A.Do these complaints sound familiar? They are made by teenagers all around the world!

If you think your life is

…Only the Greek boys were allowed to go to school. Greek girls stayed at home, where their mothers taught them
skills like cooking and weaving – things that would help them find a husband.At the age of seven, some boys were
sent away to very strict military schools, where they were taught how to become soldiers. The teachers didn’t let
them have much food – for a reason. They wanted the boys to learn how to survive for themselves by stealing
food. But if they got caught, they were punished.

Aztec children in Central America also had a difficult life in ancient times. If they broke rules, they could expect
some pretty nasty punishments.On the good side, Aztecs really believed in the importance of schooling. In the
home, children learned practical skills: dads taught their sons how to fish and farm while mothers taught their
daughters homemaking skills. Girls and boys also went to school, but to separate schools.Kids went to schools
called telpochcalli. They had lessons about history, religion and music. The boys also had lessons in how to fight. If
the children were from a more important family, they went to a calmecac where they learned how to read and
write, too.At both schools children had to be on their best behaviour. They knew all about the punishments for
behaving badly, and life was hard enough anyway.

A.Do these complaints sound familiar? They are made by teenagers all around the world! If you think your life is
hard, you might like to think about kids in ancient times. For some of them, life was really hard.

…Only the boys were allowed to go to school. Greek girls stayed at home, where their mothers taught them skills
like cooking and weaving – things that would help them find a husband.At the age of seven, some boys were sent
away to very strict military schools, where they were taught how to become soldiers. The teachers didn’t let them
have much food – for a reason. They wanted the boys to learn how to survive for themselves by stealing food. But
if they got caught, they were punished.

Aztec children in Central America also had a difficult life in ancient times. If they broke rules, they could expect
some pretty nasty punishments.On the good side, Aztecs really believed in the importance of schooling. In the
home, children learned practical skills: dads taught their sons how to fish and farm while mothers taught their
daughters homemaking skills. Girls and boys also went to school, but to separate schools.Kids went to schools
called telpochcalli. They had lessons about history, religion and music. The boys also had lessons in how to fight. If
the children were from a more important family, they went to a calmecac where they learned how to read and
write, too.At both schools children had to be on their best behaviour. They knew all about the punishments for
behaving badly, and life was hard enough anyway.
B. Are you getting the idea? Stories aren’t just about entertainment. Good stories engage us emotionally, and they
do that by giving us something to think about. They contain messages which might be useful for us in the future,
like the Neanderthal man’s story, which certainly wasn’t intended to entertain his friends!We admire people
whose magical storytelling skills capture our attention and our imagination. Everybody has always respected
storytellers, who have been important members of many societies. In the past, storytellers often travelled a lot.
When they went to places far away, their stories travelled with them. When they returned home, they had new
stories to share. People were eager to listen, which was fun but also gave them a chance to learn about those
remote places.

In cultures all over the world, important stories have been passed down from generation to generation. These
stories come from previous generations, whose wisdom and knowledge they contain. They’re often about
disasters, dramatic events such as fires, storms, thunder, lightning and floods. Every country and culture has its
own stories. Our stories have become part of our tradition. Our stories reflect who we are.

B. Are you getting the idea? Stories aren’t just about entertainment. Good stories engage us emotionally, and they
do that by giving us something to think about. They contain messages which might be useful for us in the future,
like the Neanderthal man’s story, which certainly wasn’t intended to entertain his friends!We admire people
whose magical storytelling skills capture our attention and our imagination. Everybody has always respected
storytellers, who have been important members of many societies. In the past, storytellers often travelled a lot.
When they went to places far away, their stories travelled with them. When they returned home, they had new
stories to share. People were eager to listen, which was fun but also gave them a chance to learn about those
remote places.

In cultures all over the world, important stories have been passed down from generation to generation. These
stories come from previous generations, whose wisdom and knowledge they contain. They’re often about
disasters, dramatic events such as fires, storms, thunder, lightning and floods. Every country and culture has its
own stories. Our stories have become part of our tradition. Our stories reflect who we are.

B. Are you getting the idea? Stories aren’t just about entertainment. Good stories engage us emotionally, and they
do that by giving us something to think about. They contain messages which might be useful for us in the future,
like the Neanderthal man’s story, which certainly wasn’t intended to entertain his friends!We admire people
whose magical storytelling skills capture our attention and our imagination. Everybody has always respected
storytellers, who have been important members of many societies. In the past, storytellers often travelled a lot.
When they went to places far away, their stories travelled with them. When they returned home, they had new
stories to share. People were eager to listen, which was fun but also gave them a chance to learn about those
remote places.

In cultures all over the world, important stories have been passed down from generation to generation. These
stories come from previous generations, whose wisdom and knowledge they contain. They’re often about
disasters, dramatic events such as fires, storms, thunder, lightning and floods. Every country and culture has its
own stories. Our stories have become part of our tradition. Our stories reflect who we are.

B. Are you getting the idea? Stories aren’t just about entertainment. Good stories engage us emotionally, and they
do that by giving us something to think about. They contain messages which might be useful for us in the future,
like the Neanderthal man’s story, which certainly wasn’t intended to entertain his friends!We admire people
whose magical storytelling skills capture our attention and our imagination. Everybody has always respected
storytellers, who have been important members of many societies. In the past, storytellers often travelled a lot.
When they went to places far away, their stories travelled with them. When they returned home, they had new
stories to share. People were eager to listen, which was fun but also gave them a chance to learn about those
remote places.
In cultures all over the world, important stories have been passed down from generation to generation. These
stories come from previous generations, whose wisdom and knowledge they contain. They’re often about
disasters, dramatic events such as fires, storms, thunder, lightning and floods. Every country and culture has its
own stories. Our stories have become part of our tradition. Our stories reflect who we are.

B. Are you getting the idea? Stories aren’t just about entertainment. Good stories engage us emotionally, and they
do that by giving us something to think about. They contain messages which might be useful for us in the future,
like the Neanderthal man’s story, which certainly wasn’t intended to entertain his friends!We admire people
whose magical storytelling skills capture our attention and our imagination. Everybody has always respected
storytellers, who have been important members of many societies. In the past, storytellers often travelled a lot.
When they went to places far away, their stories travelled with them. When they returned home, they had new
stories to share. People were eager to listen, which was fun but also gave them a chance to learn about those
remote places.

In cultures all over the world, important stories have been passed down from generation to generation. These
stories come from previous generations, whose wisdom and knowledge they contain. They’re often about
disasters, dramatic events such as fires, storms, thunder, lightning and floods. Every country and culture has its
own stories. Our stories have become part of our tradition. Our stories reflect who we are.