When the clock struck midnight, January 1st, 1990, I was ten years old. I could not believe my parents let me stay up to ring in the new year, but I was glad they did! At that moment, I was reminded of what my fifth grade teacher said to our class as we left for Christmas break, “See you next decade!” Wow. We were entering the 90’s. Who knew it would be a decade filled with so many interesting moments and memories? When we arrived back to school after our break, our teacher sat us down and asked us to answer one question in writing, “Where do you hope to be in thirty years?” Thirty years? That seemed like an eternity. My mind could handle thinking about ten years. Maybe twenty. But thirty? “That would put me at 40 years old!” I thought, “and the year would be 2020!” The concept of 2020 seemed too distant. Too sci-fi. To impossible to comprehend. Yet, here we are, only a few short months away from the seemingly impossible year of 2020.

So much has changed and so much has advanced since January 1st, 1990. Before the New Year arrives in a few months, consider having your child work on a short study about how daily life has changed in our world over the past thirty years. Ask your student the following questions and have them research the answers online. All of the answers ARE within the past thirty years believe it or not! Once your child has found the dates, have them go a step further and write two or three paragraphs about how this new invention has changed our lives.

What was the first Internet browser and in what year was it created?

When was Google invented?

When was the first text message sent and what did it say?

When was the DVD player invented and what was the first DVD released?

When was the first MP3 player released?

When did the Hubble Space Telescope first launch into orbit?

When did 2G cell phones hit the shelves?

When did USB flash drives hit the scene?

When was YouTube created and what was the first video that went viral?

When was Facebook created and who was it initially used by?

When was the first Tesla car made and who was it named after?

After completing this assignment, ask your child the same question that my teacher asked me almost thirty years ago, “Where do you hope to be in thirty years?” I still remember my answer, “I hope I am a mom and a teacher,” and, as a homeschooling mom of five, I would have to say that my hopes did indeed come to pass!