- Definition
A timeline is a visual way to show events or people in the order they happened, like a history of important moments.
A timeline of a plant's life could show a picture of a seed, then a sprout, then a plant with a flower.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: A timeline is like the story of your morning routine, showing what you do first, next, and last.
Ask your child: What happened first in our day today?
Common mix-up: Kids may think a timeline is just a list of events. The key idea is that the order matters, showing what happened first, next, and last.
Examples
- A timeline showing pictures of you as a baby, then a toddler, and then you now.
- Lining up pictures from a storybook to show the beginning, middle, and end.
timeline 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 ↗
