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Subjects

• Arts & Humanities
  --Language Arts
  --Visual Arts
  
• Educational Technology
  
• Mathematics
  --Measurement
  --History
  ----U.S. History
  --Holidays
  

Grade

• 3-5
  
• 6-8
  
• 9-12
  

Brief Description

Create a timeline to illustrate when popular toys were introduced.

Objectives

Students will

• develop research skills as they search the Internet for popular toys and learn when those toys were first introduced.
• use measurement skills to create an accurate timeline.

Keywords

timeline, toys, Christmas, December, consumer, money, shopping, games, calendar, bulletin board

Materials Needed

• Internet access (classroom or computer lab setting)
• 4-1/4 x 5-1/2-inch heavy-stock paper (e.g., oak tag) -- 2 sheets per student
• other technology resources (optional)
• fishing tackle or yarn; or clothesline and clothespins (optional)

Lesson Plan

Begin the lesson by brainstorming with students the hottest-selling toys and games of the current season. Make a list of those toys on a chalkboard or chart. Talk about whether the toys are new to the market or if have been around for years. When completed, put aside that chart for future reference.

Most of the toys discussed are likely to be the hot, new toys of this holiday season. You might wonder aloud how many of those toys will be remembered 10, or even 5, years from now. Remind students of a few toys that are extremely popular that have been around for decades -- toys like the Barbie doll, the Slinky, and the board game Monopoly. Ask students, What other popular toys and games do you think have been around for 5 or 10 years or more? Write on a chart the names of those toys and games as students call them out.

Instead of doing the above activity as a whole-class exercise, you might arrange students in small groups and have them work together to come up with lists of toys and games that have been around for as long as they can remember. Then have each group merge with another group to share and combine their lists, and build on them. Finally, have the groups share their lists to create a class list of popular toys and games.

Next, take students to the computer lab. Provide them with their master list of toys and games and the Hot List of "History of Toys" Web Sites found at the end of this lesson. Let students use the Web pages on that Hot List or surf freely to research when each of the toys on the list was first introduced. They will learn that some toys, like the yo-yo, are centuries old, while others, such as the Barbie doll, have been around for decades. (See Sample Findings below.)

You might assign each student one or two toys on the list to research. When they've tracked down information about those toys, they can use the balance of their time to research other toys on the brainstormed list or to uncover information about other popular toys that might not be on their list.

As students gather information, they should record on their copy of the list the date when each toy was first introduced. They also might take additional notes about where each toy was introduced, who created it, and other pertinent or interesting facts.

Next, cut 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper of heavy stock (oak tag stock or heavier) in half. Provide each student with two sheets of the 4-1/4 x 5-1/2-inch stock. On each sheet, have students record the following information about the toys they are responsible for researching:

• the year in which the toy or game was introduced -- in large, bold numbers;
• an illustration of the toy or game (hand-drawn, cut from a catalog, or photographed using a digital camera);
• the name of the toy or game;
• a paragraph of interesting researched information about the toy or game.

When students have completed their informational cards, create a class timeline to show the history of some of the world's most popular toys. Since the bulk of toys were probably introduced since 1950, the timeline might cover that period only; separate card displays might serve as a reference for toys introduced

• before 1900,
• between 1901 and 1950, and
• in the last few years.

Sample Findings
Following are some of the toys/games and dates students might locate in their research. (Note: Dates may vary, depending on sources.)

• Yo-yo - 1000 B.C.
• Jigsaw Puzzle - 1767
• Balloon - 1856
• Lionel Train - 1901
• Crayola Crayons - 1903
• Lincoln Logs -1916
• Pogo Stick - 1919
• Frisbee - 1948
• Silly Putty - 1949
• Legos - 1949
• Mr. Potato Head - 1952
• Easy-Bake Oven - 1953
• Play-Doh - 1956
• Ant Farm - 1956
• Hula Hoop - 1958
• Barbie Doll - 1959
• Etch-a-Sketch - 1960
• Hot Wheels - 1966
• Hacky Sack - 1972
• Pictionary - 1986

Hot List of "History of Toys" Web Sites

• HistoryChannel.com's History of Toys and Games
• Toy Inventions
• The History of Toys and Games

Assessment

After the timeline is created, create a simple matching activity for assessment purposes. List toys/games in one column and matching, but randomly arranged, dates in the other column; have students use the timeline to complete the matching activity.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

FINE ARTS: Visual Arts
GRADES K - 4
NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
of Structures and Functions
NA-VA.K-4.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
GRADES 5 - 8
NA-VA.5-8.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.5-8.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines
GRADES 9 - 12
NA-VA.9-12.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes
NA-VA.9-12.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines

LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills

MATHEMATICS: Number and Operations
GRADES 3 - 5
NM-NUM.3-5.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
GRADES 6 - 8
NM-NUM.6-8.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems
GRADES 9 - 12
NM-NUM.9-12.1 Understand Numbers, Ways of Representing Numbers, Relationships Among Numbers, and Number Systems

MATHEMATICS: Measurement
GRADES 3 - 5
NM-MEA.3-5.1 Understand Measurable Attributes of Objects and the Units, Systems, and Processes of Measurement
NM-MEA.3-5.2 Apply Appropriate Techniques, Tools, and Formulas to Determine Measurements
GRADES 6 - 8
NM-MEA.6-8.1 Understand Measurable Attributes of Objects and the Units, Systems, and Processes of Measurement
NM-MEA.6-8.2 Apply Appropriate Techniques, Tools, and Formulas to Determine Measurements
GRADES 9 - 12
NM-MEA.9-12.1 Understand Measurable Attributes of Objects and the Units, Systems, and Processes of Measurement
NM-MEA.9-12.2 Apply Appropriate Techniques, Tools, and Formulas to Determine Measurements

MATHEMATICS: Connections
GRADES Pre-K - 12
NM-CONN.PK-12.3 Recognize and Apply Mathematics in Contexts Outside of Mathematics

MATHEMATICS: Representation
GRADES Pre-K - 12
NM-REP.PK-12.3 Use Representations to Model and Interpret Physical, Social, and Mathematical Phenomena

SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History
GRADES 5 - 12
NSS-USH.5-12.7 Era 7: The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
NSS-USH.5-12.8 Era 8: The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)
NSS-USH.5-12.9 Era 9: Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
NSS-USH.5-12.10 Era 10: Contemporary United States (1968 to the Present)

TECHNOLOGY
GRADES K - 12
NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and Concepts
NT.K-12.4 Technology Communications Tools
NT.K-12.5 Technology Research Tools

Don't miss dozens of additional activities for teaching about the December holidays on Education World's December Holidays archive page.

Click here to return to this week's "Unwrap Five Holiday Lessons" lesson plan page.

Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World®
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