Biography Timeline of Important World War II Figures

Grade Level: 5th grade, Social Studies

Prerequisite Knowledge:
• Students should some knowledge of major World War II people.
• Students should have some basic computer skills.
• Students should have some experience with online research and research skills.
For instance, students should know how to effectively search for information,
distinguish between valuable and useless resources, access appropriate search
engines, etc.
• Students should have some experience with giving presentations to a large group.
They should know some presentation skills and etiquette, such as speaking loudly,
not laughing, etc.

Approximate Time: Five fifty-minute class periods

Student Objectives:
• Given access to online resources, students will be able to research key
information about major World War II people.
• Given a timeline application, students will be able to input researched information
into a timeline in chronological order.
• After completing their timelines, students will be able to present their timelines to
the entire class.

Illinois Standards:
16B. Understand the development of significant political events.
• 16.B.2d. Identify major political events and leaders within the United States
historical eras since the adoption of the Constitution, including the westward
expansion, Louisiana Purchase, Civil War, and 20th century wars as well as the
roles of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D.
Roosevelt.
5C. Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of
formats.
• 5C2b. Prepare and deliver oral presentations based on inquiry or research.
5A. Locate, organize, and use information from various sources to answer questions,
solve problems and communicate ideas.
• 5A2b. Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g. books,
interviews, library reference materials, web-sites, CD/ROMs).

Technology standards (National Educational Technology Standards)

Standard 6 (Technology Operations and Concepts): Students demonstrate a sound
understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
• 6a. understand and use technology systems

Standard 3 (Research and Information Fluency): Students apply digital tools to gather,
evaluate, and use information.
* 3b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use
information from a variety of sources and media.
*3c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the
appropriateness to specific tasks.
*3d. Process data and report results.

Standard 2 (Communication and Collaboration): Students use digital media and

environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to
support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
• 2d: Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

Standard 1 (Creativity and Innovation): Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct

knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
• 1b: Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

Materials:
- 1 computer with Internet access per pair of students
- Loose leaf notebook paper and pencil for each student
- Projector connected to teacher computer
- Address for Web 2.0 timeline application: http://www.timetoast.com

Implementation:

Introduction
Begin by introducing the topic to students. Tell students that they will be using an online
application to create a timeline of the life of a significant person in World War II. Tell
students that this lesson will last for five class periods. Tell students that they will be
completing this project in pairs, and ask them to choose partners. Once students are
divided into pairs, present a list of topic choices (given at the end of this lesson). Explain
that each pair must pick a different topic. Pass out a number written on a piece of paper
to each pair; there should be enough numbers so that each pair of students has a different
number. Begin by asking for the pair with the number one to give their topic choice.
Once the pair has stated their topic, remind students that the topic is now taken, and no
other group may use that topic. Continue this process through the number sequence (2, 3,
4, etc.) until all pairs have a topic.

Introduce the Web 2.0 application used for this topic, Timetoast. Open the Timetoast
website on the teacher computer. The teacher should have already created an account (by
providing a username, password, and valid e-mail). Log in to the account. On the page
that opens after log in, click on “Add a new timeline”. Create an example timeline to
demonstrate how the program works using your own life as the topic. Enter an
appropriate title, select biography as the category, and click “Go”. On the next page, the
actual timeline, demonstrate how to add events and timespans as well as how to add
images to each of these features. Ask students if they have any questions about the
program, and answer their questions.
If students are not already in the area with the computers that will be used, move to that
area. Instruct each pair of students to find a computer and begin researching their topics.
Ask students to generate a list of topics that they plan to include on their timelines on a
pieces of loose-leaf notebook paper. Remind students that they should find several
significant events in their topic’s life beyond birth and death dates. Tell students that
they must have their list of events approved by the teacher before beginning to create the
timeline. Keep a list of the pairs whose events have been approved. Tell students that
they will not be allowed to begin their timelines until the second class period for this
lesson. As students research, move around the classroom and provide assistance as
needed.

On the second day of this lesson, tell students that they may continue to research, but they
should finish their research during this class period. Remind them that the teacher must
approve their list of events. However, tell students that they may also begin to work on
their timelines during this class period if their list of events has been approved. Write the
teacher’s username and password on a surface in the classroom that all students can see,
such as a chalkboard. Tell students that they should use this username and password to
log in to Timetoast. Instruct students to title their timeline with their topic’s name. As
students research and create their timelines, move around the classroom and provide
assistance as needed. Near the end of the class period, talk to any students who have not
had their list of events approved. Determine if their current list of events is sufficient to
create a timeline. If the list is sufficient, tell them that their list is approved and that they
may begin to create the timeline the following day. If the list is not sufficient, ask each
student to conduct more research for homework and bring his or her list of additional
events to class the following day.

On the third day of this lesson, tell students that they should all be working to create their
timelines. Remind students that their timelines should be complete by the end of the
class period. If students had to conduct additional research for homework, check their
lists of additional events before allowing them to begin their timelines. As students work
to create their timelines, move around the room and provide assistance as needed. At the
end of the class period, tell students that they will be presenting their timelines during the
next two class periods. Tell students that if they have not completed their timelines, they
can mention the additional events that are not on their timelines during their
presentations.

On the fourth day of this lesson, tell students that each pair will present their timeline to
the entire class. Tell students that they should describe all of their events on their
timelines, but they should not read all of the text on their timeline. Ask for students to
volunteer to present. If there are not volunteers, choose students to present based on the
order that their timelines appear on the website (the timeline at the top of the list of
timelines goes first). These presentations should continue through the fifth day of the
lesson.

Assessment:
Students will be assessed using two rubrics given on the following pages. The rubric that
addresses presentation skills directly relates to the objectives because according to the
objectives, “students will be able to present their timelines to the entire class.” The rubric
that addresses the information on the timeline directly relates to the objectives because it
assesses if students have been “able to research key information about major World War
II people” and “input researched information into a timeline in chronological order.”

List of Possible Topics:

Franklin Roosevelt
Harry Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
George Patton
Chester Nimitz
William Halsey
Friedrich Paulus
Douglas MacArthur
Winston Churchill
Bernard Montgomery
Neville Chamberlain
Charles De Gaulle
Joseph Stalin
Adolf Hitler
Erwin Rommel
Benito Mussolini
Hirohito
Hideki Tojo
Isoruku Yamamoto

List adapted from:

White, D. (2002). Social studies for kids. Retrieved from
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/worldwariifamouspeo
ple.htm

World war ii (1939-1945). (2010). Retrieved from

http://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/ww2/terms.html