How to Teach Kids About the Printing Press

In 1445, Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press revolutionized the world. Prior to his printing press, literacy and education were only available to wealthy males, the church and royalty. The books that did exist were repeatedly hand copied by monks. However, the printing press and the printed word opened education and literacy to vast numbers throughout Europe. Because of its monumental importance, it is included in America's National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.

1. Hand out printed sheets with the history of printing and the invention of the printing press. Read this aloud to class or have the students read it aloud.


2. Create a PowerPoint slide or a handout of the printing press timeline.
   1041 Movable clay type was invented in China.
   1295 Marco Polo returned to Venice, Italy from China and brought the knowledge of printing with him.
   1436 Gutenberg began to work on the printing press.
   1440 Gutenberg finished working on his wooden press, which used movable metal type.
   1461 The first illustrated book was printed, Edelstein.
   1477 England printed its first book.
   1499 More than 250 cities around Europe were using the printing process.
   1550 Metal screw threads replaced wooden ones.
   1584 Cambridge University began printing; which is still operating.
   1593 Shakespeare's Venus & Adonis was printed.
   1609 The world's first newspaper was printed in Strasbourg.
   1637 The number of printers and foundries in England was limited by decree.
   1639 The first printing press in the United States was set up by Stephen Day.
   1644 The Licensing Act was passed in England, meaning that anything printed there was subject to censorship.
   1689 The Declaration of Rights was issued, beginning the demise of the Licensing Act.
   1690 America began to print paper money.
   1694 The Licensing Act expired.
   1699 150 paper mills in England employed over 2,500 workers.
   1720 France began to print paper money.


3. Ask the students to name other forms of communication and ways to express or exchange ideas that have been invented since the Renaissance.


4. Ask students if they think these inventions (being certain that photography, radio, television, film, the computer and the Internet are included) has had as greater, lesser, or equal impact on people and has allowed for the distribution of knowledge as much as the printing press did.


5. Discuss with the students whether these forms of communication have increased our interest in the world around us and given us more options for learning, as printing did for people in the Renaissance. Or has it caused us to become less interested and decreased our ability to learn?