- Definition
A timeline is like a number line, but instead of showing regular numbers, it shows events in the order they happened over time, like days, months, or years.
A time line showing the major periods of an artist's life, like Picasso's Blue Period and Cubist Period, helps organize their work chronologically.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A time line is like a photo album laid out in a straight line, showing important moments in the order they happened.
Ask your child: If you made a time line of your life, what key moments would you include?
Common mix-up: Kids might think a time line is just a list of events. The key is that it also shows the order of events and the amount of time that passed between them.
Examples
- Placing major art movements like the Renaissance and Impressionism in order on a line to see how they influenced each other.
- Creating a time line of the history of photography, from the first camera to the smartphone.
time line is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
