Early chalkboards, or blackboards, were made of a thin piece of slate that was framed and hung on the wall. The chalkboards used today are made out of a combination of many materials – including ceramic. In the early 1800s, at their height of popularity, it was more affordable for each child to purchase their own hand-held chalkboard, to be use for years, than to continually buy new paper. This means that many students would complete all of their homework and written classroom activities on their personal chalkboard instead of in a paper notebook.

Fun Fact: The “chalk” people use to write on a chalkboard is not actually chalk at all. The sticks are made out of gypsum – the same material that drywall is made of.

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