TIME LINE OF YOUR LIFE LESSON OVERVIEW This is an excellent activity for a class that uses technology. It can be implemented at the beginning, middle, or end of the term. Students will be able to see a timeline line of their life and identify specific technological and world events that have happened during their lifetime. From the time you were born, you have been part of a time line. You may not think that the events and actions in your life are important but they are especially to your friends and family. In this activity, students will develop a time line of their life. This time line will include important personal events that have happened to them during their life. Then as students develop the time line further, they will identify important world events that have happened during their life. Next, students will find events in the five technological areas (communication., manufacturing, transportation, construction, and biotechnology) that have happened in the same time frame. Plan to take several days for students to develop their time line. LESSON OBJECTIVES Students will develop and visually present a time line of their life sequence technological, world, and personal events in chronological order demonstrate research skills using the Internet and/or library resources USOE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS STANDARD 0000-02 Objective 0201 Review the history of computer technology, progression to systems of today, types of computers used in a variety of setting and trend for the future STANDARD 0000-06 Students will access on-line information resources. *Objectives 0601 Use the alphabetical browse and keyword search functions, including Boolean connectors (AND.OR), of a library of on-line catalog to find author, title, and subject information *Objective 0602 Download Internet resources stored at World Wide Web sites *Objective 0603 Evaluate the quality of information on web sites PREREQUISITE Success in this activity is dependent upon student being able to do the following: Basic Internet Searches Basic knowledge of resources in Library/Media Center Teacher needs to reserve the Library/Media Center for 2 periods Teach will ask librarian to “pull” books and other materials related to timelines and have them ready for students on a cart or in a specific area. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT Initial research on world, personal, and technology events requires: Notebook paper Pencils or Pens Reference books and periodicals Internet access Creating the time line requires: Adding machine tape ( or plain paper) Regular Pencil Colored pencils or markers Rulers or straightedge PROCEDURES Day One Classroom Activity 1 A. Introduction: The teacher will poll the class to see how many students have created a time line in the past, type of time line, and style of time line. B. Development: Next, teacher will lead the class in a discussion of what a time line is and how it will be helpful in the Computer Technology Class (gives an overview of how technology has advanced). Teacher will introduce the term “Personal Events” by leading a discussion on events that happed in her life that are considered Personal Events (examples include birth/place/time/date; first broken bone, baptism, high school graduation, parents divorce, travel our of country, etc) Students will give several examples of Personal Events that have happened during their lifetime. Next, teacher will introduce the term “World Events” by leading discussion on World Events that have happened during her life (examples include Vietnam War, test-tube baby born, first man on moon, Lap top computer developed). Students will give several examples of World Events that have happened during their lifetime. *Note – I used Lap Top as an example that some World Events and Technological Events may overlap …….if a student finds an event that could be used as technological or world…..student will CHOOSE ONE CATEGOEY for that event….either WORLD or TECH…….not both Finally, the teacher will introduce the term “Technological (TECH) Events by Leading a discussion on Tech Events, that has happed during her life (examples include new cancer drugs, the Internet, the Cell phone) Students will give several examples of Tech Events that have happened during their lifetime. Day One Classroom Activity 2 Student will get a piece of notebook paper and list their name and the words “PERSONAL EVENTS” at the top left corner of paper. On the first line, student will record the year of their birth (for example 1988. On the next line, record the next year (1989). On the next line, record the next year (1990). Continue until you get to the present year. Students will go back to the first year and think of a personal event that happened during that year (most likely it would be “I was Born in Atlanta, Georgia, at Hughes Spalding Hospital” – the events should be specific, not general Now the students will skip down to the present year, and think of a Personal Event and list it. Students should now get a new piece of paper and Label it with their name and World Events. Follow the same steps as above. (They probably won’t have a specific event during the year of their birth but they should have one for this year) Finally, students will get another piece of paper and label it with their name and Technological Events. Follow the same steps as above. (They probably won’t have a specific event during the year of their birth but they should have one for this year) If students don’t know the specifics of these 2 personal events, no problem….this is where HOMEWORK comes in. PERSONAL EVENTS HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT – use your resources (parents, bibles, journals, relative, videos , etc) to help fill in the blank years and specific information. When you return to class tomorrow, please have a PERSONAL EVENT for EVERY YEAR OF YOUR LIFE. For the adventurous students, the homework could be expanded to find the specific World and Technological Events during their life and record them on the timeline worksheet. Day Two Activity 1– Library/Media Center Today, students will research World and Tech Events during their lifetime, using Library resources.. Teacher will check students PERSONAL EVENTS HOMEWORK assignment. Any student who did not complete the assignment, should complete it before the next class period. The Librarian/Media Center Director should give the students a brief overview of resources available for their research on World and Technological Events during their lifetime. Most resources will be on the cart or in a specific area the Librarian has prepared beforehand. Students should work independently, to research and find a specific, WORLD and TECHNOLOGICAL EVENT for EVERY YEAR of their life. Each event will be written on MAJOR ACTIVITY the corresponding year on the time line worksheets. Special Accommodations: The teacher will monitor to help those who are having difficulty. Day Three Activity 1 - Classroom Now the students should have an event, for every year of their life, in the 3 categories – World, Personal, and Technological. Give each student a piece of adding machine tape that is approximately the length of your arm. Don’t worry if they run short for the last couple of years – students can write on the back of the tape. Students can be creative in how they draw their time line – vertically, horizontally, slanted, circles etc. Using a pencil and ruler, draw your time line so that it shows every year of your life. Be sure to leave enough space between each year for the 3 events ( 2 inches should work)lay the tape flat on the d desk or table. Students could also leave more space between each year so that they can add more events as they grow older. Look at the first year of your life, you should see the year and space. Now, using one colored pencil or marker and write in your Personal Event. On the next line or space, using the 2nd color pencil or marker, write in your World Event. On the last space, using the 3rd color pencil or marker, write in your Technological Events. In the end, the student should have a time line that shows: The Year the student was born and ending with the current year A Personal Event for each year (written in one color) A World Event for each year (written in another color) A Technological Event for each year (written in a final color) Day Four ASSESSMENT EVALUATION: Each student will present his or her timeline. Teacher will initiate class discussion to determine the extent to which students have attained the instructional objectives listed above. Possible questions to be asked: 1. 2. Are you surprised by how many events have actually occurred during your life? Are there any events that you would like to change if you could? Ask your parents, grandparents, or an older person if they are happier because of all the technological events that have happened during their lives. Are there some aspects of technology that are not necessarily good? Are there developments in technology that have made their lives more health, more enjoyable, more comfortable, and more meaningful?
