Time After Time: How Can We Use Timelines to Reconstruct the Past? Part 4

Learning Resource Type

Lesson Plan

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Mathematics
Social Studies

Grade(s)

2

Overview

This lesson will focus on creating timelines. Students will use important dates from their lives to create a personal 5 event timeline. Students will use rulers to measure equal spaces for their timelines. This lesson will require two one-hour sessions. The first lesson will include the lesson introduction, work on timelines, and time for formative assessments as students work. The second session will be used to complete timelines, share projects, and complete exit tickets.

This unit was created as part of the ALEX Interdisciplinary Resource Development Summit.

Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 2

SS10.2.3

Use various primary sources, including calendars and timelines, for reconstructing the past.

UP:SS10.3.13

Vocabulary

  • primary sources
  • calendars
  • timelines
  • reconstructing
  • past

Knowledge

Students know:
  • How to use a calendar.
  • How to interpret a timeline.
  • Vocabulary: primary sources, calendar, timeline, past, historical letter, artifacts

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read a calendar.
  • Create and use a timeline.
  • Analyze a historical document.
  • Utilize maps, photographs, and other visual historic resources.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Primary sources play an important role in reconstructing the past.
MA19.2.17
MA19.2.22
ELA21.2.R5
ELA21.2.40

Primary Learning Objectives

Students will:

  • use timelines to reconstruct the past.
  • measure objects using standard units of measurement.
  • create a number line diagram (timeline) using whole numbers.
  • utilize the writing process to plan, edit, and publish a written timeline project.
  • write a personal narrative using a logical sequence of events in the form of an autobiographical timeline.

Procedures/Activities

Before/Engage: (5 minutes)

TW= Teacher will

SW=Student will

  1. TW review Standards
  2. TW tell students that they will be creating a timeline of their life. 

During/Explore/Explain:

1st Session- (1 hour)

  1. TW explain the steps to complete personal timelines. TW also display the timeline rubric: https://goo.gl/dn1uLS

  2. TW/SW begin by measuring the length of the construction paper (18 inches). TW/SW discuss how far they need to space the events/pictures on the timeline so that the 5 events are spaced evenly. TW lead the students to think about how many fives are in 18 (measure 3 inches to each event). TW demonstrate how to draw a line across the middle of the construction paper. Then TW model how to use a ruler to measure every 3 inches and also how to move the ruler to continue measuring when the ruler ends for the last 3 inches.

  3. SW will first draw a line across the middle of their construction paper with a pencil and then use rulers to measure every 3 inches. SW will use sharpies to draw over the lines to make them bold.

  4. SW will use their timeline form from home and organize their pictures from birth to 2nd grade. TW check each student’s timeline to ensure the events are in order. The teacher may have to help students crop pictures to fit.

  5. If the events are in order, SW glue pictures on their timelines. TW distribute small sticky labels or pieces of paper so that students may label each picture with the event date.

  6. After labeling the date, SW write a sentence or two about the event or picture.

  7. TW/SW edit each sentence to check for capital letters, punctuation, and spelling.

2nd session: (1 hour)

  1. If there are any students that have not completed their timelines, allow time for students to complete them at the beginning of this lesson or at a time outside of this lesson.

  2. TW distribute timeline rubric: https://goo.gl/dn1uLS  and SW check their timelines using the rubric.

  3. The teacher can choose to leave it at a paper copy of the timeline or have each student complete a video of his/her timeline using a green screen app and iPad. 

  4. TW/SW share personal timelines with the class.

After/Explain/Elaborate:

  1. After all tasks have been completed,  SW complete the exit ticket. https://goo.gl/cUOSFd.
  2. TW/SW revisit standard, reflect, and discuss what was discovered.

Assessment Strategies

Formative Assessment

TW informally assess students during their work on individual timelines to check for understanding: finding dates/events, ordering dates on the timeline, writing events with dates, and measuring equal distances between dates/events using this rubric: https://goo.gl/dn1uLS.  TW use completed exit ticket (https://goo.gl/cUOSFd) to assess student knowledge of timelines.

Acceleration

Students that need to expand their knowledge can create timelines of other famous people (eg.: historical figures, famous Alabamians, and presidents).

Intervention

If there are students that require additional help with understanding number order (years in a timeline), they should be pulled into a small group to practice number order with the teacher prior to the group activity.

Total Duration

91 to 120 Minutes

Background/Preparation

Prior to teaching this lesson, students need to understand basic calendar skills such as the order of the days of the week and months of the year. Students will need some basic measuring skills. Several weeks before this lesson, the teacher will need to email parents to ask for printed pictures and complete this form: https://goo.gl/xGQZyY

Materials and Resources

Teacher/Student Materials:

  • Paper

  • Pencils

  • Google Docs

  • Printer

  • Sharpies

  • Glue

  • 12 x 18 pieces of construction paper or bulletin board paper

  • Blank Copy Paper

  • Small sticky labels for dates or cut small pieces of paper to label pictures

  • Exit Ticket: https://goo.gl/cUOSFd

  • Timeline Rubric: https://goo.gl/dn1uLS

  • Parent Letter for pictures: https://goo.gl/xGQZyY

  • Optional: iPad and Green Screen app if the teacher wants students to complete a video presentation of the timeline.

 

Technology Resources Needed

Optional: iPads and Green Screen app (if students create video presentations of the timeline)

Google Drive or another word processor- If headers are made for timelines

Approved Date

2017-04-09

Owner2

mandawalker
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