THE PAST

INTRODUCTION

We measure time in our lives with watches and calendars. For longer periods of time, we use:

- Decade: period of 10 years.

- Century: period of 100 years.

People and places have history. We get information from the past from two types of sources:

- Written sources are documents or books from the past.

- Non-written sources are oral evidence like paintings or objects from the past.

ACTIVITY: Sources

STAGES OF HISTORY

PREHISTORY

The period before writing was invented.

People moved from place to place, hunted animals, fished and lived in huts and caves. They created beautiful paintings and discovered fire and agriculture.

ACTIVITY: LIFE IN PREHISTORIC TIMES

HISTORY

The period since writing was invented. It comprises different periods:

Ancient History: It is the period of early civilizations, like the Roman, which had a great influence on our History. It started in what we call Italy nowadays. The created the Roman Empire. There were free men and slaves, constructed many buildings, roads and aqueducts and spoke Latin.

ACTIVITY: LIFE IN THE ROMAN CIVILISATION

The Middle Ages: It started around the year 500. People from the north and east of Europe, like the Visigoths, conquered the territory of the Roman Empire. They created the kingdom of the Iberian Peninsula. In the eighth century, Muslims from North Africa conquered most of the peninsula. Muslims and Christians lived together for many centuries in Spain.

ACTIVITY: THE MEDIEVAL CHRISTIAN SOCIETY

Modern Times: There were many changes after the fifteenth century. Cristobal Colón discovered America in 1492. There were also many cultural changes; the invention of the printing press was very important.

ACTIVITY: THE MODERN TIMES

Contemporary Times: It is the period that we now live in. There were many changes in the nineteenth century: industry developed, many cities grew, there were many inventions, there was great technological progress (computers, television…), there was a great progress in health care (vaccines, x-rays…)… However, the twentieth century was a time of wars and conflicts. This century was also known for developing educational and human rights. 

ACTIVITY: Periods


Find more information about the past in the following presentation.