B1. A Living Timeline
Mathematics and Art Activity
Set aside a day for your class to celebrate your town's history. To
mark the day, students will create a living timeline that will narrate
the most important events.
WHAT YOU NEED
Reference materials
Large sheets of drawing paper
Tape
Costumes (optional)
WHAT TO DO
Gather a list of dates of interesting or significant
events in the history of your community (its founding; establishment of
the first school, house of worship, library, store, theater, or
factory; a battle; an act of nature, such as a hurricane, tornado, or
flood).
With students, choose a several of these events to
become part of a living timeline. Use pieces of drawing paper, taped
together, to construct a timeline around the room. Mark off time
intervals and enter the events where they belong. Tape or tack the
timeline onto the walls.
Have individual students take on the role of a
townsperson who lived at the time of each event. Each narrator should
be prepared to introduce him- or herself as a real or imaginary person
and tell something about the event, using reference materials for
content. For example, under 1865 a girl might step forward and say: "I
am Deloris Netzband. I helped found the Bethel Baptist Church, which
opened its doors this year. Thirty families attended the first service,
led by the Reverend Marcus Johnson."
On town history day, have students locate their
places on the timeline and present their stories.
TEACHING OPTIONS
If you can, have students wear authentic headgear and/or costumes.
Invite other classes to listen to their town's/city's history narrated.
To show how other things have changed, some students could research
modes of dress that might have been in use on each date. Have them make
drawings of certain pieces of clothing or fashions and add them to the
timeline.
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classroom, provided that you include the copyright notice shown below
on all such copies.
Copyright © 1997 Houghton Mifflin Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/act/town.html
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