What is your favorite book format timeline?

[Elinor Everywhere]

My dd will be in 5th grade next month when we start our new academic year. We are using TOG and starting our 2nd history rotation. So far I've looked at Sonlight's book, Knowledge Quest, & one other that I can't remember. I'm also considering using Excel, but figure that might best wait for high school age.

Here's what I want: Easy, not too time-consuming, clear and simple.

For grades 1-3 we did a wall timeline, and it went okay but since they were young I did all the work. Year 4 we spent mostly traveling and living overseas so we didn't get any type of timeline done at all.

I want *minimal* work on my part, and really I'd like it to only take the kids 10 minutes or so every week. Is there something you particularly like that fits my criteria?

[Wendy in ME]

I haven't actually seen it but I am thinking about the one sold by Pandia press for use with History Odyssey. It fits in a binder and has stickers to add to it. This year we have the home school in the woods one in a binder but I don't have the disk anymore.

[Beth in Central TX]

I like this timeline I found at Rainbow Resource: http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?sid=1204951370-34134&subject=&id=020115

It's in 3-ring binder, but the pages are perforated and folded like an accordian so that you can remove the pages and spread it out into a straight line. My boys get the visual part of timeline when they take it out to "see" history, but it folds up and stores in the binder nicely. The only drawback is the limited space. I'm just having them write most of the events, and I use pictures very sparingly. If you limit what they put on the timeline, you could probably use more pictures. I didn't realize this until it was too late for my older boys. My youngest should have the "perfect" timeline...

[Wendy in ME]

Thanks for posting this. I think I like it better than the one I was planning on.

[Elinor Everywhere]

I appreciate the suggestions. I like the idea of adding pictures or stickers from someplace like Homeschool in the Woods, and I also want plenty of room to write, as my son at 10 still writes in large letters.

Hmmm. I'm now wondering if I should change my mind about waiting on using Excel until rhetoric stage. It has all the flexibility I want, and I should be able to teach the kids how to use it. When we're done, I could print it out and have it bound as a keepsake.

There was another one I saw a few months ago that was supposed to be the "perfect" timeline book. It is in a 3-ring binder and expands as big as one needs it to be. I can't remember if I saw it here or on the TOG site, and for the life of me I can't remember the name.

[Mom2boys]

There was another one I saw a few months ago that was supposed to be the "perfect" timeline book. It is in a 3-ring binder and expands as big as one needs it to be. I can't remember if I saw it here or on the TOG site, and for the life of me I can't remember the name.

Maybe you are thinking of the Record of Time book from History Through the Ages?

http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/HTTA/RecordofTime.htm

[Elinor Everywhere]

[QUOTE=Mom2boys;92260]Maybe you are thinking of the Record of Time book from History Through the Ages?

Yes! That's the one.

I really like the look and functionality of it, although it's pretty expensive. Decisions, decisions...:rolleyes:

[Chris in VA]

Mine is extremely low tech and inexpensive. Don't know if it would be an option for you, but all I did was take several sheets of large 12x18 (or whatever the standard size is!) construction paper, draw a line across it, and make each page "worth" a hundred years. We use pictures we get from the internet. We made a cover of blue paper, covered it with tons of pretty internet-found pictures, and punched everything with a 3 hole punch, then bound with rings. We can take it out and lay it end to end if we want to see the whole shebang at once. We only put pics and dates on the timeline itself, and made notebook pages for the actual writing. Here are some pics--
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg153/discoverychris/100_0637.jpg

Timeline pagehttp://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg153/discoverychris/100_0638.jpg

[Chris in VA]

i'm sorry, I don't know how to resize this!

[Elinor Everywhere]

The first time through the history rotation I did all the work, and like SWB wrote in her book, the kids didn't really "get it" at grades 1-4. Now that we're starting 5th grade and the cycle over again, I want them to do the work (other than some guidance from me).

I think I'll try & teach them the Excel spreadsheet method, but if it doesn't work for them then we'll do the homemade book. My goals for timelines are simple: I'm not really looking for a "lifetime keepsake" and all that; just something that brings home to the kids facts like Mozart was alive at the same time the American Revolution was going on. My compartmentalized education never demonstrated history in the world sense, and I was amazed to find out information like that when I became an adult.

Thanks for the showing the pictures--I'm a very visual person and it helped to see it!