Teaching article
A historical timeline should say what its spacing means
Place events using checked date information and consistent intervals.
A sequence diagram and a proportionally spaced timeline serve different purposes. Verify the dates and label the convention so a neat row of events does not accidentally imply equal intervals between them.
To hand: A small sourced event set.
- Verify dates.
- Mark intervals.
- Position events.
Check the dates before choosing the layout
Mark whether spacing represents elapsed time or simply sequence. Both formats can be useful when their conventions are explicit.
Equal spacing on a list does not necessarily represent equal time.
Label diagrams that are not to scale.
What does spacing mean here? Use a pre-marked timeline.
Resources
- Interview Someone Special — Adapt the interview prompts with voluntary participation and agreed permissions.
Further reading
Read next
- Primary and secondary sources answer different kinds of question
- A historical source may support only part of a confident claim
- A gap in the historical record should remain a gap
Explore Respectful cultural and historical inquiry. Browse all teaching articles.