CBC Archives

Ask students what life without a telephone would be like. After a short open discussion, ask students to postulate on when the phone was invented, when most of the phones in their region were installed, and when long distance calling became a common service.

Tell students that they will be creating a timeline to highlight the main historical events surrounding the invention of the telephone.

Break students into groups of seven. Direct students to the topic Canada Says Hello: The First Century of the Telephone on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. In each group, half the students will view Clips #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, while the rest of the students in the group view Clips #6, 8, and 9, along with the Additional Clips “Telephone innovations of 1957” and “Canada’s first nationwide radio broadcast.” As they review the clips and support material, students record notes under the following headings: Date, Event and Description of Event.

When their notes are complete, all members of each group meet again and combine their information into a single visual timeline. Student displays should be creative and make note of visible changes in the telephone over time.

Post the timelines in the classroom and invite all students to walk through the classroom to review one another’s work. Gather students and ask them to brainstorm what events they would add if they were to extend the timeline to today.

Students can write a short essay on the effect of the invention of the telephone on global society over a relatively short period of time.
OR
Students can do further research and extend the timeline 10 years at a time or to the current date.