Activity Title

Time Marches On

Lesson Outline

Prior Knowledge Needed

How to write complete sentences in paragraph form.

Materials, Text, Media, Handouts

• Thirty-six inch lengths yarn or ribbon
• Paper clips, 10 per student
• 10 index cards per students
• felt point pens

Introduction

1. Instructor demonstrates how to brainstorm life events, prioritize them, and choose the ten most important events.
2. Instructor demonstrates his/her personal timeline and draws parallels to US history timeline on wall.
3. Ask students to jot down events in their own lives, determine the ten most important ones and put them in chronological order.
4. Give materials and ask each student to make his/her own timeline.
5. In groups of four, share timelines.

Vocabulary

• Sequence
• Timeline
• Major events
• Minor events
• Transition words and phrases
• Autobiography
• Chronological order

Activity

1. Teach mini-lesson on sequencing events, prioritizing, composing a paragraph in chronological order.
2. Small groups are given teacher-prepared sentence strips and are asked to place these in time order.
3. Each group will present their ordered version of the strips. Instructor calls attention to time order words and transitional phrases.
4. Student passes out and goes over a short list of these types of words/phrases.

Extension / Enrichment Activity

Have students bring pictures or small items from home to illustrate and attach to their prepared personal timeline. These will be exhibited in the classroom.

Evaluation Activity

Have students write a brief autobiography in chronological order, using the timelines they have made as the basis for their autobiography.

Real-Life Connection

1. Most narratives and directions are written in sequence.
2. History is often written and studied in time order.

Bridges Accommodations

Extra time, peer help, definitions of terms used on handout.

Benchmark Assessment

Students will be able to put series of ten sentences containing transitional phrases and words in paragraph form in logical order.