How the internet has changed our lives

This lesson for older primary learners raises children's awareness of how the internet has changed our lives.

Children's hands holding symbols related to social media

Author

Katherine Bilsborough

Introduction

Life has changed a lot since the days before the internet but most children can't imagine how different life used to be.

The lesson starts with a brainstorming activity involving the whole class. Learners think about how they and family members use the internet in their daily lives. Then they think about how children's lives would have been different before the internet was invented. They are encouraged to use 'used to' and 'didn't use to' to make comparisons between the past and the present.

Then, in the core of the lesson, learners work in pairs, A and B, to do a 'jigsaw reading' with a text about ten ways in which the internet has changed our lives. First learners read and think about the questions they need to ask in order to get the information to complete their text. Then they take turns to read, ask and answer, completing their texts with the missing information.

The lesson finishes with learners discussing the points in the text and saying whether their experience is similar or different.