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Students learn to put the important events of their own lives in chronological order.
Have you ever wondered how you grew from a tiny baby into the big kid you are today? Imagine if you could draw a map that shows every birthday you've ever had!
A timeline is like a story map. It is a straight line that shows when things happened. We use timelines to see the order of events. On a timeline, the oldest things (like when you were born) go on the left. The newest things (like what you did today) go on the right. It helps us see how much we have grown! Think of it as a path that starts at and goes to , then . We call this chronological order.
Quick Check
Does a timeline show things in a random order or the order they really happened?
Answer
It shows things in the order they really happened.
To make a timeline, we use special words to describe the order. First is the very beginning of your story. Second is what happens next. Last is the most recent part of the story. If we look at your life, being born was the first thing. Learning to walk happened second. Starting first grade is one of the last things to happen so far! Using these words helps people understand your story clearly.
Let's look at how we put a morning in order: 1. First: You wake up in your bed. 2. Second: You eat a yummy breakfast. 3. Last: You put on your shoes for school.
In math order, this looks like: .
Quick Check
If you are putting on your pajamas, does that usually happen first or last in your whole day?
Answer
It usually happens last.
Now it is time to think about your own life! Most kids use big milestones for their timelines. A milestone is an important event. You might choose the day you got a pet, the day you lost your first tooth, or your first day of kindergarten. When you put these on a line, you can see how you have changed over the years. Even though you are only in first grade, you already have a very busy timeline!
Sam wants to show his life. Here is how he puts his events in order: 1. First: Sam was born in the year . 2. Second: Sam learned to ride a bike when he was years old. 3. Last: Sam started Grade this year.
Can you fix this timeline? It is out of order! - Event A: You learned to run. - Event B: You were a tiny baby. - Event C: You are in school today.
To fix it, we put the baby event first (B), the running event second (A), and school last (C). The correct order is .
What is a timeline?
Which word describes the event that happened at the very beginning?
On a timeline, the things that happened when you were a baby go on the right side.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, try to remember the three words we use to put things in order: First, Second, and Last.
Practice Activity
Draw a line on a piece of paper. Draw a picture of yourself as a baby on the left, and a picture of yourself now on the right!