Communication through time

How communication changed: from runners and drums to telephones, radio and the internet. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

Know it already? Jump straight to the quiz

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Messages through time

Then	Now
Runners, carrier pigeons, drums, smoke signals	Email, instant messages, video calls
A bell or town crier	Radio, television, news on the cellphone
Letters through the postal service	Cellphones for calls, messages and searching

A letter can be read again later. A newspaper carries news; a book doesn’t. A landline is a phone joined by a wire to the wall. Long ago few people could read, because there were few schools.

From the carrier pigeon to the cellphone.

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Communicate safely and clearly

Communicate clearly so the other person understands you.
Never share your address or school in a message to a stranger.
Letters, drums, telephones and emails have one thing in common: they all carry messages.

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary

Long ago runners carried messages on foot; drums and smoke signals sent messages far, quickly.
People began writing more than 5 000 years ago; the printing press, built by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany around 1450, made it possible to print many copies of books quickly.
A message along a wire is a telegram; the telephone lets people talk over a distance.
The radio reaches people who cannot read, and brought country people news fast.
Not everything on the internet is true; false news spreads fast on social media.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Messages got ever faster: runner (days), telegraph (minutes), telephone (seconds), internet (instant).

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.

Now the real quiz!

The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.

Take the quiz: Communication through time

All Grade 4 History summaries

For parents

Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.

Follows CAPS for Grade 4 Social Sciences (History). Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.