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What do writing objects tell us about the past?
What do writing objects tell us about the past?
Learning intention
We are learning about written communication in the past.
Success criteria
We can describe writing objects and make comparisons.
We can sequence objects from oldest to newest.
Ink pens and nibs – similar and different
Ink pens and nibs – similar and different
Ink pens made of wood and metal were used in schools from the 1820s. They replaced quills. Until the 1960s, nibs were a curved single layer of metal with a pointy tip.
The first ink wells were ceramic – a hard, shiny clay. They were used until plastic ink wells were invented in the 1950s.
From 1962 plastic pens were used in schools. 1960s metal nibs had a round tip and an ink 'tank'.
Examine pens and nibs
Examine pens and nibs
Recall using a wooden and plastic pen on your Schoolhouse Museum visit and examine the photos.
See
See
What is each pen made from?
What shape is the pen and the nib?
What details do the pens and nibs have?
Compare
Compare
In what ways are the wooden pen and plastic pen similar?
How are the wooden pen and plastic pen different?
Infer
Infer
How is the 1962 red plastic pen holder an improvement on a wooden pen holder?
How is the 1960s nib with an ink tank and round tip an improvement on the earlier pointy nibs?
Wooden pen and ceramic ink wells, circa 1900
Plastic pens and plastic ink wells, circa 1965
Examine writing objects from the past
Examine writing objects from the past
Recall the writing object you used during your Schoolhouse Museum visit. View the video about writing objects.
About the objects
About the objects
Slate board – Students wrote their work onto a slate board using a slate pencil.
Box of nibs – Nibs slotted into the end of a pen holder for ink writing.
Pen wiper – Fabric or felt pen wipers were used to dry the ink off a pen after writing. This one is hand-stitched with blanket stitch.
Clay ink pots – Ink pots with a small hole at the top were used at home and school. Their small hole prevented ink spills.
Describe a writing object
Describe a writing object
Select one object you used during your visit or select one pictured.
Tell a friend about it using the guiding questions.
See
See
What is it made from?
What shape is the object?
What details does the object have?
Think
Think
How do you think it was used?
How does it provide evidence of writing tools in the past?
Wonder
Wonder
What do you wonder about the objects?
Infer benefits and limitations
Infer benefits and limitations
Consider the benefits and limitations of the object in written communication.
What would be good about using it?
What would be hard when using it?
Slate board and pencil, circa 1880
Clay ink pots, circa 1880
Pen wiper, circa 1900
Box of pen nibs, circa 1940
Ink containers – oldest to newest
Ink containers – oldest to newest
Ink containers provide evidence of changing materials. The containers pictured below are in order oldest to newest.
Large clay bottle of ink, circa 1880
Large glass bottle of ink, circa 1940
Paper sachet of ink powder, circa 1960
Small bottle of Quink red ink, circa 1965
About ink containers
About ink containers
1880s – Before glass bottles, ink was bought in large thick clay bottles to fill inkwells and ink pots. They held one pint of ink – 600ml – and were very heavy.
1920s – When glass was affordable, ink was bought in large glass bottles which held one pint of ink – 600ml.
1960s –Ink powder was bought in small paper sachets. It was mixed with water to make ink. This small paper packet made 2 pints – 1200ml.
1960s – Small bottles of ink were used at home, in offices and schools. Teachers used red ink to mark students' work.
Infer benefits and limitations
Infer benefits and limitations
How did the powered ink sachet make life easier in schools?
What might have been a challenge for teachers and ink monitors who mixed the ink?
A variety of salt-glazed ink bottles and pots from the late 1800s. The salt glaze was clear so the colour variation is from the clays used.
Handwriting styles – oldest to newest
Handwriting styles – oldest to newest
These handwriting pages are in order from oldest to newest.
Compare them to a page of your Foundation handwriting.
How have the writing styles changed?
How have they stayed the same?
Copperplate handwriting by Claude Schumacher, 5th Class, 1896
Cursive handwriting guide 4th, 5th and 6th Class, 1926
Modified Cursive handwriting text book for 3rd Class, circa 1962
Infants script, 1st Class, circa 1965
Be a history detective – sequence oldest to newest
Be a history detective – sequence oldest to newest
Examine the handwriting in the pages from student exercise books.
Which one is the oldest? What is your evidence?
Which one is the newest? What is your evidence?
The answer is at the bottom of the page.
Page from Marie Robert's 2nd Class writing book
Page from Kitty Allan's 2nd Class exercise book
Page from Janice Kingston's 1st Class number book
Page from Louise St Julian's 6th Class Social Studies book
Oldest to newest answer
Oldest to newest answer
Kitty Allan's page in Copperplate in 1904
Marie Robert's page in Cursive in 1935
Janice Kingston's page in infants script in 1965
Louise St Julian's page in Modified Cursive writing 1966
Note - Infants script and Modified Cursive are from the same era. Students from Kindergarten to 2nd Class wrote in infants script and 3rd to 6th Class in Modified Cursive running writing.
Dear Molly
Dear Molly
Did you read the letter from Molly Mathers sent to your class?
Use your neatest handwriting to write a letter to Molly about your visit to the Schoolhouse Museum
or
Draw and label a picture of three objects you used at the Schoolhouse Museum. Write what you learnt from using them.
Extract of letter to students from fictional Molly Mathers
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Slate board – board for writing made of slate and a wooden frame
Slate pencil – narrow pencil made of slate for writing on a slate board
Ink – coloured liquid used for writing with ink pens
Ink pen – pen with a handle and metal nib
Ink well – small round pot with a narrow hole at the top designed to sit in a hole in a desk and hold ink
Ceramic – made of clay hardened by heat, with a hard, shiny surface. The first ink wells were ceramic.
Nib – small pointy metal device designed to slip into a pen and hold ink
Blotting paper – absorbant paper used to press onto wet ink writing to absorb excess ink
Copperplate – a style of ornate handwriting with loops, swirls and connected letters. It was taught in NSW schools until the 1920s
Cursive – a style of handwriting with loops and connected letters. It was taught in NSW schools from 1925 to 1962
Modified Cursive – a style of handwriting with connected letters. It was taught in NSW schools from 1963 to the 1980s
Evidence – clues in objects, stories and images. An object isn't evidence until it is interpreted within a context.
Infer – to figure something out from clues and evidence such as objects, images and stories
Benefit – something good or helpful about an action or using an object
Limitiation – something that limits the usefulness of an object, a barrier or challenge
Banner image – an 1880s timber long tom desk set with writing equipment
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