Why Study History? (Because it’s personal!)
8th Social Studies
Personal Timelines
Name_______________________________
Period _________________Date_________
History can be thought of as memories, written and unwritten. Imagine…one morning you wake up in your
usual bed, at your usual home, wearing your usual Spongebob pajamas, but something is different. You don’t
remember who you are. Nor do you remember your name… where you live… the names of those people you
share the house with. In short, you have lost your memory of everything that came before. Without your
memory of the past, you won’t even know what a toothbrush is and why you would even need to brush your
teeth. Maybe you would take that tiny brush to polish your toe nails!
It is our history that defines us and lets us know who we were, who we are today, and who we might
become in the future. However, our memories are only as good as the time we take to accurately record them
and reflect upon them before we pass them on to future generations. An inaccurate memory can be more
damaging to how we act today than if we had no account of the event at all.
Before we can fully appreciate American history (past, present, and implications for its future), we need to take
a look at ourselves as individuals. We need to ask ourselves the following questions: How am I the product
of past experiences that are both personal and historical? How do these events from my past influence
the way I look toward my future?
Your Task: Create a series of multi-generational timelines
1. Create a personal history timeline that includes the following:
 Three personal events from your life (date of birth does not count as one of these three) – include month
and year
 Two historical events (political, social, economical, or natural disaster) that have occurred in the United
States during your lifetime – include month and year. Choose events that have had some impact on your
life/beliefs.
 Illustrations for all 5 events
2. Conduct a brief interview in order to create a timeline of someone from your parents’ generation and include
the following:
 Five personal events from their lifetime (date of birth does not count as one of these five) – include
month and year
 Five historical events (political, social, economical, or natural disaster) that have occurred in the United
States during their lifetime – include month and year. Choose events that have had some impact on their
life/beliefs.
 Illustrations for 5 of the 10 events
3. Conduct a brief interview in order to create a timeline of someone from your grandparents’ generation and
include the following:
 Five personal events from their lifetime (date of birth does not count as one of these five) – include
month and year
 Five historical events (political, social, economical, or natural disaster) that have occurred in the United
States during their lifetime – include month and year. Choose events that have had some impact on their
life/beliefs.
 Illustrations for 5 of the 10 events.
Materials:
Ledger paper (11x17 horizontal orientation)
Ruler
Colored pencils (for hand-drawn illustrations)
Clip art (computer-generated images for
illustrations)
Magazines (use pictures to represent events)
Family photos (optional)
Glue Stick (to attach clip art, magazine pics, or
family photo
How to’s:
Once you’ve gathered the necessary information, put your timelines together.
1. Turn paper on its side (horizontal orientation)
2. Set up timelines for each family member by using the following calculation: 1 inch = 5 years.
Your timeline will be from 1995-2015 (approx. 4 inches); parent’s generation timeline will be from
1965-2015 (approx. 10 inches); grandparent’s generation timeline will be from 1940-2015 (approx. 15
inches).
3. Allow for plenty of space between timelines since events/illustrations will need a lot of room.
4. Align each timeline so that the dates align (2015 for each timeline will align vertically).
5. Label each timeline with full name (first, middle, and last), date of birth, and relationship to you.
6. Place personal events above the dateline; place historical events below the dateline. Make sure events
“touch down” onto dateline in chronological order.
For example:
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration
Personal
Event #3
Personal
Event #2
Personal
Event #1
Susie Loraine Smith
2000
Illustration
Scoring Criteria: 60 points
Name___________________
Period_________
_____/15
Parent’s generation timeline
_____/15
 include 10 events and 5 illustrations;
 timeline has a title that includes full name
(first, middle, and last), date of birth, and relationship
to student
Grandparent’s generation timeline
_____/15
 include 10 events and 5 illustrations;
 timeline has a title that includes full name
(first, middle, and last), date of birth, and relationship
to student
Presentation
Each event includes the date (month and year)
Events are placed correctly and neatly onto each timeline
(spacing; personal events above dateline;
historical events below)
All text is typed or neatly written in black ink
(no visible pencil marks anywhere!); reflects
careful editing for Conventions.
Historical
Illustration
Content
Student’s timeline
 include 5 events and 5 illustrations;
 timeline has a title that includes full name
(first, middle, and last) and date of birth
2015
2010
2005
Event #2
Historical
1995
Event #1
9-15-1999
_____/5
_____/5
_____/5