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What printing technologies were used in classrooms in the past?
What printing technologies were used in classrooms in the past?
Learning intention
We are learning about hand-printing technologies in the past.
Success criteria
We can make inferences on benefits and limitations of past printing technologies.
We can draw conclusions using images and objects as evidence.
Recall using the gelatin hectograph – jelly pad
Recall using the gelatin hectograph – jelly pad
A gelatin hectograph – also called a jelly pad – is made of gelatin and glycerine.
‘Jelly’ is short for gelatin. 'Hecto’ means one hundred and ‘graph’ means image. Hectograph means one hundred images.
Gelatin hectographs were used for printing worksheets, maps, diagrams and notes directly into students’ exercise books.
Benefits
Benefits
Recall printing a map from the jelly pad on your Schoolhouse Museum visit.
What did the jelly pad feel like?
How long did it take to print a map?
Was the map outline clear?
Was the map outline accurate?
Tell a friend what you liked about printing from a gelatin hectograph.
Limitations
Limitations
The weather affected printing from jelly pads. If it was really hot the jelly pad melted into liquid. If it was really cold the printed image was very pale.
Jelly pad with stencil and printed pages
A map being printed from the surface of a jelly pad
Examine rubber stamps
Examine rubber stamps
From the 1940s, teachers used rubber stamps to print outlines of maps, numerals, clockfaces, grids, shapes and pictures into students' exercise books.
The rubber stamp was pressed onto an ink pad to collect ink on the raised surface. The inked surface was pressed onto a page of a book.
Students stamped picture stamps into their books and used them in telling stories.
Did you know
Did you know
The raised surfaces of rubber stamps work the same way as the metal letters in a Guttenberg printing press.
An ink pad can be re-inked when it dries out.
Infer benefits and limitations
Infer benefits and limitations
Recall using rubber stamps on your Schoolhouse Museum visit.
Benefits of rubber stamps include:
saved paper
re-usable
easy to store
big variety.
What else was good about printing with rubber stamps?
What were the limitations of printing with rubber stamps?
Rubber stamps of numerals 0 to 9
Rubber stamps of clockfaces
Rubber stamps of grids
Boxed set of picture stamps
Numerals stamped using rubber stamps
Clock face stamps in 1st Class book, 1965
Grid stamp in 1st Class book, 1965
Stamping picture stamps
Map making – benefits of printing technologies
Map making – benefits of printing technologies
Until the late 1930s students drew maps into their books by hand, either free hand or by copying a map grid by grid.
With the invention of hand printing technologies, teachers could print map outlines directly into students' books. The students traced around the outline and completed other details.
Recall using rubber stamps and the jelly pad on your Schoolhouse Museum visit.
View the video to see a map stamped into a book and traced with pen and ink.
Drawing versus printing
Drawing versus printing
Examine the two hand drawn maps of Australia. Consider the time and skills involved in creating these maps.
Compare the two hand drawn maps to the maps printed using hand printing technologies.
How did printing technologies make map making easier?
For map making, what were some benefits of the invention of:
rubber stamps of map outlines
gelatin hectographs.
Working in pairs or collectively, complete a Venn diagram on the similarities and differences between printing maps to hand drawing maps.
State a conclusion
State a conclusion
Model using the inferences in the Venn diagram when composing a concluding statement.
Provide an example of a conclusion about the impact of hand printing technologies on map making at school.
At school, printing technologies made map making quicker, easier, more efficient, more accessible and more accurate.
Hand drawn map of Australia by Vera Jones, 5th Class, 1896
Map of Australia printed using a Quick Print hand duplicator, 1936
Map of Australia printed using a gelatin hectograph
Hand drawn map of Australia by Jean Whitman, 6th Class, 1933
Rubber stamp and political map of Australia stamped into social studies book, 1965
Map of Australia created by tracing around a plastic stencil.
Printing versus writing school notes
Printing versus writing school notes
Before printers, teachers wrote notes to parents or carers on the blackboard. The students copied the note into their exercise book for their parents or carers to read and sign.
How did printers change communication to parents?
How did printers change communication to parents?
Hand duplicators and jelly pads changed written communication with parents and carers.
The printers meant a note could be handwritten or typed once. Multiple copies could then be printed on paper in the classroom for the students to take home.
This was more time efficient and more accurate than students copying notes.
Hand duplicator – the first printer in schools
Hand duplicator – the first printer in schools
The hand duplicator was the first printer used in schools. It was advertised through the 1930s and 40s as 'an amazing aid'.
Did you see the hand duplicator on the headmaster's desk at the Schoolhouse Museum?
View the video to learn how hand duplicators were used.
Infer benefits
Infer benefits
Pretend to be a sales person promoting the newly invented Quick Print hand duplicator to teachers. Promote the benefits of the printer.
Left or right game - printing vs writing
Left or right game - printing vs writing
After reviewing the printing technologies, play this game as a concluding activity.
Instructions
Identify left and right sides of the room – the right side for preferred responses.
All students stand in the middle.
Ask the students questions, using the ones below as a guide.
The students decide their answer and move to that side.
Ask some students to explain their reasoning.
Suggested questions:
Which could make map making quicker for students – hand drawing (left) or jelly pad printing (right)?
Which could make mapping more accurate – hand drawing (left) or a rubber stamp (right)?
Which was more time efficient – writing by hand (left) or a gelatin hectograph (right)?
Which was more time efficient – a hand duplicator (left) or a rubber stamp (right)?
Which could make multiple copies – writing by hand (left) or a jelly pad (right)?
Which could provide images that all looked the same – hand drawn diagrams (left) or jelly pad printed images (right)?
Times tables rubber stamps for printing into mathematics books for students to complete, circa 1965
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Gelatin hectograph – also called a jelly pad, a base of firm jelly used with stencils to print copies into workbooks and onto paper
Duplicate – to make an exact copy
Rubber stamp – a wooden block with a rubber sheet on one side with raised lines. The rubber side is pushed onto a stamp pad to apply ink to the raised part before stamping it onto paper.
Stamp pad – a flat absorbant pad, covered in fabric and soaked with ink, used for printing with rubber stamps
Banner image – Rubber stamp of a map of Australia and a stamped map in a book, circa 1960
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