Class 3 - EVS - Life in the Past vs Today

Learning Objectives

Students will compare how people lived in the past with how we live today.
Students will understand changes in transport, communication, clothing, and food.
Students will appreciate how life has become easier over time.
Students will think about what life might be like in the future.

Let Us Begin!

Ask your grandparents how they went to school. Did they have a school bus? Probably not! They may have walked for kilometres. Life has changed a lot over the years. Let us see how things were different in the past and how they are today.

Then and Now -- A Comparison

Area	In the Past	Today
Transport	Bullock carts, horses, walking, boats	Cars, buses, trains, aeroplanes, metro
Communication	Letters, messengers, pigeons, drums	Mobile phones, email, video calls, internet
Cooking	Wood fire, clay stoves (chulha)	Gas stoves, microwave, induction cooker
Lighting	Oil lamps, candles, torches	Electric bulbs, tube lights, LED lights
Clothing	Handwoven cloth, simple cotton	Machine-made clothes, many fabrics and styles
Water	Wells, rivers, ponds	Taps, water purifiers, pipelines
Entertainment	Folk songs, stories, puppet shows, fairs	TV, movies, video games, internet
Education	Gurukul (teacher's home), writing on leaves	Schools, books, computers, online classes

Think about it -- your great-grandparents had no TV, no phone, and no electricity! How different their life must have been!

Key Words and Meanings

Word	Meaning
Past	The time that has already gone by (long ago)
Present	The time we are living in right now (today)
Gurukul	An ancient Indian school where students lived with the teacher
Chulha	A traditional clay stove that uses wood or cow dung as fuel
Technology	Tools and machines that make life easier

Example: How Communication Changed

Long ago: A king wanted to send a message to another kingdom. He sent a messenger on horseback. It took days or even weeks!

Today: You can send a message to anyone in the world in just one second using a mobile phone or email.

Key Points to Remember

Life in the past was simpler but harder -- no electricity, no machines.
Transport changed from bullock carts to cars and aeroplanes.
Communication changed from letters and pigeons to phones and internet.
Education changed from gurukuls to modern schools with computers.
Technology has made life faster and more comfortable.

Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks:

In the past, people used carts for travel.
People cooked food on a (clay stove).
In ancient India, students studied in a .
Today we use phones to talk to people far away.
In the past, homes were lit by oil .

B. Write "Past" or "Present":

Sending a letter by pigeon --
Watching a movie on TV --
Travelling by bullock cart --
Using a microwave to heat food --
Studying in a gurukul --
Taking an online class --

C. Short Answer Questions:

How did people travel in the past? Name two ways.
How is cooking today different from cooking in the past?
What is a gurukul? How is it different from your school?

Think and Do -- Fun Activity

Interview Your Grandparent: Ask a grandparent or an elderly person these questions and write their answers:

1. How did you go to school?

2. Did you have a TV at home?

3. What games did you play?

Imagine the Future: How do you think people will travel 100 years from now? Draw or write your idea.

EVS / History -- Class 3

EVS / History -- Class 3 (continued)