A timeline is a way of visually sequencing events in chronological order. Typically, a timeline is presented as a visual display, with a line representing the passage of time and events being placed along the line depending on the order of when they happened. In addition, each event will be labeled with the date it occurred to help the reader understand how much time has passed between events.
A timeline will typically focus on and follow the history of something specific, e.g., a person, place, practice, or idea. A timeline aims to present history in an accessible and visual way, helping the reader understand the order that events happened in and how these events influenced history.
Using Timelines in Education
You can learn a lot from both reading and writing timelines. Here are some suggestions on ways timelines can be used in the classroom to support learning.
- Students can create their timelines. It involves mapping out the events of their lives along a timeline, starting with when they were born. Then, they can focus on whatever they like, perhaps identifying meaningful moments and milestones in their lives. Sharing their timelines is also a great way to help students get to know each other better and give their teachers a better idea of who they are.
- Students can build a collective timeline on a topic they’re studying. Why not turn your timeline project into an eye-catching classroom display? By assigning students, or small groups, different events or periods, your class can research and build a collective timeline. Get as creative as you like with it, and allow your students to express themselves while learning about history.
- Students can make individual timelines as a research project. Whether they’re studying a specific historical period, doing a person’s biography, or even tracking an idea’s progress, timelines do great research projects. Because they require students to collect information and boil it down to the crucial moments, it encourages them to reflect on the sequence of events.
These are just a few suggestions for using timelines in your teaching; we’re sure there are many more. We hope you have fun using timelines in the classroom and find the perfect way for them to work for your students.
