Do you do a timeline in grades 9-12?

[Quiver0f10]

Just wondering if you have your R level kids doing a timeline. Thanks!

[Mommyfaithe]

YES! I think it is more important in the upper years to put things in perspective. I use cardstock which I tape short end to short end. They can fold it accordian style and it slips into the pocket of their binder. Whenever they read anything...I have them jot down something. My adult children have kept their timelines as a keepsake of their last 4 years of homeschooling....and they have referred to them when trying to put their college papers into a historical context. Ours are very simple, home made, cheap and very effective.

 

Faithe

[Quiver0f10]

YES! I think it is more important in the upper years to put things in perspective. I use cardstock which I tape short end to short end. They can fold it accordian style and it slips into the pocket of their binder. Whenever they read anything...I have them jot down something. My adult children have kept their timelines as a keepsake of their last 4 years of homeschooling....and they have referred to them when trying to put their college papers into a historical context. Ours are very simple, home made, cheap and very effective.

 

Faithe

 

 

Sounds perfect! Thanks!

[Faithr]

I think timelines can be skipped in the lower grades but are of most importance in learning history in high school. We use binders and three hole punched papers. The kids write a short essay on a particular person or event and then place them into the binder in chronological order. We organized by either British monarch (when doing British history) or Presidents when doing American. I also printed out a timeline for each period that I found on the internet. They had these shorter timelines at the beginning of the binders and made for easy reference.

[Brindee]

I got a timeline book for my younger two while we were doing SOTW when dd was in 3rd grade. We used it for 3 years in a row, then spotty use the last two years. I plan on having her use it this coming year (9th) to fill in gaps (she'll be doing Middle Ages, as we never covered that era). Both she and my ds really liked the timelines, and are planning to save them. When they were younger we also had a timeline on the wall, which they loved! I won't do that when dd is in highschool though. :)

[Angel]

We did a timeline last year with SL Core 7 and then began one this year (or I should say adding to) with MFW AH&L. In passing the other day my dd said it felt like busy work. She has never referenced it or used it. So I will be the lone dissenter and say we have tried it and are now dropping it.

[Frontier Mom]

We use a software program called Timeliner XE. It give you tons of options to put in notes, clipart, etc. I bought it at Academic Superstore.

[Faithr]

I tried to timelines when my oldest kids were young and it was busy work and I was the only one getting anything out of it. However when we hit high school it became a really valuable learning tool. And in fact my dd in college just had to recreate a very detailed timeline on her midterm for her history class! So I was glad we did it in high school.

[Cedarmom]

This is interesting. I didn't do it-my son begged not to. We did it in 2nd-9th grade, and he said he had done it enough.

[Joan in GE]

Our timeline is on our wall. For each century we have a 3 ft x 2 ft (approx) thick paper where we can sticky tack postcards or cutout pictures and then a folded piece under that which makes 4 pockets (so each pocket is 25 years).

 

When we study an artist, composer, scientist or historical event for which we have a card (or Fandex picture) or pictures cut out of old history books, magazine articles, etc, the children will run down and put this picture either on the wall or in the pocket.

 

It is not a difficult type of exercise but keeps them adding things and seeing where they occur in history....

 

Joan

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you all. I think we will do one. Now to decide wall or notebook :D

[Mom22ns]

We use a software program called Timeliner XE. It give you tons of options to put in notes, clipart, etc. I bought it at Academic Superstore.

 

This looks really great! Do you ever print from it, or just use it on screen?

[blackeyes]

I am adding a timeline project to our History studies this year. I was not satisfied with evaluating dd's understanding of history through facts based tests, and writing of any sort is difficult for her. I've developed project guidelines that require her to display more than names and dates and also allow her to personalize the timeline. For example, she can include a report about foods and eating habits of the time period, art projects based on art movements of the time period, photos or sketches of architecture, maps, relationship charts, etc... I'm hoping that she will gain a broader understanding of people, events and their relationships to each other through this.

[Joan in GE]

Yes, I forgot to add that we have some shelves near the timeline which hold various models and projects that they did when studying some historical period. Recently for the industrial revolution, ds made a model of an early machine.

 

Over all the years, these have really added up...Leonardo's flying machine, an early cathedral by Brunelleschi, a mammoth bone hut...and he still enjoys a little hands on...

 

blackeyes - I like the idea of adding reports, sketches, and relationship charts...

 

Joan

[Chris in VA]

Ours was just a roll of paper on the wall. Ds never really go into it, but I'm hoping it helped him on a subconscious level--:lol:

I will say, tho, that it helps all of us if the information is where it can be casually scanned many, many times. If the only time someone sees it is when they add to it, that may not be enough. If it's attractive and detailed and INTERESTING, perhaps it will get looked at more? Ours wasn't, but my dd's is.

[Quiver0f10]

Ours was just a roll of paper on the wall. Ds never really go into it, but I'm hoping it helped him on a subconscious level--:lol:

I will say, tho, that it helps all of us if the information is where it can be casually scanned many, many times. If the only time someone sees it is when they add to it, that may not be enough. If it's attractive and detailed and INTERESTING, perhaps it will get looked at more? Ours wasn't, but my dd's is.

 

 

I agree and I think that's why I want a wall timeline verses a book. We tried book and it just didn't get done. I am thinking a wall is more likely to get filled in here because it will be seen every day. Plus, I think the younger ones will get more out of it this way. I do have room in my dinning/homeschool area so we are going to give it a try.

[Brindee]

Here's one we did on a little wall space when we were doing SOTW 4. My kids LOVED having it up on the wall! This is rather simple, as my kids were younger, but it made a neat visual for them and for visitors. It drew the visitors to ask questions, which the kids answered from what we'd studied. That helped them cement the facts! We did another one for ancient history. We had the timeline with the years, then above the line was Bible history, and below the line was world history. It was soooo fun to see how the two interacted! We learned a LOT with the timeline visual!

Edited March 16, 2010 by Brindee

[Quiver0f10]

Here's one we did on a little wall space when we were doing SOTW 4. My kids LOVED having it up on the wall! This is rather simple, as my kids were younger, but it made a neat visual for them and for visitors. It drew the visitors to ask questions, which the kids answered from what we'd studied. That helped them cement the facts! We did another one for ancient history. We had the timeline with the years, then above the line was Bible history, and below the line was world history. It was soooo fun to see how the two interacted! We learned a LOT with the timeline visual!

 

 

Wow, very nice! Thanks for sharing!

[Kareni]

This discussion of timelines reminded me of this thread about the game Perspective: If TWTM had an official game, it would have to be....

 

As to our experience, my daughter kept a timeline in 7th through 9th grades when we did a three year sweep through history (we came to homeschooling late). I had her add ten entries each week. Her timeline was kept in a binder and also included weekly writings and art that pertained to the time. I was not so much concerned that she memorize dates as that she had a general idea of world happenings and when they had occurred relative to each other.

 

Regards,

Kareni