Graphic Timeline: World War II
One of the most important skills a historian can master is the sense of chronology: the sequence of
events and how an early event affects later events. Your task is to create a timeline of what you decide
are the most important events in World War II. Consider the lead up to the war, its major battles, and
how the war ended – in both the Atlantic and Pacific!
Requirements
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At least 15 events total (at least 5 from the Atlantic theater and another 5 from the Pacific
theater – the rest are your choice). Each event must have a brief (think 1-2 sentences)
description of what happened, and a brief (think 1-2 sentences) explanation of why it is
important to the overall war. These sentences are in your own words.
In addition to your 15 events, you must include the following items. These can be placed along
the timeline, and might help explain some of your events, but they do not replace the writing
you need to do for each one.
o At least two excerpts of a primary source (think 1-2 paragraphs long) – one each from
the Atlantic/Pacific theaters
o At least two photos – one each from Atlantic/Pacific theaters
o At least two quotes from different people – one each from Atlantic/Pacific theaters
An overall metaphor for your timeline that ties everything together – think about what images
you can use to organize your information. For example, you might think of the “road” to war:
your events would be signposts along the road. There are many other metaphors you can use to
organize your graphic timeline. The key is to be creative and think about one that will help
reinforce the idea that your timeline deals with the “development of World War II.”
The timeline must be neat, accurate, and well-planned. You can use computer graphics or
design your timeline yourself if you want; the result must demonstrate the thought and effort
you put into the project. (That means yes, you should use color.)
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
The historical
information is accurate
but not complete
Communication:
format and
design
The historical
information is accurate
in most but not all
cases and is
incomplete.
The overall product is
somewhat messy and
careless.
The information
displayed goes
beyond the
provided
documents.
Overall format
is original and
the design is
eye-catching.
Thinking:
planning
Timeline meets some
expectations.
Timeline meets most
expectations.
The information
displayed represents all
of the documents in the
assignment and is
accurately sequenced.
The overall look is neat
and typical of graphic
timelines and shows
clear evidence of effort
and planning.
Timeline is clear in its
presentation.
Application:
graphic
interpretation of
metaphor
The graphics are
connected to the dates
or events and ideas to
be portrayed in some
cases. The metaphor
may not be
recognizable in the
graphics.
The graphics are not
always connected to the
dates or events and
ideas to be portrayed.
The metaphor portrayed
by the graphics is
recognizable.
Knowledge/
Understanding:
completeness of
information
The overall product is
competent and shows
effort but is careless in
spots.
The graphic accurately
portrayed the expected
metaphor.
Timeline shows
clear evidence
of planning and
thought.
Graphics are a
creative
interpretation of
the metaphor.
Points
(x2)