Student learning · Grades 3–5 · 30 minutes
Two Screens, Two Generations
A student interviews a parent or grandparent about the screens of their childhood and today, then builds a side-by-side timeline, discovering that every generation worried about a new screen, and finding balance the family can agree on now.
Today's worry is phones and tablets, but it is not the first screen a generation fretted over. Grandparents were once warned that television would ruin their eyes and their grades; their parents worried about radio and comic books. This activity turns a screen-time argument into a family history project. A student interviews a parent or grandparent about the screens of their own childhood: what they had, how much time they got, what the grown-ups worried about, and what turned out fine. Together they build a two-generation timeline and compare it with the student's own screen life. The point is balance and perspective, not dismissal: some worries from the past were overblown, some led to healthy habits like "go play outside," and some of today's concerns, especially around sleep and endless feeds, are genuinely new. Students come away able to listen across generations, weigh a worry fairly, and talk with family about what balance makes sense now.
In this packet
- Handout A: Interview an Elder (cut-apart cards)
- Handout B: Two-Generation Timeline (organizer)
- Handout C: Worth Keeping (worksheet)
- Facilitator key (last page)
TCEA ELE indicators
- S3.3 I am aware of the value of diverse perspectives in group work.
- S3.2 I can communicate my ideas clearly to others.
- S2.2 I can identify trustworthy sources of information on the internet.
- S4.1 I know how to take responsibility for my own learning.
Full facilitator guide: mglearn.github.io/eles/activities/two-screens-two-generations.html
Handout A for Two Screens, Two Generations
Interview an Elder
Take this home. Interview a parent, grandparent, or older relative (or an older neighbor or mentor). Ask a question, then WAIT and listen. Ask "what else?" to get a story. Say thank you!
warm-up
When you were my age, what screens did you have at home? (TV, radio, a game console, a computer, a phone?)
time
How much screen time did you get? Who decided, and were there rules?
worry
What did the grown-ups worry about with your screens? Did anyone say it was bad for you?
turned out
Looking back, what turned out just fine? What do you wish you had done more or less of?
today
What do you think is really different about screens kids have today compared to yours?
advice
What is one piece of advice about balance you would give me for the screens I have now?
Handout B for Two Screens, Two Generations
Two-Generation Timeline
Fill the top row with your elder's childhood and the bottom row with yours. Draw arrows between worries that repeat across time. Star any worry that seems genuinely NEW.
| Whose childhood | Screens they/I had | How much time + who decided | What grown-ups worried about |
|---|---|---|---|
| My elder (name + about what year) | |||
| Me (today) |
Handout C for Two Screens, Two Generations
Worth Keeping
Finish this after your interview and timeline, then bring the last question to your family.
One worry from the past that turned out overblown:
One worry about today's screens that I think is genuinely new, and why:
One balanced habit worth keeping (from my elder) or starting (for today's screens):
A question to ask my family: could we try this habit? What would it look like in our home?
Facilitator only for Two Screens, Two Generations
Answer key and notes
Handout A: Interview an Elder
- warm-up
- Listen for how FEW or how many screens there were, and whether they were shared by the whole family.
- time
- Listen for rules like "only on weekends" or "after chores," and how they felt about them.
- worry
- Many will remember being told TV would ruin their eyes or their grades. Notice how similar it sounds to today.
- turned out
- Listen for the balanced answer: some worries were overblown, and some habits (like playing outside) were worth keeping.
- today
- Listen for genuinely new things: screens that fit in a pocket, feeds that never end, screens at bedtime.
- advice
- Write it down exactly. You will bring it to your family on the "Worth Keeping" page.