Time+Line+Strategy

· Time Lines IGRADE LEVELS V' K-2 V' 3-5 V' 6-8 An essential understanding in the social studies, particularly history, is chronology (National Center for History in the Schools, 1996; National COlillcil for the Social Studies, 1994). In order for students to understand issues of continuity, change, and cause and effect, they must know what events occurred and the order in which those events occurred. Historically, culturally, and politically significant events can be examined through revolutions, progress, and cause and effect. For example, the Renaissance was partly a reaction to the Middle Ages. Its effects changed the art world forever. The Industrial Revolution began with a handful of inventions that mechanized the production of certain products. Its effects on industry and transportation changed access to products and places. Time lines can contain different types of information and span different lengths of time (Hoge & Crump, 1988). Students can create time lines with dates, pictures, and events. Primary-grade students might begin with a single day of their own life in order to grasp the concept of the passage of time. Because they can grasp more abstract concepts, intermediate- and middle-grade students might examine events that are more distant. A time line might even be acted out: Students can be assigned the "role" of an event and asked to place tl1emselves in chronological order along a line of tape on the floor. Students who are studying the Shakers (inventors of the clothespin) might tell their story on a clothesline strung across the room, with clotl1espins holding up information they have researched. Classes might also tier or stack time lines exan1ining different parts of the world simultaneously. Alternatively, they might exan1ine different aspects of society during a particular era by stacking time lines that represent economic cycles, political movements, social issues, technological advances, and so fortl1. • Select a lesson or unit for which chronology is an essential element. Be sure to instruct students-especially younger ones-in the concept of chronology. • With students, determine the breadth and depth of the time line to be constructed. This encourages students to remain focused as they continuously evaluate the relevance of information gathered. • Determine what time increments will be marked on the time line (e.g., every 10 years; 100 years; 1,000 years)"and evenly space them on the chalkboard, white board, or paper being used. This is important for students just beginning to understand the concept of the passage of time. For example, if you are using 10-year increments, be sure the space between 1940 and 1950 is the same length as that between 1920 and 1930. These marks serve as a framework for the rest of the time line. • Structure questions related to the lesson or unit objectives that encourage students to think critically in choosing items for the time line or in evaluating items on an existing time line. • If students create the time line, encourage the use of mixed media. Incorporating words, pictures, photographs, and so forth adds depth to the display. Introducing chronology to young children may be difficult because their understanding of time and the passage of time is different from adult understanding. Kindergarten students are introduced to time lines by making a time line of one school day. This is done late in the day so that students may recall and reflect on the day. Each student is given one sheet of paper with the words "This Morning" written across the top. Students are directed to write or draw what they had for breakfast on the paper. This is set aside and students ~!e given a sheet of paper with the words "Morning Recess" across the top. Students are directed-to write or draw what they did during recess. This is set aside and students are given a sheet of paper with the words "Today at Lunch" across the top. Students are directed to write or draw what they ate for lunch and who sat at their lunch table. If time permits, additional papers with "Mternoon Recess," "Afternoon Snack Time," or other easily identifiable blocks of time may be included. Once each student has completed all of the papers, talk about sequencing events in the order in which they occurred. Ask students if they had breakfast or went to morning recess first. Direct ttdents to place the paper that shows what they did first to the left (connect this to how they read nd write a word, beginning at the left). Ask them to place the paper that shows what they did next •a the right of the first one. Repeat this for as many papers as the students have completed. Ask students questions that connect chronology to cause and effect. For example, did what they had for breakfast affect or influence what they had for lunch~ Did the game they played during morning recess affect or influence what they decided to do for afternoon recess~ Not every scenario will reflect cause and effect, but hopefully enough will so that students begin to see the connections among events. As students become more familiar with the idea of chronology, have them create a time line of their life-using words and pictures. Older students may place significant local, national, and international events on their personal time lines, particularly if they recall reactions to these events or the effects of these events on their lives. Examples might include moving to a new community because of a devastating hurricane or being very scared for their family when they watched a television broadcast of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In later years, students will connect how the experiences under British rule influenced the wording of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. During school construction, workers poured and scored a sidewalk into 35 evenly spaced blocks, marking the path from the transportation zone to the school's front door. Using sidewalk chalk, fifth-grade students converted this walkway into a walk-on time line depicting events leading up to the American Revolutionary War. In class, students studied the American colonial and revolutionary eras. The teacher facilitates a discussion on what students perceived to have been the critical or most important events leading to the outbreak of the war. Students then placed these events in chronological order, noting that in some cases, multiple events occurred in the same year. In those instances, students tried to determine beginning dates (month and/or day) and any relationships among the events. The sidewalk blocks were divided among the students (one block = one year). Students began the design process by creating black-and-white rough sketches. These rough drafts featured a picture, date, and text-a caption of approximately five to seven words that interpreted the block. This was particularly challenging in those years in which many important things happened. Work with the students to synthesize these multiple events into a single caption. Students transferred the design on their drafts to pieces of poster board approximately the size of each cement block. They then refined and color their designs. Outside, students arranged themselves along the sidewalk according to the chronology their designs followed. They transfered their images onto the sidewalk, noting the date(s) depicted in the upper left hand corner of the block. To reinforce the scholarship and creative endeavor involved, each student also signed his or her name in the lower right hand corner. The posters were displayed in the classroom for instruction, while the sidewalk time line serves as public art with an educational focus. REFERENCES AND RESOURCES Bechtol, W. M. (1988). Three-dimensional timelines make history more concrete. Social Studies Texan) 4(3), 26-29. Hoge, J. D., & Crump, C. L. (1988). Teaching history in the elementary school. Bloomington, IN: Social Studies Development Center. Hoone, C. .'(1989). Teaching timelines to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. Social Studies & the Young Learner, 2(2),13-15. Munro, R. (2000). Exploring and explaining the past-ICT and history. Educational Media International) 37(4), 251-256. National Center for History in the Schools. (1996). National standards for history. Los Angeles: Author. National Council for the Social Studies. (1994). Curriculum standards for social studies: Expectations of excellence. Washington, DC: Author. Nesbitt, D. (1998). Developing a mental timeline. OCSS Review) 34(1), 57-59. For computer assistance in designing time lines, contact Tom Snyder Productions, Inc., for the Timeliner program. This program creates and prints a variety of time lines. Tom Snyder Productions, Inc. 80 Coolidge Hill Road Watertown, MA 02172-2817 1-800-342-0236 http://www.teachtsp.com