📼 Before the Digital Age
Three objects that used to be everywhere. Look closely before you scroll past them.
🔍 What are these?
Before every device was a phone, people used separate machines for separate jobs. Look at each photo and answer both questions — guess if you're not sure.
Object 1: What is it called, and what was it used for?
Object 2: What is it called, and what was it used for?
Object 3: What is it called, and what was it used for?
Why is there a pencil next to the cassette tape? (hint: think about what you'd need to do to a tape that had come loose)
🎙️ Interview from the past
Interview a parent, grandparent, or older neighbour about one of these objects — what they used it for, and what they remember about it. No one available? Imagine a realistic answer instead.
Write it up as a short dialogue or a short paragraph (at least 60 words). Try to use some Unit 3 vocabulary.
Submit your work
Enter your name and class, then submit.
The answers
Object 1 — fax machine. Sent documents over the phone line by scanning them and printing them out at the other end. Mostly replaced by email and scanning.
Object 2 — floppy disk. A portable storage disk, usually holding well under 2 MB — a single modern photo wouldn't fit. Replaced by USB sticks and cloud storage.
Object 3 — cassette tape. A magnetic tape for recording and playing music. If the tape came loose, you'd wind it back in with a pencil through one of the reels — that's the connection to the photo. Replaced by streaming.