Christ the Center of History Timeline

I spent my planning time this morning researching "multi-level homeschooling" and high school science and other things.   Since I was feeling inspired,  I decided to take the timeline bits and pieces and actually make them into something, before my perfectionism paralyzed me. Since I don't yet have the materials I was going to use for our "real" timeline book, I took an old manila folder and some scraps of colored paper as a drawing board for my first attempt.


The manila folder format and Elmer's Glue didn't make for the most professional look, but I still had fun and besides, I had an epiphany and realized (only 18 years after I start homeschooling!) that things don't have to be perfect in order to work for what they are meant for.    In fact it may be better if my production looks amateurish so the kids don't think it has to be a masterpiece. 

Whole Thing

Close Up of BC

Close Up of AD

I used the Montessori for Everyone Christ, Center of History as an organizing theme.

This Book of Centuries post at Harmony Art Mom helped me think more flexibly and see that there are lots of attractive, interesting ways to make timeline pages and that you don't have to commit to One Way.   It's a visual aid, not a lifetime principle.   For some reason that had been a stumbling block for me. 

Notes:

• Montessori has the BC centuries in green (for "Hope") and the AD centuries in red (for "Love") so I went with that for the color scheme.
• In the Montessori presentation, you can explain the CE and BCE designations as well, especially for older children.
•  This is supposed to be a visual aid to show how BC gets smaller as it goes forward while AD gets bigger as it goes forward.      I found that Paddy wasn't getting that when we talked about history last week, even though we went over it during the K12 years.    So I thought I could haul this out to help me explain when it comes up in future.
• That orange line is supposed to connect the BC timeline at the top with the AD timeline at the bottom. 

After doing this I am looking forward to doing more review/reinforcement/organizing things.  

 Off to mass now, and wishing you all a happy Columbus Day weekend!