This study examined the relationship between writing activities and history for elementary schools in the San Francisco Bay area. Specifically, there were a total of forty eight students, sixteen from a third grade classroom, sixteen from a fourth grade classroom and sixteen from a fifth grade classroom. Data collection included interviews, writing products, student journals, and taped student-teacher conferences.
 
Unexpectedly, the results indicated that third grade students already had previous historical knowledge about the topics which they were asked to write about and from which they drew for the writing task. However, Downey found that all students’ prior historical knowledge was based primarily on stereotypes. Unlike the third grade students however, fourth grade students had a coherent sense of the chronology of history. Generally, the students that were English-as-a-second-language learners were unable to utilize the strategy of viewing the past “through the eyes of a person from the historical time period.” Finally, although there is a difference between all age groups in how they understand the term “history,” the most striking difference was found in the third grade students for whom the word “history” was not a part of their vocabulary.