Personal Timelines

Happy Monday! I wanted to share one of the fun activities that we started this week.  I told you our class is working on timelines and today I sent home a project for their personal timelines.

At the beginning of the year I ask the students to make a timeline of their life from birth to now.  They find a picture for each year of their life and put them in order.  They then tell about something they could do at that age.  In the past I have just cut pieces of butcher paper for them to create their timelines on.  Here is the last one I made. It may be time to update:)

Last year I found these from Really Good Stuff.

I thought this was perfect and ordered them.  They were a bit small and you have to cut the pictures to make them fit in the little squares.  There isn't much room for the kids to write on either, but it does help them to organize their work.  Here is my daughters that she created last year.

Here is my oldest daughters from 3 years ago on construction paper.

Either way you decide to do them they are just so wonderful to look at and share.  Both of my daughters teacher's laminated them and I have them in my keepsake box at home:)

I send home a letter telling parents what we are doing and include a sample picture of a timeline.  I remind them that this is a family project, not a parent project, so that the writing and decorating should be done by their child. 

Here is a sample letter to parents:

You can click on this link to grab this in google docs:)

 I usually give them two weeks to complete them and then we begin sharing two or three timelines per day.

Some students never send them in and that is fine.  I know some parents are busy and it is just not possible.  I don't make a big deal about it, but once parents come in and see them, they seem to find the time:) 

How many of you do personal timelines??  I'd love to hear any new ideas you may have:)