COULD YOU SURVIVE IN . . . .

Introduction:

Almost any young person will roll their eyes when someone older exclaims, "Why in my day . . ." and they are likely thinking why do I need to know how to do things when the dinosaurs roamed? Is there value in learning how tasks were done in the past? Are we all spoiled now?

As a docent I hear people all the time claim that everyone was stupid before this time period. Seems to be a universal human prejudice. In my study of things past I have come to the conclusion that they were actually smarter than we are now (studies have shown our brain size is shrinking, hmm . . ., no longer running from lions, tigers and bears.). Were you required to be more self reliant and self sufficient? Actually, not entirely. At least not in the time periods we will ask about below. People had professions and skills that their peers did not. You could go to a 'professional,' be it doctor, cobbler, blacksmith or farmer and get help. However, you still had to do many things yourself, unless you could afford servants, but then you still needed to supervise them. My cousin pointed out that rural skills are very different from city/town skills where you could get professional help easier. He also asked, "do you have the smarts to do this stuff" and others are "do you think you could endure this situation."

People were dependent on tight communities for all these time periods. Communication over distance was expensive or simply not available. Letters could take weeks. Telegrams were only for emergencies and expensive. No Google, YouTube, Zoom, Telemedicine, etc. (No social media on tiny devices. No you will NOT die if you put it down for a few minutes. The withdrawal symptoms can be painful, but you will be better afterwards.)

How to use:

This is on the Point Pinos Lighthouse website and I am obligated to post materials that are relevant to our area. As such, I based these 'learning opportunities' on local knowledge and history. Likely it will be different where you are. AND I could not cover everything in limited number of questions per time period. These pages are likely more useful as an introduction to your own lesson plans. A way to start their thinking engines going. So . . .

ALL of this material is FAIRUSE. As a teacher, you are free to use w/o restriction. You may adapt, add, edit, trim as you see fit. Nothing here is made of stone. You are free to copy the source code to change the quiz or make new ones. (even other subjects!) (view source code, save as a text file, *.txt. Edit and change individual questions, save as *.html on your computer. Double click this file and it should work the same as if still on a website). I provide PDF and DOC versions of just the questions that can be shared if that is easier. I am retired now and not full time anything. If all else fails, you may send me an email: owamoose@gmail.com and I will try my best to help. Good also for suggestions of more material to be added to the site as well. Thanks!

Above all remember, this is supposed to be a FUN (eye opening) learning opportunity!

I will attempt to keep these up to date with fixes, etc. Feel free to offer suggestions. owamoosa@gmail.com

Up to you as the instructor (and what grade you are teaching) how lenient you want to be with students having help to do a described task. Could go as far as asking, if they personally KNOW someone who could help them out with the task questioned. Likely true for people in each of these time periods as well. (my computer froze, can you help me grandchild?)

Setting the scenes, see [keeper timeline], [keeper tech] and of course Wikipedia: California History

Indigenous - before European contact

There was a thriving vibrant culture and people before Europeans made their way to the Americas. What happened was not fair to those present. Much has been lost that would be useful now as we face our own 'over the top' consumption culture.

Indigenous Do you think you could survive before the Europeans arrived?

This is very much a work in progress. Meant more for teachers than students directly. No quiz. Suggest discussing in class and have students reflect on what it meant to live in that time/people.

1855 Survival Quiz - The Lamp is Lit

With our first keeper, Charles Layton, his wife Charlotte and four kids. They had whale oil for the lighthouse lamp, five miles to town (Monterey, as Pacific Grove did not exist yet) on a dirt trail. They received rations and enough coal for the month and were on their own otherwise. Within a year Charles was shot and killed while on a posse to capture a local bandit. Charlotte stepped up as the first appointed female keeper on the west coast. NO toilet paper or flush toilets yet!

[1855 Survival Quiz] Do you think you could survive at the time of the first keepers?
. . . AND why some of these skills may still be important today. [1855+]

Helpers: just the game code as a [1855 text file] to easily download and edit. Rename as *.html and it will work even on your desktop.

The teacher discussion files [1855.docx] and [1855.pdf]

1890 Survival Quiz - The Parlor

The gilded age: Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, and Collis P. Huntington set up shop in Pebble Beach and surrounding areas. Pacific Grove becomes a town. An actual road to the lighthouse.

[1890 Survival Quiz] Emily Fish, Stanford, Crocker, and Hopkins make their mark on our community. [1890+]

Helpers: just the game code as a [1890 text file] to easily download and edit. Rename as *.html and it will work even on your desktop.

The teacher discussion files [1890.docx] and [1890.pdf]