19th century. Record their responses in a column titled "Communicating in the 19th century."</font><br /><br /></li>
<li><font class="bodycopy">Review and compare the items in the two columns. Conduct a class discussion using the questions below: (Optional: Students can work in small groups and, afterwards, share their discussion points with the class.)</font>
<ul>
<li><font class="bodycopy">What do you notice about the lists? (e.g., The 21st century column may have many more items than the 19th century column) Why do you think this is?</font></li>
<li><font class="bodycopy">Select the three most interesting communication tools/methods from these two columns and identify the similarities and differences among them.</font></li>
<li><font class="bodycopy">What common goals do the communications technologies serve for people?</font></li>
<li><font class="bodycopy">How has communications technology evolved in society? What has changed, e.g., science, speed, technology, materials, uses, etc?</font></li>
</ul>
<br /></li>
<li><font class="bodycopy">Summarize the class discussion. Encourage students to look for the historical aspects of telecommunication development at the online exhibition, <em><a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/onceandfutureweb/home.html">The Once and Future Web</a></em>.</font><br /><br /></li>
</ol>
</td>
<td width="20" bgcolor="#ffffff"></td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff" align="left" width="200">
<div id="subnav">
<br />
<p class="nav"><strong>Online Activities</strong><br />
<a class="nav" href="../onlineactivities/oncenfuture_nlm.html">The Once and Future NLM</a><br />
<a class="nav" href="../onlineactivities/meet_innovators.html">Meet the Innovators</a><br />
<a class="nav" href="../onlineactivities/view_parallels.html">View the Parallels</a></p>
<p class="nav"><strong>Classroom Activities</strong><br />
<a class="nav" href="comparing.html">Comparing Telegraph & Internet</a><br />
<a class="nav" href="developing.html">Historical Perspectives</a><br />
<a class="nav" href="using.html">Using Telegraph & Internet</a><br /><br /></p>
</div>
</td>
<td width="20" bgcolor="#ffffff"></td>
</tr>
<!--======END MAIN CONTENT======-->
<tr valign="top"><!--==BOTTOM CURVES==-->
<td width="20" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/curve-btm-l.gif" width="20" height="18" alt="bottom left curve" /></td><!--COL2-->
<td bgcolor="#ffffff" colspan="3"></td><!--COL3,4,5-->
<td width="21" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="../images/curve-btm-r.gif" width="21" height="18" alt="bottom right curve" /></td><!--COL6-->
</tr>
<!--======BEGIN SEARCH======-->
<tr valign="top">
<td width="747" colspan="7" bgcolor="#ff9900">
<img src="../images/x.gif" alt="blank space" width="1" height="8" /><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" summary="search table">
<tr valign="top">
<td><img src="../images/x.gif" alt="blank space" width="491" height="26" /></td>
<td>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" summary="">
<tr>
<td><img src="../images/search-quick.gif" alt="Search" /></td>
<td><input type="text" name="words" size="9" maxlength="75" value="" /></td>
<td><input type="image" src="../images/btn-go.gif" alt=" " /></td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
<!--======END SEARCH======-->
</table>
<!--======END MAIN TABLE======-->
</center>
</form>
<hr/>
<div id="archivemeta">
<strong>First published: </strong>23 October 2001<br/><strong>Last updated: </strong>11 August 2009<br/><strong>Date Archived: </strong>04 January 2012<br/><a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/viewMeta.pl?url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive//20120104/onceandfutureweb/classroom/developing.html&description=full" onclick="javascript:openPopup('http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/viewMeta.pl?url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/archive//20120104/onceandfutureweb/classroom/developing.html&description=full'); return false;"><strong>Metadata</strong></a> | <strong> <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/permlevels.html"onclick="javascript:openPopup('http://www.nlm.nih.gov/permlevels.html'); return false;">Permanence level</a>: </strong>Permanent: Stable Content<br/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="archeader">
<tr id="breadcrumb" >
<td colspan="5"><span id="arccontainerfooter">Home > <strong>NLM Archives</strong> > </span> <span id="disclaimerfooter"><strong>Document content is not current. Links may be broken.</strong></span><span class="spacer"></span></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<div id="footer">
<span id="subLeft"><a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/copyright.html">Copyright</a>, <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/privacy.html">Privacy</a>, <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/accessibility.html">Accessibility</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov">U.S. National Library of Medicine</a>, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894<br />
<a href="http://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>, <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/">Health & Human
Services</a></span></div>
</body>
</html>