Tea 4 Three Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Add a Century Timeline I don't post often, but was compelled to post about the timeline I found. I have been on a quest to find just the right timeline for several years and came across this at a homeschool conference in my hometown this spring. I love it for several reasons...but the biggest one is the flexibility that is built into it. It is ingenious. For example, what if the two year old colors all over a section...No problem, it can be replaced. Too many figures for one century...No problem it has a unique add on feature. It can be hung on a wall or stored in a 12x12 scrapbook in an accordian fold. You can check out the demo video here that highlights the format and features. I also liked that figures and events are catagorized. You can have whatever catagories you choose and you can spread the centuries out however you choose. After seeing it in person, my first thought was that I should be able to recreate it with scrapbooking materials. But after I added up what it would cost, I wasn't saving a ton and I figured my time is definitely worth something. The creator has also customized the materials in a very nice way. Also considering that we will have it for years, I was willing to spend the $$. Anyway...I know there are always several timeline threads going and I watch them carefully always hoping for the perfect find. This was it for us and I couldn't wait to share. We were so excited about it that it didn't wait for school to start in the fall and has been a great summer project.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 The Wonders of Old on CD ROM. It has spreads rather than a long sequence. I printed out all the pages and then put them into page protectors. When DD is working with specific ones, she pulls them out. We can print them independently, so if one gets messed up it is no great loss. A great feature! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I don't need this.:banghead: I don't need this. I am making my own. Really I am. So what size are the figures? Where do you get the figures? Will any figures work? What if you want to start before 4999 BC? I am a weak, weak, weak woman in search of...the perfect timeline. So...Tea 4 Four, do you have this in your hot little hands and do you really think it's worth the money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamom Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 :iagree:Surely we can buy the supplies and make our own like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Yep, this is my dream timeline! I've looked and looked at timelines, and this one has pretty much thought of everything I could want in one! I do wish they had nice images you could buy, like Homeschool in the Woods has, but that would fit this one! I will have to wish list this one for now due to the price though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 :iagree:Surely we can buy the supplies and make our own like it! I am still thinking along those lines but I've been looking for awhile. I want to be able to add to it if I need to, because of a mess-up or too many figures. I would like to store it in a notebook but be able to extend it to get the whole effect. I want faint guidelines if the student wants to write in it, not just put in preprinted figures. I like the idea of highlighting areas such as literature, politics, science, etc. I remember reading (TWMT?) about using different colors for different areas but that seems applicable only if you are not using images. Home School in the Woods timeline figures are beautiful, but when my dc are done using them, the timeline looks like it belongs to Amy Pak, not my dc. So I want a variety of figures as well. I've made some samples on the computer but with my skills, I will be quite elderly before I'm out of the Middle Ages.:001_huh: Oh, and I still want it to be affordable. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 The Wonders of Old on CD ROM. It has spreads rather than a long sequence. I printed out all the pages and then put them into page protectors. When DD is working with specific ones, she pulls them out. We can print them independently, so if one gets messed up it is no great loss. A great feature! Carol, somehow I missed this one when I was looking. How have you assembled yours? You don't by any chance have some pictures? Thanks, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dani3boys Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I think it's the best timeline I've found. I use it with the Homeschool In the Woods timeline figures. I love it because it can be adjusted easily. I'm such a perfectionist that I was having a hard time trying to figure out how I wanted to create my own timeline without making any mistakes. This one can be taken apart to redo a page if needed. I like that it can be folded neatly into a binder or spread out acroos the table or floor. It can also go on a wall if there is enough room. This should last us until we're done with hs. I am very pleased with my purchase! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Carol, somehow I missed this one when I was looking. How have you assembled yours? You don't by any chance have some pictures? Thanks, Lisa The CD ROM comes with the page blanks as a PDF file. You print out the pages you want to use. They are prelabelled with the dates, more or less reasonably spaced depending on which of the 4 major time periods that you're working in. Each set of two consecutive pages forms a 'spread' in a binder. I put them all in page protectors, and we just take out the one(s) that we're working on that day. That's it! It's not all that expensive--I'm thinking in the 20's. Each major time period starts with a list of major events during that period with their dates, so you have an automatic starting point for that period. Since the file is a PDF you can print out whatever pages you want, whenever you want them. So printing out a replacement page is really easy. The same info comes as a lovely bound book, but I thought that being able to make mistakes and have doovers was crucial, so I bought the CD ROM instead. It has been nice to be able to occasionally print out extra copies of particular era's dates for a social studies project or something like that, a nice result that I had not figured on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlowetx Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Thank you for this.. we are looking at how to start this whole timeline thing and this looks right up our alley..!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 The CD ROM comes with the page blanks as a PDF file. You print out the pages you want to use. They are prelabelled with the dates, more or less reasonably spaced depending on which of the 4 major time periods that you're working in. Each set of two consecutive pages forms a 'spread' in a binder. I put them all in page protectors, and we just take out the one(s) that we're working on that day. That's it! It's not all that expensive--I'm thinking in the 20's. Each major time period starts with a list of major events during that period with their dates, so you have an automatic starting point for that period. Since the file is a PDF you can print out whatever pages you want, whenever you want them. So printing out a replacement page is really easy. The same info comes as a lovely bound book, but I thought that being able to make mistakes and have doovers was crucial, so I bought the CD ROM instead. It has been nice to be able to occasionally print out extra copies of particular era's dates for a social studies project or something like that, a nice result that I had not figured on. Thanks Carol. My practical side is doing battle with the "perfectionist" bells and whistles side. What I like about yours is that in using spreads and page protectors, you can store related papers and project photos in the pockets. Well, I also like the price.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 It looks neat, but WAY beyond our budget. I told myself to chill, DD is only in first, so I strung a clothesline across the wall with plastic clothespins. DD can clip something to a clothespin for each lesson, in relative order from past-present. She was so excited about it that even though we're not starting school until next week, I let her make up a notecard with a drawing of herself and her first narration--about herself--on it, and clip it to the far right end of the timeline. We can't have perfect, but we can do simple! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea 4 Three Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 (edited) I don't need this.:banghead: I don't need this. I am making my own. Really I am. So what size are the figures? Where do you get the figures? Will any figures work? What if you want to start before 4999 BC? I am a weak, weak, weak woman in search of...the perfect timeline. So...Tea 4 Four, do you have this in your hot little hands and do you really think it's worth the money? Sorry to add to your distress...lol...I do have it hand...that is what made it so hard to resist. The display copy was full of figures, all taken off the internet using Google images and reduced to fit...a very easy process. My dc keep a history notebook also and I use Amy Pak's Homeschool in the Woods figures. I actually prefer to grab the pics off the internet. I have found it to be a quicker process and you get so much variation which adds a nice dimension to the timeline. I actually started mine at 100,000 BC and it worked great. For the $$ I think it is a fabulous buy. When it comes to running around, finding the right materials, planning and calibrating the whole thing, I am willing to "pay myself" and just purchase it outright. I have tried creating my own...bottom line is, I won't get to it and when I do, I will have so much invested into it I won't want my kids to touch it! Edited July 15, 2009 by Tea 4 Three Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea 4 Three Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 The Wonders of Old on CD ROM. It has spreads rather than a long sequence. I printed out all the pages and then put them into page protectors. When DD is working with specific ones, she pulls them out. We can print them independently, so if one gets messed up it is no great loss. A great feature! I considered this one also, and we do use a similar layout for our history notebooks or Book of Centuries, which has worked out really well. But I really wanted my dc to see the linear layout as well and I liked the categories so you can easily visually compare what was happening and developing all at the same time. We have been able to put much more into the Add a Century Timeline than we are able to include in our history notebooks simeilar to the Wonders of Old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2boys Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Add a Century Timeline I don't post often, but was compelled to post about the timeline I found. I have been on a quest to find just the right timeline for several years and came across this at a homeschool conference in my hometown this spring. I love it for several reasons...but the biggest one is the flexibility that is built into it. It is ingenious. For example, what if the two year old colors all over a section...No problem, it can be replaced. Too many figures for one century...No problem it has a unique add on feature. It can be hung on a wall or stored in a 12x12 scrapbook in an accordian fold. You can check out the demo video here that highlights the format and features. I also liked that figures and events are catagorized. You can have whatever catagories you choose and you can spread the centuries out however you choose. Thanks for sharing! This looks really neat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 It looks neat, but WAY beyond our budget. I told myself to chill, DD is only in first, so I strung a clothesline across the wall with plastic clothespins. DD can clip something to a clothespin for each lesson, in relative order from past-present. She was so excited about it that even though we're not starting school until next week, I let her make up a notecard with a drawing of herself and her first narration--about herself--on it, and clip it to the far right end of the timeline. We can't have perfect, but we can do simple! Ravin, this is a great idea. Unfortunately, we need to be able to put ours away. I like that your plan doesn't hinge on specific dates, allows for mistakes, lets you make room for new info., lets your dd have a visual she can be proud of, and it's way affordable. :) I wish I would have had the confidence to home school my dc when they were your daughter's age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 What makes the edges of the paper stick together? I saw something about mylar--and could see the edge of the page was a bit shiny--but I'm not getting why, when she started to tear a page out, that it would stick edge to edge to the page again. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tea 4 Three Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 There are little clear circle stickers of some sort that when applied to the mylar edges bind them securely together, but you can also pull them apart without any problem for inserting another page. It also makes it very flexible, but not flimsy for accordian folding. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Ravin, this is a great idea. Unfortunately, we need to be able to put ours away. I like that your plan doesn't hinge on specific dates, allows for mistakes, lets you make room for new info., lets your dd have a visual she can be proud of, and it's way affordable. :) I wish I would have had the confidence to home school my dc when they were your daughter's age. We have a wall in our front room with maps and such, I ran it along under the maps. At the end of the year, we'll put everything into a notebook or lapbook for her, or save the pictures to put on a paper timeline next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HFClassicalAcademy Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I think it's the best timeline I've found. I use it with the Homeschool In the Woods timeline figures. I love it because it can be adjusted easily. I'm such a perfectionist that I was having a hard time trying to figure out how I wanted to create my own timeline without making any mistakes. This one can be taken apart to redo a page if needed. I like that it can be folded neatly into a binder or spread out acroos the table or floor. It can also go on a wall if there is enough room. This should last us until we're done with hs. I am very pleased with my purchase! Now I am being SOOOOO tempted!! I purchased the Homeschool in the Woods timeline figures CD as well as the CD for the Record of Time (spent more than I was expecting!!). I've been going back and forth between what binder to use and I have always loved the Add a Century timeline method. But if I use it, that would mean I spent $74 for nothing on the timeline notebook CD! So you really like the Add a Century timeline with the Homeschool in the Woods figures?? I WISH they had been at our convention so that I could actually look at it first hand!!!! Liz in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 There are little clear circle stickers of some sort that when applied to the mylar edges bind them securely together, but you can also pull them apart without any problem for inserting another page. It also makes it very flexible, but not flimsy for accordian folding. Hope that helps. Ok, that makes sense now! Thanks! So, does that mean you can't take the timeline to the very edge of the page if you use it for wall display (so there would be small "breaks" in the line?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Rivers Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I'm glad to hear about this too! I've been mulling over the options and wanted to find something user-friendly for the upcoming school year. I also have Amy Pak's figures and just bought her placement suggestions. I've been doing my own thing for the notebook, using a very simple sheet of cardstock placed horizontally with a black line stretching across the middle, each page representing 100 years so we can take them out and stretch them across the table if we want. This looks a lot nicer. For the larger scale wall timeline, I don't actually have an accessible wall. I had planned to buy black foamboard attached end to end with rings....tan parchment paper glued on the front with my "old faithful" black marker line stretching across. The boards could be extended out for viewing, and folded up for storing. Seems easy enough. I'll have to look again to see what I'm missing, because making a timeline notebook was so easy (just stick the paper in and draw a black line. Once I measured the first time, I just repeated the same increments in subsequent pages.) that I'm not understanding why I would need something more complicated just to show what happened when. I have been sticking them on with scotch tape on the back so we could move them around if desired, but I'm thinking poster putty would work better. Anyway, I'm not saying a ready-made timeline book wouldn't be nice. I looked at Amy Pak's notebook the other day. While the cover was beautiful, inside it was still just pages with lines. I couldn't justify spending the $37 on a beautiful cover and nicer looking pages than what I already have -- just to look nicer, KWIM? I wanted them to get their little hands on it, use it, mess it up and it be okay...I'm still exploring the possibilities. Simplifying life is always appealing. I'm just not sure WHICH is more simple. So I guess I'm wondering....is not every timeline product essentially...pages with lines in some way to show the passage of time....so why buy anything fancy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HFClassicalAcademy Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 So I guess I'm wondering....is not every timeline product essentially...pages with lines in some way to show the passage of time....so why buy anything fancy? I agree with the fancy part. But after seeing how my ds7 looks back at his history notebook (binder) from this past year that has all his work in it...I kind of don't mind getting something nice that he can look at for years to come. I do like Amy Pak's binder...it is very beautiful indeed. But yea, the pages inside are just pages. But it will be what your child adds that makes it special. So I'm still torn. I love Amy Pak's binder for it's beauty and quality. But the Add a Century timeline is so cool with being able to pull it out accordion style. In the end, I do want a timeline notebook that will serve as a "memory book" of sorts for the kids (they would each get their own). Liz in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I considered this one also, and we do use a similar layout for our history notebooks or Book of Centuries, which has worked out really well. But I really wanted my dc to see the linear layout as well and I liked the categories so you can easily visually compare what was happening and developing all at the same time. We have been able to put much more into the Add a Century Timeline than we are able to include in our history notebooks simeilar to the Wonders of Old. I do like the linear view a lot. Unfortunately, though, we don't have the wall space for it, literally anywhere. Too many bookshelves and doors and windows. Our home doesn't even have a long-ish hall. So we needed either a poster or a book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon in TN Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 You know, watching the video gave me an idea to make my own that I can either fold or hang and it was based on using that old dot-matrix printer paper that's already folded in a box like an accordion. We have some at work for the kids to use as scrap paper so I may just grab a small stack and try it at home. It won't be as sturdy as the Add A Century but with being on a budget, I just can't shell out $60 for a timeline. Maybe if I could laminate it....:001_unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kckamy Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Thank you for sharing the info. about this timeline. I have also been searching for the perfect timeline and wasn't finding what I was looking for until now! I just placed my order. After completing history last year, I feel that a timeline is essential in studying history. What we were using just wasn't doing the job. I know that it is a little overpriced, but I also know we will treasure it for years to come. I plan on this being a summer project. I would like to have the events we have studied so far on the timeline by the time we start back up in the fall. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightMaiden Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 thank you...this is useful informtion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I love it... I think I may try to make my own on excel to save a few bucks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmsmama Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Any feedback from those who have had this timeline for a while now? I'm considering buying the Add-a-Century Timeline, but I'm still on the fence about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I don't need this.:banghead: I don't need this. I am making my own. Really I am. So what size are the figures? Where do you get the figures? Will any figures work? What if you want to start before 4999 BC? I am a weak, weak, weak woman in search of...the perfect timeline. So...Tea 4 Four, do you have this in your hot little hands and do you really think it's worth the money? :smilielol5:too funny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cindie2dds Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Here is a free timeline although it is no where near as fancy, it's free. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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