Memorizing historical dates can be difficult for many students since the events and people rarely relate to students’ own experiences. Instead, present students with a collection of historical events related to what is being studied and ask them to review the list with a specific goal in mind and find related events. This activity encourages students to make their own connections between history and their life, thus making it easier to remember.
Determining Events for a Timeline
Whether the subject is world history, a specific war, banking or the Internet, having a variety of events is important. This allows students to be able to find several to which they can relate.
For example, if the subject is the Internet students can browse through the online Hobbes’ Internet Timeline. It contains a variety of events that impacted the evolution of the Internet including technical details, such as when the first packets were sent, design details, such as when the ARPANET request for quotes were issued, criminal attacks, such as the first cyber theft, and fun facts, like when Queen Elizabeth II sent her first email.
Parts of the Timeline Activity
There are three primary parts for students to complete in this timeline activity; determining a goal, finding related events, and creating a timeline to display.
The first two are related. To determine a goal for their search, students may need some previous exposure to the subject or suggestions from the teacher. For the previous example, students may already have a background in computers or could be provided suggestions such as to think about what is necessary for gaming or for using a computer to communicate. Then they need to spend time looking through the provide timeline for related events.
The third part, creating their own timeline to display, will need to be provided boundaries depending on course needs. The timeline could be created on the computer, have 10 – 15 events, and be printed for assessment. It could be drawn on large sheets of paper and have a 12 event minimum. The specifics can also be modified within the class depending on the needs and abilities of individual students.
Assessing and Displaying Student Timelines
Once the timeline is created it can be assessed using established classroom assessment practices. Rubrics and point scales can be applied to the timeline, as can peer grading.
When the timelines are complete, perhaps even before grading, they can be displayed around the classroom or in the hallway. This allows other students the opportunity to read the selection made by their peers and make additional connections to history as it relates to them.
This timeline activity is ideal for students who are good at, or need practice with, sorting through information. It allows them an opportunity to take something they know and relate it to historical events, thus making a stronger connection for them to remember history.
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