These Are a Few of my Favorite Tools (TimeLiner)

by Sandra Sicard

I've decided to write a series of blogs on software tools that work well across grade levels and subject areas. The first tool I'm highlighting is TimeLiner, which allows students to create, illustrate and present timelines easily.

In 2G, students read biographies in Reading Workshop and noted important events from their subject's life. They then came to the lab and created a timeline of 5-6 important events. They could then add text notes to identify turning points. Lastly, they added a picture of their subject; most of their subjects had pictures included as part of the TimeLiner clipart. (Their teacher and I had to go online to find a few pictures of subjects not included in the clipart collection.)

4H recently completed a thorough investigation of European explorers. Students worked in pairs to research an explorer's life to present to their classmates. They created a timeline, a slideshow, a handout, and a board game. TimeLiner allowed students to import pictures from the Internet as well as pictures that students had drawn in KidPix and then exported. Each event on the timeline became a slide; parents were able to view the students' final slideshow and products during a family breakfast.

Lastly, seventh grade students used TimeLiner in a brief project to organize Revolutionary War dates and events in order to make generalizations about the challenges and successes of the Patriot war effort. Seeing this information visually allowed them to make predictions about the immediate consequences of independence.

Sidebar: I had been under the illusion that TimeLiner didn't work on our computers so it wasn't installed in the lab and laptops until a few months ago. If you'd like it on your classroom computer(s), just let me know.