What is one question you have or something you want to know about timelines?

Timelines are graphic representations of the chronology of

events in time. While they are often used as a way to display

information in visual form in textbooks as an alternative to

written narrative, students can also become more actively

engaged in learning the sequence of events in history by

constructing timelines themselves.

Students can begin with timelines of their own lives.

Literature about a child's birthday can begin a study of

timelines with younger students. Many books of children's

and young adult literature for older students, particularly

nonfiction history, show timelines. Read and discuss a book

with students, leading into the activity of constructing a

timeline with events from each of their own lives using a

reader response prompt such as "Think about the important

events in your life over the years, and you can each make a

timeline."

Each student can begin with their date of birth and then

make a list of the subsequent years of their lives, with at

least one important event for each year. These lists should

be developmentally appropriate for each grade but can

become increasingly complex through the grades.

Information on what was happening in the world around

them can be added as well. Teachers can co-construct the

guidelines for creating a timeline with students, depending

on their grade and area of study in the social studies (e.g.,

the family in kindergarten, the community in Grade 3, U.S.

history in Grade 5, world history in Grade 6, etc.). These

parallel timelines afford students a view of the world during

their own lifetime, situating themselves in the context of the

historical events of the time.

There are several types of timelines a teacher can choose,

depending on the grade, area of study in social studies, and

needs of students:

Horizontal : from left to right

Vertical: from bottom to top

Illustrated: pictures added

Table top timelines : add objects, artifacts,

photographs in frames, etc. to a timeline on a table or

counter in a classroom

Circles : this could be a clock or represent a journey

that ended where it began

Computer generated : use Word, Excel, or PowerPoint,

adding information to create a personal or historical

timeline

Meandering : a timeline could represent a journey or

migration that did not follow a linear path

Map: put a timeline directly on a map to show both

distance, place, and time on a Journey

Parallel timelines : put a student's life on the left and

world events on the right

Living timelines : construct a large timeline that uses

the walls or floor of the room using lengths of butcher

paper; students can learn about and dress to

represent historical events and then tell other member

of the class, or an audience of other classes, about

the period

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