Let’s Get in a Time Machine Boy, was life different!!!

Can you imagine… Your town in your most private business? Punishments for moral offenses? Public shaming/humiliation? No lawyers to defend you? No rights? Severe punishments for offenses most people don’t go to jail for today?

Started at the top and Trickled down to the family Local authority : tough Citizens : tough Parents: tough All had super high expectations, values, moral codes, etc. Fear of punishment from society, then family.

Colonists/Puritans Religion, God: #1 Lived in a way to reflect beliefs Sermons were scary (fire and brimstone) Scared

Compared to today What we see on sitcoms would be highly offensive to them How we speak, joke, act would call for punishment Protected today Rights today Freedoms today

Compare today to years ago Teachers could whip students Teachers could humiliate students (dunce hat) No one was called by their first name Students were punished for poor behavior, wrong answers, writing sloppy, and not having materials Of course, students did not try to sleep, talk back, almost always followed rules

Rules were strict for teachers A long time ago, teachers –Could not marry –Could not have children –Had to live a moral life –Had to be accompanied by a (family member) if male –Teachers were women –Had to wear long dresses

Time Machine Parents were more strict –Punished kids for what we call slight offenses –Beat kids (in some cases) –Always sided with the teacher, always –Punished kids at home if the teacher called or wrote a note home –Put kids to bed without dinner –And more

Play Acting What if that were acceptable today? What if you complained and you were told to be quiet? Parents feared society, too. You would have a different personality. –Different culture, expectations –Be respectful ALWAYS –Not ever get in trouble –Never question adults or rules

Inappropriate, wrong Cursing in public Not attending church Questioning authority Standing up for yourself Expressing different beliefs Dressing differently Being independent, doing your own thing

Stories we will soon read Play acting: hook – in our writing, a hook is an attention grabber Play acting: got your attention, prepared you for what is to come, just like a hook does in an introduction Nobody here would really want to get in a time machine and live back then, too different, culture shock (America)

Manipulation/coercion American colonies: –Public shaming worked, people feared: The same treatment The punished person was the example Always punished in public, no fine like we have, no privacy, no lawyer to defend/protect Manipulate: influence in an unfair way Coercion: use force to intimidate

England Punishments: torture, death Cut off heads with ax or sword Heads put on posts on London Bridge –Warning to others –Caused horror and fear Manipulation and coercion worked!!

Where did the Colonists come from? American ways were much better in comparison!!! Can you believe? Public humiliation was better? We don’t understand that! We get angry and demand that our rights are protected.

50 – 60 years ago Old TV shows? What were they like? Old music? Old behaviors? Talk to your grandparents. Get them to tell your more stories.

What are we doing with literature here? Connecting literature to history Connecting literature to our real lives We understand better. We empathize with the characters. We connect with the characters. We have strong emotions/opinions.