Day 2: Introduction to Timelines (9/5/2012)

Key Points:

1. Events happened before and after the year zero.
2. We use BCE and CE to classify events.
3. Historical events can be organized chronologically.

Objective: The HHG Tributes will be able to label and place historical events and periods of time on a timeline demonstrating their understanding of the year zero.

Task 1: Fill out agenda and complete the DO NOW--

• Homework: Complete your timeline homework.
• Complete a short technology survey.
• Read your book.

Task 2: The students will be introduced to the concept of zero and how it relates to history.

• The concept of a year "zero" is a modern myth (but a very popular one). 
• Originally, we used AD and BC to distinguish between ancient and modern times. 
• 1 AD was considered the year that Jesus was born (AD - Anno Domini = the year of our lord.
• BC 1, was considered 1 year before the birth of Jesus Christ (BC= Before Christ).
• A Christian-centric calendar discriminated against people who had other religious beliefs 
• AD became Common Era (CE) 
• BC became Before Common Era (BCE) 
• In our calendar, C.E. 1 follows immediately after 1 B.C.E. with no intervening year zero.
• So, how old would a person born in 10 BCE, who died at 10 CE have been? 

Task 3: The students will complete an activity where we place historical events on a timeline in the front of the room.

Task 4: The students will complete a personal timeline where they use their birth as the year zero. They will convert the dates of the historical events to the number of years before or after their birth.

Homework: Complete your timeline homework where you put events on a timeline and draw pictures representing three or more of the events.