I like to use a timeline project to replace a ‘History of ……” lecture in any course. For many students (and teachers!), going through a long list of dates and discoveries in science is important for perspective but can be laborious. I decided a few years ago to take this material out of my lecture discussions and assign a timeline project instead. The students end up finding more information than they would in my lecture and are using several other important skills in the process:
- finding good sources of information
- prioritizing and selecting appropriate content
- citing sources
- communicating results
I give students at least one 90-minute class block to work on the timelines and then they are due a few days later. This gives me ample time to circulate and informally assess my students skills in researching information, creating digital products, citing sources, etc. If students need more than the 90 minutes then they have a couple of days to finish it on their own time. That is usually enough time for me to help any students that are struggling to get started, find appropriate sources, or just to decide on how they want to present their final product.
Student Choice in Final Products
For this project, I like to let students choose the format of the timeline that they are going to create. Some will create one in document form, some will use MS PowerPoint or Google Slides, some will create a webpage, and there are even a few online timeline makers that we have tried in the past. As long as they meet the criteria for content in their final submission, they can use whatever technology they are most comfortable in. I do have a couple of template documents for students that require extra supports so they don’t get bogged down in the presentation of the material and can focus on learning about all of the interesting discoveries that have been made over time.
The History of Forensics Timeline Project is part of my senior Forensic Science course. I have this project in the first unit, Introduction to Forensics. I like that we can do this project at the start of the year and I can get a sense of where my students are with their research skills and use of technology.
Check out my entire Introduction Unit Plan available for free on this site, and you can purchase the student handouts and rubric for the History of Forensics Timeline Project in my TPT store.
