Dollars and dimes are artifacts that certainly won't buy today what it has in the past. We should share this fact with our young storytellers, writers, and readers through discussions, research, and of course stories that are situated in the past and present. Storytelling becomes more vivid when the setting is authentic. A bit of research may be necessary when telling a historical tale that dates back older than we are. Speaking to experts, such as older relatives, friends, and neighbors who remember what they bought for a "buck" would be beneficial to enriching any story from the past. Asking the right questions could easily refresh memories of old.
Guiding statements and questions:
1. I took a dime and a dollar to the grocery store yesterday and I couldn't find a single item I could buy. Has it always been that way? Was there a time when you bought items with a dollar or a dime? What were they?
2. What type of entertainment could you buy with a small amount of money? (movies, amusement rides, bowling)
3. Have you heard of these sayings before?
*"Brother, can you spare a dime?"
*"A dime a dozen"
What do these sayings mean to you?
Here's a few fun facts I found on the internet:
1 cow cost $10.00 in 1800
1 chest of drawers cost $2.00 in 1802
a moderate home cost $1,980 in the 1920's
peaches were sold for .10 a dozen in 1866 in Galveston, TX
Think about the setting of the story you are working on. What was going on economically during the time period of your tale? How can this impact your characters? Visit your library or reputable websites and find out the costs of entertainment, food, shelter, toys, and transportation and enrich your story with some of these facts if possible. Your listeners will sip the flavor of the time period through your story!
Guiding statements and questions:
1. I took a dime and a dollar to the grocery store yesterday and I couldn't find a single item I could buy. Has it always been that way? Was there a time when you bought items with a dollar or a dime? What were they?
2. What type of entertainment could you buy with a small amount of money? (movies, amusement rides, bowling)
3. Have you heard of these sayings before?
*"Brother, can you spare a dime?"
*"A dime a dozen"
What do these sayings mean to you?
Here's a few fun facts I found on the internet:
1 cow cost $10.00 in 1800
1 chest of drawers cost $2.00 in 1802
a moderate home cost $1,980 in the 1920's
peaches were sold for .10 a dozen in 1866 in Galveston, TX
Think about the setting of the story you are working on. What was going on economically during the time period of your tale? How can this impact your characters? Visit your library or reputable websites and find out the costs of entertainment, food, shelter, toys, and transportation and enrich your story with some of these facts if possible. Your listeners will sip the flavor of the time period through your story!
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