By:  Brennan Halsall

Coding Timelines

Students will use Scratch to code an interactable timeline of Canadian history in the 20th century (or any time/place) that scrolls forwards and backwards.

Introduction:

1. Start off by showing the class a couple of examples of timelines for other historical events or nations.
2. Ask the class to consider what they’ve learned. What are timeline-worthy events discussed in class?
3. Discuss why timelines can be useful in visually representing history, continuity and change.
4. Then have students try to make their own!

Working Process:

1. Provide students with a Scratch file that contains the timeline itself, but no dates or events and the actual movement not yet coded.
2. Show the class how to add the scrolling effect (see this video for more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1T8mQqTgwk&t=76s)
3. Then, get everyone to make their own timelines of Canadian history. Emphasize that they can use their own discretion on what to include. It can be a big, broad political history timeline, a social one, pop culture one etc.
4. Circle around the room and help students out as needed.

Consolidation:

1. Have students submit their timelines.
2. Ask if anyone wants to share their timeline with the class and watch it on the Smartboard.
3. Discuss the creating process.
4. Ask questions about how our coding relates to history, like “Did making timelines help you visualize when events we’ve learned about happened relative to each other?”

Resource Information:

Tags: History, Timelines, Continuity

URL Link to Code: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1145530337

Other Integrated Subjects: Computer Science
The idea behind this lesson of making timelines could be used in English, Geography or even Science classes.