You will learn
- Define oral tradition, script, printing press, telecommunication.
- Order key developments on a timeline.
- Use African examples.
- Explain benefits and risks of change.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Communication has changed over time.
- Oral traditions preserve knowledge.
- New technologies make messages travel faster.
- Every change brings benefits and risks.
Words to know
the passing of stories, laws and knowledge by speaking from generation to generation
a system of written symbols used to write a language
a machine that prints many copies of a text
sending messages over a distance using signals such as electricity or radio
1. Discover: The talking drum and the telephone
Mr Cole plays a short recorded drum rhythm and explains that in some West African traditions, drummers can imitate the tones of speech so messages travel across a valley. Griots, hereditary storytellers, keep histories alive through song and speech. “Then came writing, such as the Geʿez script in Ethiopia, and in Sierra Leone Kisimi Kamara created the Mende Kikakui script in 1921,” he says. “Printing spread books; the telegraph in the 1840s, the telephone in 1876, radio, television, the internet and mobile phones made communication faster again.”
Think: What was gained and what might have been lost as communication became faster?
2. Understand: Communication through history
Idea 1: Before and with writing
Early humans shared knowledge through speech, gestures and art. Oral tradition passed stories and laws on by speaking, with griots and elders as keepers of history. A script records language in symbols. Writing began around 3200 BCE in Mesopotamia, and later scripts include Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Geʿez script of Ethiopia and the Mende Kikakui script of Sierra Leone, created in 1921.
Idea 2: Machines and networks
A printing press makes many copies of a text. Printing with movable type in Europe around 1450 helped books spread, and printing was used earlier in China. Telecommunication followed: the telegraph in the 1840s, the telephone in 1876, radio, television, the internet (from the late 1960s), the World Wide Web (1989) and smartphones (2007).
Idea 3: Benefits and risks
Each change made messages travel faster and farther and helped people learn, trade and connect. Each also brought risks: loss of privacy, false information, unequal access and lost traditions. Preserving oral history and languages alongside new tools helps keep culture alive.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Oral tradition.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Passing knowledge by speech.
Example 2 (We do it together): Define
Telecommunication.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Sending messages over distance.
Example 3 (You try): Name
A script from Sierra Leone.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Mende Kikakui.
Did you know?
Kisimi Kamara created the Mende Kikakui script in 1921 and it has been used to write the Mende language.
Why this matters
Knowing how communication changed helps us use today’s tools wisely.
4. Explore: Communication timeline
Order twelve cards from speech to smartphones on a class timeline. Choose two changes and explain how each changed speed or reach. Write one benefit and one risk of a modern technology.
- Order.
- Choose.
- Explain.
- Write.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Each technology builds on earlier ones.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Oral tradition is ___.
- A script is ___.
- A printing press is ___.
- Telecommunication is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is oral tradition?
Passing by speech.
Question 2. What is a script?
Written symbols.
Question 3. What is a printing press?
Prints copies.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is oral tradition?
- What is a script?
- What is a printing press?
- What is telecommunication?
- Name a griot role.
Level 2: Grow
- Why writing?
- Why printing?
- Why keep oral history?
Level 3: Stretch
- Order the cards.
- Choose two.
- Write a benefit and risk.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Explain how one invention made communication faster and one risk it brought.
Show a sample answer
Telephone; privacy concerns.
Another one. Ask an adult how people sent messages when they were young, in general terms.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Oral tradition keeps it too.
Fix: It has benefits and risks.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define oral tradition, script, printing press, telecommunication.
- I can order key developments on a timeline.
- I can use African examples.
- I can explain benefits and risks of change.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Communication has changed over time.
- Oral traditions preserve knowledge.
- New technologies make messages travel faster.
- Every change brings benefits and risks.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Modern communication technologies. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- Define script and telecommunication. [2 marks]
- Order three developments in communication. [3 marks]
- Explain how one change increased speed or reach. [3 marks]
- Explain why oral tradition matters. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Script [1]; telecommunication [1]
- Three [3]
- Change [1]; effect [1]; example [1]
- Reason [1]; example [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is oral tradition?
- What is a script?
- What is a printing press?
- What is telecommunication?
- Name a griot role.
- Why writing?
- Why printing?
- Why keep oral history?
- Order the cards.
- Choose two.
Homework
Draw a communication timeline.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is oral tradition? | Passing by speech. | 1 |
| 2. What is a script? | Written symbols. | 1 |
| 3. What is a printing press? | Prints copies. | 1 |
| 4. What is telecommunication? | Messages over distance. | 1 |
| 5. Name a griot role. | Storyteller. | 1 |
| 6. Why writing? | Records last. | 1 |
| 7. Why printing? | Spread books. | 1 |
| 8. Why keep oral history? | Culture and identity. | 1 |
| 9. Order the cards. | Order. | 1 |
| 10. Choose two. | Choose. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Passing by speech.; 2 Written symbols.; 3 Prints copies.; 4 Messages over distance.; 5 Storyteller.. Level 2: 1 Records last.; 2 Spread books.; 3 Culture and identity.. Level 3: 1 Order.; 2 Choose.; 3 Write..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Define oral tradition, script, printing press, telecommunication | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Order key developments on a timeline | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Use African examples | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Explain benefits and risks of change | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “Writing is the only way to keep knowledge.” Oral tradition keeps it too.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a communication chart.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child studies how communication has changed. Please share how you sent messages when you were young. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Share stories.
- Talk about changes.
- Respect traditions.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: define oral tradition, script, printing press, telecommunication; order key developments on a timeline; use African examples; explain benefits and risks of change.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 6 ideas: advanced enquiry, source evaluation, bias and citing sources from Unit 1.
Materials. Timeline cards. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Prepare timeline cards.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Tell the talking drum and the telephone story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach communication through history.
Guided activity (10 min). Communication timeline.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. How has communication changed over time?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “Writing is the only way to keep knowledge.” Oral tradition keeps it too.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Make a communication chart. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 6 Unit 11, topic 1; NCSS C3 Framework, gathering and evaluating sources, communicating conclusions; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, enquiry and evidence; IB Primary Years Programme, how we express ourselves and how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.