Social Studies Project Name______Design a Time Capsule Date Assigned______

It is the year 2125. Your great, great grandchildren are digging and playing in the yard that used to be your home. They hit something hard. With a burst of energy, they continue digging until they uncover a case that has your family’s last name engraved on the outside. They hurry inside panting with excitement. With their mom’s help, they open the case and discover a treasure. What family secrets did they uncover???

What is a time capsule? Anything that encapsulates or preserves matter over a period of years is a time capsule. Think of a time capsule as a “message in a bottle” sent forward in time to tell people in the future what life was like in the past.

Here is your task: Create a time capsule that will represent your life today. Your descendants should learn about your life, your family traditions and the world as it is today. What would you want to know about your great, great grandparents if you could ask them about their lives? That’s what you want to think about as you prepare your time capsule!

Requirements:

_____A letter to your great, great, great grandchildren that tells about your life, your physical and personality traits, your family (include some information about family members), your hobbies, interests, fears, favorites, some family and holiday traditions and the world as it is today. The more detail you include the more valuable your Time Capsule will be. Letters should follow the “Friendly Letter” format. Ex. Dear Great Great Grandchildren,

_____Artifacts: 7-10 objects that represent important aspects of your life. These objects can be handmade, drawn or computer generated pictures. Please do not put valuable items in your time capsule. Objects can be different than what you talked about in your letter.

_____Descriptions: Each artifact needs to have a description of the artifact. You also need to describe why this artifact is important and what your descendants will learn about you from the artifact. Descriptions should be at least 3 sentences long.

Example: Artifact – Picture of My Yoga Mat Description: Yoga is an activity that I do about 3 times a week. I enjoy yoga because it gives me physical activity, and it helps me learn to relax by using breathing techniques. Yoga increases my flexibility, and it is a place where I get to have some quiet time since my weeks are so busy. I have been practicing yoga for about 8 months, and I plan to continue doing yoga for a long time. My descendants will learn that I worked very hard to stay calm, live peacefully and to learn to reflect on my strengths and work on improving my life so that I can be the happiest me!

_____Container: Decorate the outside of a small container. Your name must be easily found on the container. Some ideas for containers: Pringle’s can, coffee can, small shoe box, cigar box…