Look at this old headstone on the board. What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Our question for today is what the oldest writing near our school tells us about the people of this place, and what it cannot tell us.

We are going to the graveyard, memorial or dated stone nearest our school. It is a graveyard or memorial, about a short walk from the gate.

Near our school there is writing carved in stone. It may stand in a graveyard, on a wall, or at a place built so people would be remembered. People long ago cut names and years into the stone so that others would remember. That carved writing is called an inscription.

An inscription is a kind of evidence. It is one clue about the people of this place, and it helps us answer our question for today.

We write down only what we can really see. We do not rub the stone and we do not touch the carving.

We walk from the school gate to the graveyard, memorial or dated stone nearest our school and back again. Plan for about ten minutes of walking in all, so we have a good stretch of time standing still to read the stones.

On the stones sheet, record what is actually carved:

1. names
2. dates
3. ages
4. any work or place named
5. the words used

Write only what you can really read. One clear name and one clear date is enough if the letters are hard. Do not rub the stone and do not touch the carving. Sketch the oldest piece of writing you find.

Look at the board. Here are the oldest date, the newest date and one name our class found.

From the writing we could really read, what can we say about the people of this place?

What can these stones not tell us?

We will place three cards on the timeline: the date from the record of our place, about when most of our class was born, and this year.

When it is your turn at the board, drag one card onto the line where you think it belongs.

Then look at the oldest date from our sheets. Where would that date sit on the same line, and how far is it from this year?