hsmom2011 Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I don't know what it is, but everytime I sit down to plan a timeline, my brain just doesn't focus. It all just seems like a jumbled up mess to me. I have a 5th grader doing Ancients, is it really necessary? Has anyone else decided to ditch the timeline? I may just purchase a completed one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 It wasn't until I started researching timelines to purchase that I finally got excited about making my own. I still have time to mull it over before I decide what we will do but I loved my friend's timeline that she made with her kids that I am thinking I may go that route. Good luck to you in whatever route you take. And for the record- LOTS of people just purchase pre-made ones. No shame at all in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Yes. You should feel guilty! Ok, I'm just teasing you. :grouphug: Don't feel guilty. Just browse the net for ideas to see which type of format will work for you. Sometimes just making a binder with various date dividers, which can be added to as you go, is the easiest route. As you do things just add them to the binder in the proper division. Or Just purchase a pre-made one. Many do. It should be something fun and interesting (besides educational). If it is a chore for you to make one, then don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Here is my very simple timeline if you are interested. I bought a timeline poster from Geomatters: http://www.curriculum-for-homeschool.com/product/mark-it-timeline-of-history-laminated I am only putting the very most important and major events on the timeline so as to get the big picture in my kids' heads. For example, I only have six things for the ancient time period (Creation, Ancient Eygpt, Abraham, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Jesus). I have about a similar number of pieces for the Middle Ages and for Modern Times bringing the total up to about twenty. This gives a very simple, big picture overview of history. I also have stickers on the side indicating approximate time periods of Ancient history, Middle Ages, and Modern times. If you are overwhelmed with the idea of making a huge timeline, making a simple one could be a good place to start. Later, if you want to add more to your timeline, you can always do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I have timeline guilt! Every time we have attempted one it goes by the wayside. I think I am going to buy a nice pre-made timeline and just hang it up and be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy (TX) Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I wanted to do one for a long time and was trying to pick the "perfect" one. Out of desperation I finally thought of asking my 10yo son what he thought, and he said "Why don't you just let me do it?" So I got a $3 roll of banner paper and a $5 pack of sharpies, taught him how to draw a straight line down the middle, and made marks for every century. Done. He adds what he likes to it each week - words only so far since he's not a big picture person. The handwriting isn't perfect and it's not beautiful but it's doing what it's supposed to do, which is getting him to think about where things are in time. It hasn't made it on the wall yet but that's because I'm looking for the "perfect" thumbtacks. ;-) edited to add: No, you shouldn't feel guilty if you choose not to do one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 Why would YOU have to do it? :D Assign it to KIDS to do as their project and work on it as they work through the material. If you give them the choice of the format, they may get hooked up and research the options and work on it themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 You wouldn't feel any guilt over buying a map with everything already filled in right? So why feel guilty over buying a pre-made timeline? We have several very nice pre-made timelines that work well for us. When we read or hear about someone, we just look it up on the timeline and we're done. If it isn't on one timeline, we look on another. If it isn't on any of our timelines, we find where it would be and discuss why the author of the timeline didn't think that the person/event was important enough to include. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I always wanted to do timelines but it never got done. I finally decided to buy Winter Promise timeline pages for both girls. This is a massive (and solid) book once put together. My goal is to use them all the way through high school. By doing this I don't have to worry so much about filling it in, in one year. I've also collected a few different ways to record information. I have a time line sticker set, color-in set, cut out photos from old college art books, and hand written information. It's hodge podge, but stress free. By the end of high school I'm hoping most pages will have something on them. :001_smile: And, it'll be fun to see early and later entries when it's finished. I think buying a pre-made timeline is a great idea! Your kids will then get the timeline experience, and that's what counts. Here's a link of different timelines, maybe something will catch your eye? http://www.squidoo.com/homeschooltimelines If you're using SOTW you can make an easy timeline with the review cards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I am a timeline dropout. I hate doing them. Ds hates doing them. I never even tried with dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go_go_gadget Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I don't feel guilty. They have a very solid idea of the order of events, and I don't think that knowing the actual years in which things happened is terribly important for five and six year-olds. We'll do timelines in some form or another during our logic stage cycle through history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandty Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I keep putting it off too. I didn't know you could buy pre-made ones. Anyone have links to share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Many4 Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 If you need the timeline for ancients, I shared mine here. To download it, just click on the small image under the big pictures. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=300066&highlight=sharing+my+sotw+timeline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I have timeline guilt. I'm all about making my own visuals and manipulatives but the thought of timelines makes me feel sooo tired. My oldest is in 3rd and I think I would just try to buy one and then just look at it as we read about certain things. Idk, maybe next year...sigh. Also I've heard good things about Bernard Grum's (I think that's right?) book Timeline of History. It's basically a huge timeline in book form. Not very exciting for little kids but would be good to help fill in some blanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuovonne Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I didn't know you could buy pre-made ones. Anyone have links to share? http://www.learningthroughhistory.com/Store/CategoryTimelines.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenjenn Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 I think with anything, it is important to keep the goal in mind. Understanding the order of events is important, but however you get there is up to you. I ran round and round about this with doing formal spelling. I tried at various points. I finally determined that doing a formal spelling curriculum is not necessary or even particularly helpful when it came to my children's spelling skills. So we cover spelling organically. Their spelling skills are improving at an acceptable rate, so who cares if we are doing a spelling currc or not! Keep the timeline idea as a tool - if your kids lack clarity about the order of historical events you are studying, you can always whip out that tool as needed, but I wouldn't consider it a "must do". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted December 9, 2011 Share Posted December 9, 2011 If you had a 1st grader I'd say don't sweat it, but in 5th grade, yeah, I think it's important. At this age they can really start to put the pieces together and see how one thing connects to another and the timeline really puts it all together in one place so they can see it. I didn't bother when they were younger but now we do the timeline and my kids really enjoy it. hth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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