Download Periodization Activity

Periodization Activity
Purpose: To help students put World History into periods so that they may grasp a better understanding of
history as a whole as well as the sequence and chain reactions of events.
WH.16.A- locate places and regions of historical significance directly related to major eras and turning points in
world history
Supplies Needed: Dates Placards (6), Picture Placards (6), Era Placards (6), Painters tape
Place a 6 foot timeline across a board or empty wall
Put a few pieces of tape on each placard so that they may be hung on the timeline.
Choose 6 students for the first phase of the activity…
Have each student hold a different date placard. Using each other and the class to help them, have the students
put themselves in chronological order along a timeline. Once this is complete, have the students hang their dates
on the timeline. This should be the easiest section and should move quickly. Take this time to explain the
difference between BC and AD and also introduce the concept of BCE and CE.
Choose 6 more students for the second phase…
Have each student hold a different picture placard. Using each other and the class to help them, have the
students put themselves in chronological order and match their picture with the date ranges already on the
board. Once this is complete, have students explain why they put them in the order they did, and what clues
they had from the pictures or prior knowledge that assisted them. Have them hang up their picture below the
date range that fits. Take this time to explain the picture, and comment on each of the students’ reasoning and
generalizations.
Choose 6 more students for the third and final phase…
Have each student hold a different Era placard. Using each other and the class to help them, have the students
match up the name of the era, with the already assigned date/picture places on the timeline. This will take some
discussion and have the students really reveal their thinking by talking aloud so everyone can hear. Once they
have matched the eras up correctly, have the students hang their placards above the date range on the timeline.
Take this time to explain periodization and its importance in the class. Explain how the eras will help students
to categorize and create a timeline in their mind of events and general trends in history. Talk to them about
cause and effect and the importance of thinking constantly about those trends throughout the course. Also
advise students that their binders should contain 7 tabs or dividers labeled like so:
Bellringers/River Valley Civilizations/Classical Era/Post Classical Era/Connecting Hemispheres/Age of
Revolutions/20th Century & Beyond.