The 1930’s
A child’s day in the decade the school first opened
Designed by Frederick D. Madison. Quarton School,
771 Chesterfield built 1927-1928 Birmingham City School District, Birmingham, MI. Includes an article/photograph featuring the school from a 1928 edition of the Detroit News.
First Stop: The Classroom
It looked—and felt—very different from your classroom today!
🧑🏫 ONE TEACHER
One teacher might teach several subjects—and sometimes several grade levels.
📋 BLACKBOARD
The chalkboard was the classroom's main display screen.
TODAY'S CHALLENGE: Could you learn all day without a screen?
Desks were often wooden and arranged in rows.
A 1930s Day
In a small one-room school, students hang coats on hooks, then grab a slate and chalk from a shelf. They copy arithmetic problems written on the blackboard and practice addition with the slate, the chalk scratching softly. The teacher calls a few to recite a poem aloud, then a child erases a slate and redoes the math problem, ready for a new try.
🤔 Would You Rather?
Would you rather do your math on a slate with chalk or on paper with a pencil? Why?
Would you rather write with a dip pen and ink, practice handwriting on a slate, or use a pencil and paper? Why?
🎒 YOUR 1930s SCHOOL DAY
What Was on the Teacher's Desk?
NO LAPTOPS • NO COPIERS • NO GOOGLE
Teacher’ Inkwell dip pens and nibs
In the 1930s, students used dip pens and inkwells to write instead of the pencils and pens we use today.
Would you rather… write all your schoolwork with a dip pen and ink that could spill or smear, OR use a pencil that you could erase? Explain why you chose your answer!
Quarton opened in 1927. Do you think the 5th grade teachers were around in the 1930s? Why or why not?”
Recess Was Different, Too!
What’s your favorite recess game (indoor and outdoor?)
If you could trade one of your favorite recess games or activities today for a recess activity from the 1930s, which would you choose? Why?
Another game my mother fondly remembered was “jacks.” The set included small, six-pronged metal pieces and a rubber ball, though pebbles and other small objects could be substitutes. Players scattered the jacks, tossed the ball, and picked up as many pieces as possible before the ball bounced twice. It was a game of quick reflexes and dexterity, perfect for rainy days indoors.
My mother fondly remembered playing hopscotch. Chalk lines or marks in the dirt outlined numbered squares. Players tossed a small stone into a square, then hopped through the grid on one foot without touching the lines. It was friendly competition.
Jump Rope was another childhood favorite. Children used anything from a jump rope to an old clothesline while chanting rhymes likes, “Cinderella, dressed in yellow.”
Games like “Double Dutch” required two ropes and perfect timing.
These are excerpts from journal entries.
This Friday will be a 1930’s Spirit Day -
Recess Style!
Choose a game to play from the 1930’s at recess!!
What will you play? You may have
something at home to bring…
Jump Rope? Marbles? Jacks?
Teachers please share your pictures here in this link…
Recognize this school??
Then vs Now
Chalk and slate boards replaced by spiral notebooks and pencils. One‑room schools mixed ages, so older students helped younger ones.
Spiral notebooks, pencils, and digital tools are common. Grade‑level rooms with clear posters and routines, plus organized games during recess with modern equipment.
Small daily details show how life in school has changed, not just the big moments.
💡 What Was the Great Depression?
The Great Depression was a time in the 1930s when many people lost their jobs and homes. Families often struggled to buy food and clothes, and many children had less at school. It was a very difficult time for people across America.
🤔 Look Closely! How do you think life was different for children going to school during the Great Depression?
Shared Entertainment
Radio Nights
In the 1930s, families gathered around one radio to enjoy music, comedy, and news together.
Screen Time Today
Today, families often use separate screens to watch shows or play games instead of enjoying one program together.
Do you watch one show together as a family, or does everyone use their own device or watch something different?
What differences do you notice between a home in the 1930s and your home today?
What Things Cost: 1930s vs. Today
Which price surprises you the most?
☀️ Summer Fun: The 1930s vs. 2026
1930s
2026
🔍 Then & Now: Can You Guess? Toggle between the slides for the answers.
Then
Now
🔍 Then & Now: Can You Guess?
100 Years. One Quarton.
So much has changed…�But one thing hasn't:
Kids still come to school ready to learn, laugh, make friends, and be part of a community. ❤️