Letter To My Ancestors
I Can’t See the Forest for the Trees?
In order to better understand/explain the impact of our advancing
civilization and the technology that goes with it, I want you to write
a letter to your ancestors telling them about events, discoveries,
people, or advances made over the last 50+ years.
You have done some research via the timeline in which you
identified 10 significant events, which occurred over the last 50
years. Using your timeline, narrow your focus to the three most important or significant.
Then, describe, in detail, what impact the event, discovery, person, or advancement had
on the future. For example, in 1971, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution gives 18
year olds the right to vote. Up until that time you had to be 21. What has been the impact
of the 26th Amendment? Think about all the 18 year olds since 1971 who have voted and
how those numbers have impacted elections and who got elected.
Issues you might want to address:
 What is our relationship to the new discovery, event, or advancement as compared
to that of our ancestors 50 years ago? For example, advancements in telephone
technology.
 How has technology use changed in the last 50 years?
 What is the relationship between people and the event? For example, tearing
down the Berlin Wall.
 What is a suitable balance between changes in medicine, politics, laws,
technology, economics, or world events/people/advancements and our lives?
 How has the change affected our lives?
 Is it “ok” with your ancestors that we have introduced this element to our lives?
Explain, in a letter to your ancestors, three issues that have affected our lives in the last
50 years. Yes, we have expansion and growth as a country, but is that all the explanation
there is or all the explanation that is needed. Think back to how our ancestors viewed the
world and events in it, how they came to rely on a particular way of life, and how they
used the technology or were affected by politics – remember Franklin Roosevelt was
president for 16 years, twice as long as any other president. Imagine what our lives would
be like if Bush would be president for another 8 years.
Write this “paper” as a letter and address it to your ancestors. (Dear Great, Great, Great,
Great-Uncle Daniel Boone, I just thought I’d drop you a line and explain what happened
to the telephone. Oh, you don’t know how to program a phone?)