Timelines are a simple yet powerful tool. Whether you teach history, science, literature, or even math, timelines can be a game-changer in your classroom. But we’re going even further today—what if timelines weren’t just in your classroom? What if they stretched through the entire school, showing students connections across all subjects, all spaces, all moments in time?
Topics Discussed
- How are timelines helpful? Why should we use them?
- Ways to Incorporate Timelines Across Subjects & the Whole School
- Practical Tips for Implementation
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Transcript
Ellie 0:00
Before we jump into our latest episode, I know we're all busy. Life has so many demands, but if you could stop for just a minute and offer us a star or five stars on your favorite platform as a review or a rating, we would be so thankful. It's how we know that we aren't just talking to each other.
Brittany 0:40
Today on the teaching toolbox, I, Brittany, am here with my best friend Ellie.
Ellie 0:47
Hello,
Brittany 0:49
and we're diving into a simple yet powerful tool, timelines, whether you teach history, science, literature, or even math, timelines can be a game changer in your classroom, but we're going even further today. What if timelines weren't just in your classroom? What if they stretched through the entire school, showing students connections across all subjects, all spaces, all moments in time?
Ellie 1:24
I love that idea. Timelines aren't just about memorizing dates, they're about making connections. Imagine walking down the hallway and seeing a giant timeline that doesn't just show historical events, but also maybe scientific discoveries happening at the same time, or literature being written, and even art and music that reflect those eras.
Brittany 1:46
Timelines help students make connections, see patterns, and organize information visually. They aren't just for history class. They help students sequence events, understand cause and effect, and even see relationships between different concepts.
Ellie 2:06
Absolutely. Research shows, we know that it shows that visual learning improves retention and timelines give students a clear way to structure that information. They work well for all kinds of learners, visual, kinesthetic, and even verbal learners, when paired with discussions.
Brittany 2:24
They also make abstract concepts concrete. If students can see how scientific discoveries build on each other over time, or how math concepts develop through history, suddenly those subjects don't feel so disconnected.
Ellie 2:41
And they encourage cross subject connections. Imagine a timeline that shows what historical events were happening when Shakespeare was writing, and how art and music reflected those cultural shifts.
Brittany 2:54
That's so cool. Plus, they foster critical thinking. When students analyze trends and connections, they go beyond the rote memorization and engage with the content.
Ellie 3:07
I suddenly just had a vision of putting a timeline all around this room, in my office, timeline of my life. Anyway, back to the actual topic.
Brittany 3:20
We often think of timelines as something we pull out for history class. But what if they were in every subject, every space, in the whole school?
Ellie 3:32
Ooh, yes, let's break that down. How could we do that? Let's think about some of the different subject areas and how we could do that. So history and social studies, this one's pretty obvious. Timelines help students track major events, compare civilizations and understand cause and effect. But what if, instead of just having a classroom timeline, there was a massive school timeline, one that stretched through the halls with different eras and major moments mapped out. Let's think about science. What if the science hallway had a timeline tracking the development of scientific discoveries, life cycles, the periodic table and major health pandemics? Students could see how discoveries built upon each other. How about language arts? Timelines in ELA can help students map out a novel's plot, track an author's life, or even follow literary movements. Imagine a timeline in the library showing when major books were published alongside historical events and scientific discoveries of the time. In math, we use number lines, but what about a math timeline, one that shows the history of mathematical concepts, famous mathematicians, and real world applications over a period of time. In foreign languages, language evolution is fascinating. A timeline showing the development of different languages, key cultural events, and changes in dialects over time could live in the language hallway. And then timelines in art and music can highlight artistic movements, famous composers, and the evolution of different styles over centuries. A timeline in the music room could show the development from Baroque to jazz to hip hop, while an art timeline in the hallway could map famous painters, sculptors, and architectural achievements. And then, if you even think about gym and the cafeteria, sports and food have histories too. The gym could have a timeline of major Olympic moments or the history of sports, while the cafeteria could display food history - how different cultures influenced global cuisine.
Brittany 5:47
estones. Did you know that in:Ellie 6:22
You said,:Brittany 6:24
1764
Ellie 6:25
Okay
Brittany 6:26
John Adams and Abigail Smith were married, and the Battle of Buxar was happening in northern India
Ellie 6:36
Oh,
Brittany 6:36
between the British East India Company and some Indian states interesting. So we have things happening all over the world combining to make the earth that we live on.
Ellie 6:47
Yeah, it's interesting to think about all those different things at the same time in all the different places and all the different genres, if you will.
Brittany 6:55
Right. So how do we actually make this happen? Well, here are some ideas for making timelines engaging and interactive in your school. Use interactive timelines like Google Slides, Canva, or digital timeline apps where students can collaborate and add their own research. Have collaborative timelines where you assign different classes or grade levels to different time periods and have them contribute to a larger school wide timeline. Have a physical timeline where you use butcher paper, bulletin board paper, or even just sticky notes that can be moved and rearranged as students learn more and more and more. Have your students create personal timelines about themselves, where they add more to different subjects about their own lives. So maybe they add that they learn to play cello into the music timeline, and then in the PE timeline they put that they got a first place medal in the long jump or something. In the cross curricular timelines, you can work with teachers across subjects to create timelines that span disciplines. For example, during Black History Month include historical events, literary achievements, scientific breakthroughs, and cultural shifts all in one visual display. And then create a Today in History board that showcases what happened on that exact day in different years across different subjects.
Ellie 8:34
Those are all fantastic ideas. I love them. And then remember to add some creativity. Encourage students to color code events, add pictures, and even include QR codes, linking to videos or student created presentations.
Brittany 8:49
The possibilities are endless, and they all help students see that learning isn't isolated. Everything connects. Timelines make those connections visible and interactive.
Ellie 9:02
Absolutely. We hope this shorty episode gave you some fresh ideas for adding timelines to your teaching toolbox.
Brittany 9:10
If you try this tool for your teaching toolbox, let us know! You can connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, or on our website, Teaching Toolbox Podcast.com and don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss our next episode.
Ellie 9:27
Thanks for tuning in.
Brittany 9:29
Bye.