ALEX Lesson Plan

Time After Time: How Can We Use Timelines to Reconstruct the Past? Part 1

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  This lesson provided by:  
Author:Amanda Walker
System: Hoover City
School: Bluff Park Elementary School
And
Author:Carol McLaughlin
System: Hoover City
School: Greystone Elementary School
  General Lesson Information  
Lesson Plan ID: 35351

Title:

 Time After Time: How Can We Use Timelines to Reconstruct the Past? Part 1

Overview/Annotation:

The lesson will focus on ordering common events by times, days, months, steps, or events. Students will work collaboratively in groups to organize five child-focused events, steps, or times. These titles, events, steps, days, and times will be cut apart so that students need to organize them into a logical sequence. Groups will rotate through the five events to practice daily schedules, holidays, school schedules, weekly events, and procedural texts. Groups may take a picture of completed events as a digital copy or the teacher may check each group for formative assessment.

This unit was created as part of the ALEX Interdisciplinary Resource Development Summit.

 Associated Standards and Objectives 
Content Standard(s):
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 2
Living and Working Together in State and Nation
2 ) Identify national historical figures and celebrations that exemplify fundamental democratic values, including equality, justice, and responsibility for the common good.

•  Recognizing our country's founding fathers, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, John Adams, John Hancock, and James Madison
•  Recognizing historical female figures, including Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, Harriet Tubman, and Harriet Beecher Stowe
•  Describing the significance of national holidays, including the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Presidents' Day; Memorial Day; the Fourth of July; Veterans Day; and Thanksgiving Day
•  Describing the history of American symbols and monuments
Examples: Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, bald eagle, United States flag, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.2.2- Describe the significant national holidays, including the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Presidents' Day; Memorial Day; the Fourth of July; Veterans Day; and Thanksgiving Day.
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 2
Living and Working Together in State and Nation
3 ) Use various primary sources, including calendars and timelines, for reconstructing the past.

Examples: historical letters, stories, interviews with elders, photographs, maps, artifacts

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.2.3- Use various primary sources, including calendars and timelines, for reconstructing the past.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
R3. Expand background knowledge and build vocabulary through discussion, reading, and writing.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
1. Participate in conversations and discussions with groups and peers utilizing agreed-upon rules.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
4. Orally answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a text or conversation, using complete sentences to provide key ideas and details.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
27. Identify the text structures within literary and informational texts, including cause and effect, problem and solution, and sequence of events.

Local/National Standards:

  

Primary Learning Objective(s):

Students will:

  • identify and describe national historical figures and celebrations.

  • use timelines to reconstruct the past.

  • utilize active listening skills in a variety of contexts, following agreed-upon rules.

  • answer questions about a text using complete sentences.

  • identify the sequence of events text structure in informational texts.

Additional Learning Objective(s):

  
 Preparation Information 

Total Duration:

91 to 120 Minutes

Materials and Resources:

Document with events for each group: https://goo.gl/q3d6S2 (This is an editable document that can be changed to meet your own schedules and needs.)

The teacher will need to print and cut apart events, days, times, and titles on the document.  

Timeline Questions for group- 1 sheet per group https://goo.gl/WrzpbA

For digital copies:  iPads, cameras, etc.

As the Oak Tree Grows by G. Brian Karas

Books with timelines or Pebble Books Biographies:  

  • George Washington by Erin Edison

  • Martin Luther King Jr. by Riley Flynn

  • Rosa Parks by Erin Edison

  • Clara Barton by Erin Edison

  • Sally Ride by Erin Edison

  • Susan B. Anthony by Erin Edison

  • Jane Goodall by Erin Edison

  • Harriet Tubman by Erin Edison

  • Florence Nightingale by Erin Edison

  • Marie Curie by Erin Edison

  • Helen Keller by Erin Edison

  • Pocahontas by Erin Edison

Exit ticket: https://goo.gl/cUOSFd

Technology Resources Needed:

  • Computer

  • Google Docs

  • Smartboard Projector for teacher demonstration book

  • For Digital copies: iPads, cameras, Etc. 

Background/Preparation:

Prior to teaching this lesson, students need to understand basic calendar skills such as the order of the days of the week, months of the year, and holidays.

Students will also need to know how to use a basic piece of electronics like an Osmo (or another procedure with steps). Students also need to be able to order numbers from least to greatest.

  Procedures/Activities: 

TW=Teacher Will 

SW=Student Will 

Before/Engage

TW-Display Standard SS3: Use various primary sources, including calendars and timelines, for reconstructing the past.  Examples: historical letters, stories, interviews with elders, photographs, maps, artifacts.  Unpack the standard with students.

TW/SW-Analyze standard to write it in kid-friendly terms. Ex: I can rebuild the past with a timeline. See attached picture.  

During/Explore/Explain

1st period:  30-45 Minute

1. TW show an example sequence of events without a title from https://goo.gl/tBvk8A.

2. TW tell students, “Today we will be working with groups. You will be given a list of events. You will work with your group to put these events in order. “

3. TW show all the possible event titles. TW keep these titles at a common table for students to get after they have put their designated event group in order.  

4. TW tell students “Once your group has finished placing your events in order, you will need to discuss what these events or steps have in common. You will then pick out a title from this table to give a title to your sequence of events.”

5. TW divide students into five groups: Specials, Subjects, How to Use, Holidays, and Events in a Day. Four groups can be made if you eliminate the “How to Use_______” group.

5. SW work together in small groups to order events for five minutes with each grouping.

6. SW rotate through all five groups. At each group, SW take a picture to record their answers using a camera, Explain Everything app, Seesaw app, etc.  

During/Explore/Explain

2nd Period: 30-45 Minute

  1. TW  Read As The Oak Tree Grows by G. Brian Karas.  
  2. TW stop while reading to discuss how much time has passed between pages.  
  3. TW/SW create a timeline together recording time that passes in As The Oak Tree Grows.
  4. TW/SW will work together to generate questions about the timeline.
  5. TW divide students into groups or with partners to observe/analyze books with timelines.
  6. Each group will be given a biography of a famous American: Suggested titles:
    • George Washington by Erin Edison
    • Martin Luther King Jr. by Riley Flynn
    • Rosa Parks by Erin Edison
    • Clara Barton by Erin Edison
    • Sally Ride by Erin Edison
    • Susan B. Anthony by Erin Edison
    • Jane Goodall by Erin Edison
    • Harriet Tubman by Erin Edison
    • Florence Nightingale by Erin Edison
    • Marie Curie by Erin Edison
    • Helen Keller by Erin Edison
    • Pocahontas by Erin Edison
  7. SW find the timeline in their biography. The groups will discuss and answer these questions: https://goo.gl/WrzpbA. TW observe students in groups and help where needed.
  8. TW/SW show and discuss things they noticed about timelines: dates, years, pictures, facts, etc. with the group.

After

1.  After all tasks have been completed, SW complete the exit ticket. https://goo.gl/cUOSFd.

2.  TW/SW revisit standard, reflect, and discuss what was discovered.


  Assessment  

Assessment Strategies

Formative Assessment: The teacher should informally assess students during the group activities and whole class discussions. The teacher should use timeline questions to assess understanding: https://goo.gl/WrzpbA. TW will use data collected from the day 1 session to see if students are understanding the sequence of events.

TW will use data collected from the day 2 session to see if students understand parts of a timeline: specific distance, dates, facts, pictures (in some cases), etc. TW use the timeline questions sheet and any notes made while observing students in groups during the timeline task. TW also use exit ticket (https://goo.gl/EWJhqL) to discover objectives obtained during the lesson and questions that are still remaining. 

Acceleration:

Students that need to expand on their understanding, can create a timeline featuring the famous Americans from the group according to their birthdates. They can create this digitally or on paper. This timeline can be shared with the group to deepen understanding of the past as it is related to the featured famous Americans.

 

Intervention:

If there are students that require additional help with understanding number order (years in timeline), they should be pulled in a small group to practice number order with the teacher prior to the group activity.


View the Special Education resources for instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.