Class, At-ten-tion! 
(Ancient India: time line)

Designed by: Nancy Pierce Little    School: Heyward Gibbes Middle

Grade Level: 6     Subject: Social Studies

Core Curriculum Objectives(s):  Explain the following aspects of each river civilization: .... its place within a time reference, ... (time lines).  (6WH3-3)

(Textbook: World, Adventures in Time and Place, McGraw Hill, Chapter 6: Ancient India, pp. 128-157)

Overview: This lesson will introduce and/or reinforce the skills of listing in alphabetical, numerical and chronological order (time lines). The students will physically line up in different formations. Students will use computers to create and publish autobiographical time lines to illustrate important events in their lives. Students will create a time line to organize the dates and events associated with the study of ancient India.

Focus/Essential Question: How can I keep track of all the dates I need to know? Why is it important to know when an event occurred? How long ago did an event happen?

Time Frame: 2 - 45 minute class periods, plus additional computer time to create and publish personal time lines.

Resources/Materials: Access to computers with publishing software.

Culminating Assessment: 

Personal Time Lines: Students will create and publish personal time lines depicting the important events in their life. The time lines will be illustrated with imported graphics. A rubric for assessing student created time lines is available on the internet at: http://go.hrw.com/resources/go_ss/teacher99/rubrics/RUBRIC36.pdf Ancient India Time Lines: Students will create a time line depicting the important events which occurred during the history of ancient India.

Instructional Activities 

STEP ONE: The teacher instructs the class to line up in a straight line. "Class, at-ten-tion!"

STEP TWO: The teacher gives the following instructions to form different line formations: Line up with girls in front, boys in back. Line up by height: with the shortest in front, the tallest in back. Line up in alphabetical order. Line up by age.

STEP THREE: Whole class discussion of the following questions: Which of the lines we formed was a "Time Line?" Why? What period of time did this line cover? In what other ways could the class line up? In what other way(s) could the class line up alphabetically? How? (Ex: first names or last names) How could the class line up numerically? (Ex: shoe size)

STEP FOUR: Students will create and publish a time line showing important events in their lives. Students are to use various fonts, font sizes and colors. Students are to illustrate their time lines with computer graphics. Display the completed timelines in the classroom or other appropriate places.

STEP FIVE: Students will create a time line showing the events described in Chapter 6: Ancient India.