Students complete activity sheets and use them to create a GIANT American History Timeline!

As students’ knowledge grows, so do their Giant Timelines. The result is a gorgeous and satisfying project that showcases their accomplishments and gives them an ongoing review of American history. As kids modify and expand their timelines, they learn American history and the critical thinking skills they will use throughout their lives.

Activity Sheets

126 activity sheets organized into 8 units.
Each activity sheet focuses on an important date, event, person, place or idea.

Students create and complete maps, complete and extend graphic organizers, analyze primary sources, answer questions, write captions, create graphs, compare and contrast time periods, and more.
A variety of formats engage students of all ability levels and learning styles in individual and group work.

High-interest activity sheets include Map Study, Biography, A Voice from the Past, Time Machine, and Postcard from the Past.
Incorporates critical thinking skills, including chronological thinking, main idea and details, comparing and contrasting, cause and effect, and more.
Interdisciplinary activities connect social studies, language arts, science, mathematics, fine arts, and physical education.

The Timeline

The GIANT American History Timeline 1 provides a comprehensive picture of all major periods in American history through Reconstruction.
Two timeline plans are provided for each unit. One is a basic chronology and the other portrays complex historical developments.
You can also customize timelines for any time period, or historical theme, or critical-thinking skill.
Create an interactive environment in which stimulating learning experiences are created.

Parent and Teacher Support

• 60 pages of parent and teacher support.

• 16 timeline plans are provided, from the simplest chronology to the complex historical developments.

• Detailed teaching directions for each unit include Unit Overview, Focus Activities, Constructing the Timeline, Critical Thinking Skills, Individual Activity Sheet Notes, and a Unit Assessment.

• Complete answer keys for all activity sheets and assessments.

Coverage

Click Table of Contents on the right for detailed coverage.

• Introduction

• Unit 1 Discovery and Exploration: Prehistory–1606

• Unit 2 Colonial America: 1585–1776

• Unit 3 The Revolutionary Period: 1765–1783

• Unit 4 Creating the Constitution: 1781–1803

• Unit 5 Expanding the Country: 1790–1860

• Unit 6 An Age of Advancements: 1790–1860

• Unit 7 Social Issues: 1790–1860

• Unit 8 The Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850–1877

• Assessments

• Answer Key

The GIANT American History Timeline Book 1: Pre-Colonization-Reconstruction

$14.95

Grades 4 and up

126 Activity Sheets

16 Timeline Plans

60 pages of Parent and Teacher Support

Complete Answer Key

Aligned with the National Council of Social Studies “Ideal Forms of Social Studies Teaching and Learning”

Companion Book to The Giant American History Timeline Book 2

249 pages

eBook/PDF Download
Introduction

How The GIANT American History Timeline 1 is Organized

Using the Activity Sheets

Unit Assessments

Creating Timelines

Timeline Components

Timeline Arrows

Timeline Dates

Timeline Subheadings

Unit 1 Discovery and Exploration: Prehistory–1606

Teaching Notes

Activity Sheets

1-A. Discovery and Exploration

1-B. Map Study: North America Before Human Settlement

1-C. The First Americans

1-D. Native American Culture Areas

1-E. European Trade With Asia

1-F. The Explorers’ Ship

1-G. Biography: Christopher Columbus

1-H. The Columbian Exchange

1-I. A Voice From the Past: Christopher Columbus

1-J. Exploring North America

1-K. Cabot Explores North America for England

1-L. Coronado Explores North America for Spain

1-M. Champlain Explores North America for France

1-N. European Claims in North America

1-O. Time Machine: Transportation

1-P. A Postcard From the Past: Native Americans in Your Community

Unit 2 Colonial America: 1585–1776

Teaching Notes

Activity Sheets

2-A. Colonial America

2-B. The Lost Colony

2-C. Jamestown

2-D. Biography: John Smith and Pocahontas

2-E. The Pilgrims

2-F. A Voice From the Past: The Mayflower Compact

2-G. The First Thanksgiving

2-H. Map Study: Colonial America in 1733

2-I. The New England Colonies

2-J. The Middle Colonies

2-K. The Southern Colonies

2-L. The French and Indian War

2-M. The Quartering Act

2-N. Time Machine: Education

2-O. A Postcard From the Past: Visiting Colonial Williamsburg

Unit 3 The Revolutionary Period: 1765–1783

Teaching Notes

Activity Sheets

3-A. The Revolutionary Period

3-B. “No Taxation Without Representation”

3-C. The Townshend Acts

3-D. The Boston Massacre

3-E. The Boston Tea Party

3-F. The Intolerable Acts

3-G. The First Continental Congress

3-H. The War Begins

3-I. A Voice From the Past: The Declaration of Independence

3-J. Map Study: Battles of the Revolutionary War from 1775–1781

3-K. Biography: George Washington

3-L. The Treaty of Paris

3-M. Map Study: The United States in 1783

3-N. Time Machine: Food
3-O. A Postcard From the Past: Independence National Historical Park

Unit 4 Creating the Constitution: 1781–1803

Teaching Notes

Activity Sheets

4-A. Creating the Constitution

4-B. The Articles of Confederation

4-C. Shays’ Rebellion

4-D. The Constitutional Convention

4-E. Biography: James Madison and Benjamin Franklin

4-F. The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists

4-G. The Constitution

4-H. A Voice From the Past: The Preamble to the Constitution

4-I. Federalism

4-J. Separation of Powers

4-K. Checks and Balances

4-L. The Bill of Rights

4-M. Marbury v. Madison

4-N. Time Machine: Housing

4-O. A Postcard From the Past: The National Archives

Unit 5 Expanding the Country: 1790–1860

Teaching Notes

Activity Sheets

5-A. Expanding the Country

5-B. Map Study: The United States in 1790

5-C. The Louisiana Purchase

5-D. The Lewis and Clark Expedition

5-E. Biography: Sacagawea

5-F. The Florida Cession

5-G. Manifest Destiny

5-H. The Oregon Trail

5-I. The Texas Annexation

5-J. The Oregon Country Cession

5-K. The Mexican Cession

5-L. The California Gold Rush

5-M. A Voice From the Past: San Francisco During the Gold Rush

5-N. The Santa Fe Trail
5-O. The Gadsden Purchase

5-P. Map Study: The United States in 1860

5-Q. Time Machine: Entertainment

5-R. A Postcard From the Past: The Santa Fe National Historic Trail

Unit 6 An Age of Advancements: 1790–1860

Teaching Notes

Activity Sheets

6-A. An Age of Advancements

6-B. Biography: Eli Whitney

6-C. The Steam Engine

6-D. Lowell and the Industrial Revolution

6-E. A Voice From the Past: Life in a Factory Town

6-F. American Industry in 1860

6-G. Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin

6-H. Cyrus McCormick’s Mechanical Reaper

6-I. John Deere’s Plow

6-J. American Agriculture in 1860

6-K. The Clermont

6-L. The National Road

6-M. Map Study: The Erie Canal in 1825

6-N. The Railroads

6-O. The Telegraph

6-P. American Transportation and Communication

6-Q. Time Machine: Communication

6-R. A Postcard From the Past: Lowell National Historical Park

Unit 7 Social Issues: 1790–1860

Teaching Notes

Activity Sheets

7-A. Social Issues

7-B. Expansion and Native Americans

7-C. The Indian Removal Act

7-D. The Trail of Tears

7-E. The Seminole War

7-F. Women’s Rights

7-G. The Seneca Falls Convention

7-H. Biography: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Frederick Douglass

7-I. A Voice From the Past: Sojourner Truth

7-J. Slavery in the United States

7-K. The Missouri Compromise

7-L. The Abolitionist Movement

7-M. Map Study: The Underground Railroad in 1830

7-N. Time Machine: Music

7-O. A Postcard From the Past: John Rankin House

National Historic Landmark

Unit 8 The Civil War and Reconstruction: 1850–1877

Teaching Notes

Activity Sheets

8-A. The Civil War and Reconstruction

8-B. The Compromise of 1850

8-C. Uncle Tom’s Cabin

8-D. The Kansas-Nebraska Act

8-E. Differences Between the North and the South

8-F. A Nation Divided

8-G. Major Events of the Civil War

8-H. Biography: Abraham Lincoln

8-I. A Voice From the Past: The Gettysburg Address

8-J. Lincoln’s Assassination

8-K. Reconstruction

8-L. Map Study: The United States in 1870

8-M. Time Machine: Toys and Games1

8-N. A Postcard From the Past: Gettysburg National Military Park

Assessments

Unit 1 Assessment

Unit 2 Assessment

Unit 3 Assessment

Unit 4 Assessment

Unit 5 Assessment

Unit 6 Assessment

Unit 7 Assessment

Unit 8 Assessment

Answer Key
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) synthesized the “findings from the best available classroom research” and identified “an emerging consensus of expert opinion about how to teach social studies.” The result is a vision for “powerful teaching and learning in the social studies,” in which “powerful” refers to “ideal forms of social studies teaching and learning.” According to the NCSS, social studies teaching and learning are powerful when they are: meaningful, integrative, value-based, challenging, and active.

The Giant American History Timeline supports each of these key elements:

Meaningful The Giant American History Timeline creates networks—the timelines—that give meaning to American history. The NCSS writes, “Facts and ideas are not taught in isolation from other content, nor are skills. Instead, they are embedded in networks of knowledge, skills, beliefs, and attitudes that are structured around important ideas and taught emphasizing their connections.... New topics are framed with reference to where they fit within the big picture ... content is developed in ways that help students see how its elements relate to one another (e.g., using ... graphic learning aids ... ).”

Integrative The Giant American History Timeline integrates knowledge of discrete historical events within the timelines. The NCSS writes, “Powerful social studies teaching is integrative across time and space, connecting with past experience ....”

Value-Based The Giant American History Timeline exposes students to different points of view about historical events in various activity sheets. The NCSS writes, “Powerful social studies teaching encourages recognition of opposing points of view ....”

Challenges The Giant American History Timeline provides appropriate individual challenging in activity sheets and fosters collaborative learning as students combine the sheets to construct the timelines. The NCSS writes, “Students ... strive to accomplish instructional goals both as individuals and as group members ... Students ... respond thoughtfully to one another’s ideas.”

Active The Giant American History Timeline lets students actively construct timelines that form a network of understanding about American history. The NCSS writes, “Students develop new understanding through a process of construction. They do not passively receive or copy curriculum content ... they strive to make sense of what they are learning by developing a network of connections that link the new content to preexisting knowledge ....”

The Giant American History Timeline meets both state and national social studies standards. As students construct the timelines, they will fulfill major aspects of all major social studies strands identified by the NCSS.

• Strand I: Culture • Strand II: Time, Continuity, and Change • Strand III: People, Places, and Environments • Strand IV: Individual Development and Identity • Strand V: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions • Strand VI: Power, Authority, and Governance • Strand VII: Production, Distribution, and Consumption • Strand VIII: Science, Technology, and Society • Strand IX: Global Connections

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“By simply selecting and hanging aesthetically pleasing posters…you are increasing the visual interest of your classroom.…this creates a pleasant environment likely to encourage more positive student attitudes and behaviors….Posters that are aligned with the content of the unit can be an ideal method to provide students with germane targets for their mental escapes.”

—Dr. Thomas O’Brien, University of Binghamton School of Education

Educational Books for Teachers, Parents, and Kids

The GIANT American History Timeline Book 1: Pre-Colonization-Reconstruction

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Why Teaching with Timelines Works