I'm sure your teacher doesn't want to know about me and my ancestors.
You need to write about you and your standard of living compared to that of your parents or grandparents when they were as old as you are now.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/standard%20of%20living
http://www.answers.com/topic/standard-of-living
In what ways is your standard of living different from that of your parents or grandparents when they were your age? Why have these changes occurred ?
2 answers
Look around you and think of what things make your life what it is. The home you live in, the neighborhood, the availability of services (fast food ... which is really a service, IMO, because someone is cooking for you and cleaning up after you ... then look around and think of what you use daily ... this computer, cell phone, etc
If this is for an essay, think of 3 main areas that you have it different than your parents ... better or worse ... think of 2-3 specific things (people, place, etc is good too)for each of the main areas .... go ask your parents what they had in comparison to the main items and then compare ... think of if the end thoughts, are you better off or not, what is different?
Do the same with your grandparents if you want ... you will have different items for them too
Example ... Things that I have available to me daily ...
Technology ... computer, cell phone
.... parents = if there were computers, they were not in most homes, nor of the size and portability they are today ... how did they actually live ??? (it is called snail mail and encyclopedias)
....parents = if talked to someone on a phone, stood within distance from the wall as allowed by cord .... if left home, lived without communication until returned home or put money in a pay phone and hoped it worked.
Think of 2 other MAIN (to have 3) and at least 2 sub things in the main ... planes are transportation, as is buses, trains, etc
When you have 3 MAIN and a few subs in each ... ask ... think of if you are better off or not, why / how ... somethings are both, depending on your point of view. Some would think that the ability to grab a cheap burger at McD is not a good thing. Fast food has replaced family meals, which had / have great value. The ability to be tracked down isn't always a great thing ... but the ability to contact help when need it is a good thing. The ability to text, etc is not seen as a good thing by many
Quality of life .. measured by what you value inner and outer .... With 3 MAIN ideas, your specific examples of each and knowing what your parents had in comparison will allow you to compare, make a decision if you have it better or worse then write the essay ...
Your decision will be your thesis ... "My quality of living is better than my parents because of the technology, education and ? that I have available in my life."
3 body paragraphs will be led with topics sentences from your thesis ... first reason = 1st paragraph topic and use the specific subs (computers, cell phones) as support for why you think the way you do ... tell how you benefit (don't?) over what your parents had ... after both subs wrap the paragraph with a closing thought on that topic and use a transition into the next MAIN which is the next paragraphs topic ... # 3 MAIN = #3 body paragraph ... Conclusion .. restate how you supported your statement (My quality of life is ?? than my parents because ____________"
Computers alone provide you with access to millions of research material available within seconds ... what we had to take hours to search out, read and locate.
Is that a 100% good thing? Who's to say. It is a personal call. We learned to study and seek out answers to complete our homework. Some of the stuff actually sunk in if for no other reason than we read the same thing so many times while looking for it and writing it down. Knowledge comes so quickly now, how much really sinks in? Knowledge is only personal knowledge if it sinks in and available in the future ... without the need of accessing anything but yourself to know the answer. Access to other people so readily and widely is a good thing ... but a not so good thing. It goes on and on :P
If you really think about what you have that makes it easier to make it day to day ... ask your parents ... and go from there, you will do fine with this.
If this is for an essay, think of 3 main areas that you have it different than your parents ... better or worse ... think of 2-3 specific things (people, place, etc is good too)for each of the main areas .... go ask your parents what they had in comparison to the main items and then compare ... think of if the end thoughts, are you better off or not, what is different?
Do the same with your grandparents if you want ... you will have different items for them too
Example ... Things that I have available to me daily ...
Technology ... computer, cell phone
.... parents = if there were computers, they were not in most homes, nor of the size and portability they are today ... how did they actually live ??? (it is called snail mail and encyclopedias)
....parents = if talked to someone on a phone, stood within distance from the wall as allowed by cord .... if left home, lived without communication until returned home or put money in a pay phone and hoped it worked.
Think of 2 other MAIN (to have 3) and at least 2 sub things in the main ... planes are transportation, as is buses, trains, etc
When you have 3 MAIN and a few subs in each ... ask ... think of if you are better off or not, why / how ... somethings are both, depending on your point of view. Some would think that the ability to grab a cheap burger at McD is not a good thing. Fast food has replaced family meals, which had / have great value. The ability to be tracked down isn't always a great thing ... but the ability to contact help when need it is a good thing. The ability to text, etc is not seen as a good thing by many
Quality of life .. measured by what you value inner and outer .... With 3 MAIN ideas, your specific examples of each and knowing what your parents had in comparison will allow you to compare, make a decision if you have it better or worse then write the essay ...
Your decision will be your thesis ... "My quality of living is better than my parents because of the technology, education and ? that I have available in my life."
3 body paragraphs will be led with topics sentences from your thesis ... first reason = 1st paragraph topic and use the specific subs (computers, cell phones) as support for why you think the way you do ... tell how you benefit (don't?) over what your parents had ... after both subs wrap the paragraph with a closing thought on that topic and use a transition into the next MAIN which is the next paragraphs topic ... # 3 MAIN = #3 body paragraph ... Conclusion .. restate how you supported your statement (My quality of life is ?? than my parents because ____________"
Computers alone provide you with access to millions of research material available within seconds ... what we had to take hours to search out, read and locate.
Is that a 100% good thing? Who's to say. It is a personal call. We learned to study and seek out answers to complete our homework. Some of the stuff actually sunk in if for no other reason than we read the same thing so many times while looking for it and writing it down. Knowledge comes so quickly now, how much really sinks in? Knowledge is only personal knowledge if it sinks in and available in the future ... without the need of accessing anything but yourself to know the answer. Access to other people so readily and widely is a good thing ... but a not so good thing. It goes on and on :P
If you really think about what you have that makes it easier to make it day to day ... ask your parents ... and go from there, you will do fine with this.