When we study history, typically we move chronologically, discussing different topics and regions. It can be difficult to see the “big picture” of how events occur at about the same time across the world. For example, your history book may have separate chapters on the Renaissance and the Reformation, as if one happened first, and then the other. However, many of these events actually occurred during the same time frame. Did you know that Michelangelo completed his painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel just a few years before Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses? Timelines provide a chronological snapshot of the flow of history and can help us connect individual events to their larger contexts.
My middle-school students created some amazing timelines in our online classroom for our Foundations of World History class! I would love to be able to show you everyone’s work, but here are just a few examples.
Notice in Lydia’s timeline that Egyptian hieroglyphics, Sumerian cuneiform, the building of Stonehenge, the desertification of the Sahara, and the first Chinese towns appeared at roughly the same time!
And did you know that in the mid-12th century, Ethiopia was founded, King Henry II (Henry of Anjou) ruled England, Genghis Khan became ruler of the Mongols, and the Aztecs began migrating southward to what is now Mexico City? Grace shows us how these events occurred within a relatively short time frame.
Finally, Emillia’s color-coded timeline shows that events all over the world were affected by unification and colonization during the 19th century.
While no one could possibly travel to all of the fascinating places in the world, WikiProjects are a good way to visit new places virtually! Throughout the year, students completed several different types of projects and presented the information in our online classroom. Here are just a few examples of the many wonderful student projects from our World Geography class.
In his country study atlas entry, Evan describes the beautiful country of Papua New Guinea and shares some basic statistics about this island nation. That’s quite a volcano!
For one of our projects, students chose a national park in the U.S. or Canada. Hannah took us on a virtual tour of Yellowstone National Park. This example from her project shows the famous geyser, Old Faithful.
Students really enjoyed the Mystery City project. Eden provides some great clues to the city that she chose. Can you guess the name of this Asian city?
Projects can really enhance students’ online learning and make history and geography come alive! If you would like more information about my history or geography classes, please feel free to visit https://excelsiorclasses.com/susan-eggers/.
Susan Eggers loves learning about the past and the people of our world, and sharing that love with her students. She attended Wake Forest University as a William Louis Poteat scholar, where she earned her B. A. in History, graduating magna cum laude. Continuing her studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she received her M. A. in Russian history and completed additional hours of graduate coursework toward a Ph. D. While in graduate school, Susan received grants to conduct research in the Lenin Library and the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art in Moscow, the National Library and the Russian State Historical Archive in St. Petersburg, the Slavic and East European Library at the University of Illinois, and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. She has presented conference papers across the country and has published several articles on Russian history.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the author and should not be taken to represent the views of Excelsior Classes, LLC or the consortium of teachers.
