Lesson Plan: Telephone Fact Search

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Ask how many students have a cell phone or have one in their family. Then ask how long phones have existed. After a brief discussion, tell students they will be compiling facts associated with the invention and development of the telephone from its early days to today.

Outline the Opportunity

Divide the class into groups of four to six students. Direct students to the topic Canada Says Hello: The First Century of the Telephone on the CBC Digital Archives website. Students in each group will browse all of the clips on the site. In each group, students should divide the clips based on the clips' length in minutes. As they browse, students should record all dates, costs, performance numbers, technical data, and any other relevant facts about the invention and development of the telephone.

Revisit and Reflect

Have the students in each group share their facts with the rest of the group, then decide as a group how to organize the facts into a chart that categorizes all of the data collected. Post the charts in the classroom and have students do a walkabout to review their classmates' work. Hold a class discussion to compare and contrast the charts, and describe which ones were organized most effectively and why.

Extension

Students can write a reflection in their journal about what the use of telephones means to their daily life.