Homes, Trades and Games of Long Ago · Drawing 33 of 40
A slate to write on
Long ago
Long ago, pupils wrote with chalk on small slates. They could wipe off the marks and start again! The same piece of stone could be used many times, with no need for a new sheet of paper.
Look together
What would you draw on this slate?
An idea to try
On an erasable board, draw a shape, erase part of it and change it into something else. Without a board, make two drawings on paper to show the change.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
A slate can be written on with chalk or a slate pencil, then wiped clean. This reusable surface saves paper for some exercises. The Répertoire du patrimoine culturel describes a fragment found in 2017 at Montréal’s Petit Séminaire, built by the Sulpicians between 1804 and 1807. This evidence does not mean every child owned a slate. Its use can be compared with an erasable board, without claiming it was the origin of the electronic tablet.
This page focuses on trying, erasing and starting over. It completes the classroom scene by inviting your child to invent their own drawing, and the rag on the desk is a reminder that anything can be wiped away. The slate drawn is a simplified composition.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Original simplified illustration for colouring; not a historical document.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec — Fragment d’ardoiseArdoise du Petit séminaire de Montréal; écriture à la craie ou au crayon d’ardoise, traits effaçables.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
