Tripp, Linda, Cindy Basye, Kathy Jones and Vicki Tripp. “Teaching and Learning with Time Lines.” (2008)

The authors assert that time lines are an underutilized resource for assisting students to think deeply about historical information. They suggest that students at elementary or early middle grades do not always deal successfully with time lines because they lack background knowledge about historical events and time line conventions. Students need guidance to understand that a time line is created by a person with a point of view about the information included and that someone who has made choices about what will be included and left out. The authors suggest that teachers can regularly engage students in higher level thinking around varied time lines by using a “Questioning the Time Line” protocol:

1. What purpose does this time line serve?
2. What events did the author select for the time line?
3. Why did the author select the beginning and ending points?

Creating time lines around important topics and considering how to combine various time lines forces students to prioritize and summarize information. It teaches students to become critical consumers of time lines prepared by others, as well as creators of their own historical understanding.