3-D Time, Continuity, and Change

Historical concepts and chronology

Children in early grades learn to locate themselves in time and space and gain experience with sequencing to establish a sense of order and time. They start to understand the historical concepts in chronological order.

Using stories about history helps children develop understanding of ethical and moral issues. Children begin to recognize that stories can be told in different ways, and that individuals may hold divergent views about events in the past. They learn explain their views and why they are different. Importantly, they learn to support their claims with evidence from the text.

Chronological Thinking

Early childhood teachers must help students develop chronological thinking skills and help students distinguish between the past and present. Students should also be given the opportunities to develop their understanding of the future and how that is affected by the past. These skills begin by helping students use chronology in writing their own histories.

Teachers can use a variety of tools to do this.

• Timelines - Timelines are graphic representations of the chronology of events in time. Timelines are used to display information in visual form. Students can also become actively engaged in learning the sequence of events in history by constructing timelines. For example, students can create a timeline of their lives or a timeline of a historical story to sequence events.

• Maps - Maps are fascinating to children. Teachers can use maps to help students understand special concepts. Students can also learn to make their own maps. For example, students can make maps of the classroom or playground. This introduces social studies concepts to young learners.

• Graphs and Tables - Reading and organizing data is an essential skill for early learners. Teachers must show students how to read graphs and tables but also how to use graphs and tables to organize data.