NCDPI – AIG Instructional Resource: Background Information

Resource Title: Timelines in History
Subject Area/Grade Level (s): Math/2 / Time Frame: 3 – 4 days
Common Core/Essential Standard Addressed:
Measurement and Data
Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.
2MD.6 Represent whole numbers as lengths from 0 on a number line diagram with equally spaced points corresponding to the numbers 0, 1, 2 … and represent whole number sums and differences within 100 on a number line diagram.
Mathematical Practices
4. Model with mathematics
5. Use appropriate tools strategically
6. Attend to precision.
Additional Standards Addressed:
2.H.1.1 Use timelines to show sequencing of events.
Brief Description of Lesson/Task/Activity: Students will construct a time line using a meter stick to help them draw precise divisions. They will choose a topic they have been studying. After making the timeline, the students will use the information to make up problems using sums and differences and use the timeline as a number line to solve the problems.
Type of Differentiation for AIGs (include all that apply): x Enrichment x Extension x Acceleration
Adaptations for AIGs: Content Process x Product
Explanation of How Resource is Appropriate for AIGs: This lesson provides a real-life application of the math skill to other curriculum areas and requires the use of numbers larger than 100, an extension of 2nd grade expectations.
Needed Resources/Materials
•  Number line that goes to 100 (or beyond)
•  Bulletin board paper, large chart paper or butcher paper
•  Meter sticks
•  Source of dates
•  Collection of books by Patricia Polacco (as many as possible)
Sources: NA
TEACHER NOTES: NA

NCDPI AIG Curriculum Resource Outline

STAGE ONE: ENGAGE
Did you know that you can use a number line to add and subtract? Let’s look at this number line marked from 0 to 100. What do I do to add 42 + 37? I can start here at 42 and hop to 52, 62, 72 and then 7 more to get to 79. If I wanted to solve 75 – 34 = ?, I can begin at 75 and hope backwards 65, 55, 45 and back 4 more to 41. Allow students to practice solving addition and subtraction problems like these with the number line.
One kind of useful number line is a time line. We have been reading many of Patricia Polacco’s books recently. Let’s look at these books and see when they were written. (Students help find dates in the stack of books)
We have The Keeping Quilt - 1988, Babushka’s Doll – 1990, Chicken Sunday – 1992, Babushka Baba Yaga – 1993, Pink and Say – 1994.
I can use this large piece of paper and a meter stick. Let’s start with 1980. I am not going to draw the entire number line from 0. How many years are missing here before? Let’s keep count as we hop backward by 100 – 1880, 1780, 1680, 1580, 1480, 1380, 1280, 1180, 1080, 980, 880, 780, 680, 580, 480, 380, 280, 180, 80. That is 19 meter sticks or 1900 and 80 more back to 0. We will begin at 1980. Let’s hop 8 centimeters to 1988. We can put a dot there and draw a line out from it to label The Keeping Quilt. Let students take turns adding the next dates. How many years after writing The Keeping Quilt, did Patricia Polacco write Chicken Sunday? Have a student demonstrate hopping forward 4 years to 1992. Practice with as many books as possible that have different dates.
STAGE TWO: ELABORATE
This week you will make a timeline. You may work alone or with a partner. Let’s brainstorm some good topics. A good topic will include many dates. Possible topics: years of birth in your family (could do extended family to challenge learners more), years you moved and/or changed schools/houses, inventions and discoveries, historical information (perhaps about a famous person). See the example worksheet attached.
When you have your topic we will agree on a plan for research. You will need to find 5 – 10 dates to put on your timeline. After your timeline is complete, write some problems for other students to solve that are like the problems we solved together with the Patricia Polacco timeline. For example, how many years apart were your mother and father born? Your grandfather and your mother? You must write at least 2 problems.
STAGE THREE: EVALUATE
Student has an accurate timeline and has written at least two problems that can be solved with the timeline. Student can use a timeline to
solve problems.
TEACHER NOTES: NA

PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction AIG ~ IRP Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project