Yolanda F. Kirkpatrick
Abstract
Based on research and analysis, students create timelines with people, events, and ideas depicting historical developments in the fields of math, science, or STEM. Students present and discuss their chosen items and related cultural and social factors.
In an undergraduate class I teach, Perspectives on Math and Science, students learn history, cultural, and social factors that shape the history of mathematics and science disciplines and STEM education. Course objectives include sharpening students’ research-based and analytical thinking skills, and improving students’ discourse and cooperative skills. Course modules are: Development of Science and Mathematics Content and Practices and Nature and Processes of Science and Mathematics. Students majoring or minoring in math or science education can enroll; as well as other students, to meet University of Tennessee Knoxville’s core elective, Engaged Inquiry.
Timeline Project
... our timeline unit challenges students to use analysis and synthesis to explore and review a variety of ideas, models, and solutions; and discuss their findings and investigation process.
The class culminating unit is the Timeline Project. The timelines students create serve as models for tracking and demonstrating the interplay of key figures, ideas, and discoveries in mathematics and science. Students develop a big picture timeline with multimodal representations of the historical evidence (Prangsma et al., 2007). Moreover, our timeline unit challenges students to use analysis and synthesis to explore and review a variety of ideas, models, and solutions; and discuss their findings and investigation process.
Drawing from topics and themes previously discussed in class and others, students select a topic for their timeline that is meaningful and relevant to them or induces their curiosity (see Appendix A). Students design and construct their timelines on posters, slideshows, and other media.They present, explain, and discuss their timelines during a class gallery walk. (Our “gallery walk” format is outlined in Appendix B).
Requirements. At the start of the unit, students receive project requirements (Table 1). Students are required to identify and research a combination of at least fifteen people, events, or ideas and list three critical pieces of information on each person, event, or idea. Their research must address and describe, “Why is this person, event, or idea important in mathematics and science?” Students sequence who, what, where, and why regarding the person or people, events, or ideas.
Assessment.The timeline unit is 25% of the course grade. It is graded based on fulfilling timeline assignment requirements (Table 1); and criteria in two Association of American Colleges and Universities rubrics, Critical Thinking and Written Communication, which students receive at the beginning of the unit.
Table 1
Timeline Project Instructions
. You may focus mainly on your discipline but include most important work across fields. Google search to view timelines created by others.
. Identify a person/event/idea for each topic, with at least fifteen people/events/ideas for the final timeline. List three critical details about this person, event, or idea. Why is this person, event, or idea important in mathematics and science?
. Organize people/events/ideas chronologically and enter dates and periods. Chronological order usually refers to how things happen in order of time.The segments of time may go forward or backward.This pattern works well when telling a story and explaining or communicating how something happens or works.
. Add visuals, colors, fonts, and shapes for visual interest, and customize the presentation (e.g., color code to create visible sections, represent themes or periods, etc.).
Note: TheTimeline Project Instructions serve as a checklist to support students in structuring and pacing their work, and as assessment criteria.
Timeline project sequence. The unit occurs during three, 75 minute class periods. In addition, during parts of other class days, students search for resources, read, write, and share their timeline research with peers and me. In the following order, students:
–Identify perspectives, questions, episodes or ideas to research in the history of mathematics, science or STEM education.
–Meet with their peer group and instructor for research discussion and feedback.
–Practice using technology or choose their own materials for their timeline, and construct their timeline.
–Engage in a gallery walk in which each student presents their timeline and discusses their synthesis of related information.
–Participate in an entire class, reflective discussion.
Students’ timelines. Some students create timelines that correlate key people, ideas, and discoveries with dates (Figures 1 and 2). Other students include elements from one category: people, ideas, or discoveries along with dates (Figure 3).
Figure 1. A Brief History: Mathematical Development Timeline (first four slides), creator: Jacob Knight, student, Perspectives on Math and Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.Click here to see the complete slide show. .
Figure 2. Evolution Through Time, creator: Patsy Donahue, student, Perspectives on Math and Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Click here to see Evolution Through Time‘s interactive infographic
Figure 3. Women in Stem timeline puzzle. Creator: Emilee Kirby, student, Perspectives on Math and Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.The puzzle was created using a template, and is comprised of pieces that can be taken apart and re-assembled. Emilee Kirby also submitted her notes for the years and names on the timeline, an annotated bibliography, and a slides presentation.
Beginning the unit. At the start of the timeline unit, students view the Project Path (Appendix B). The Project Path gives students an overview of the unit and provides support to students by breaking up the project into parts, with guidance for each part. Students begin the project by reviewing the topics introduced, taught, previewed, or touched upon in class and selecting one that is meaningful and relevant to them or induces their curiosity. Prior to the project’s three days, students begin to engage with their timeline project by setting a learning target, reflecting and checking their understanding of their research topic, and asking questions of the instructor and their peers.
Writing groups. A critical component of the timeline assignment is writing groups. I assemble the students for in-class writing groups to plan and carry out their research.The students review scholarly resources to explore the perspectives (historical, cultural, and social) of the topic they identified, and engage in peer support and dialogue. The students share their writing goal and research focus for that day, double think-pair-share to collaborate and generate ideas, write together, and discuss their work (to improve their research and writing skills).
Note-taking. Students review course assigned readings and highlight the people, events, episodes, issues, and ideas from course topics and the perspectives and discussions presented in class. The note-taking activities help students recall their favorite (or most inspiring) examples of the history of mathematics or science to place on their timeline; or to develop a central focus for their timeline. Students review the Project Path to ask clarifying questions.
Annotated bibliography. Students create an annotated bibliography with references they have chosen. In response to questions from peers and myself, students defend how evidence they selected demonstrates the causes and effects of people, events, ideas, and multiple voices; and provides a more inclusive, comprehensive understanding of people, events, and ideas (Ramirez, 2020). Collaboration with peers and mini-conferences with the instructor provide time to discuss errors or misunderstandings of the texts and references.
Critical Thinking and Communications
Whether timelines are complex or simpler, students engage in critical thinking, analysis, and in-depth communications. In addition to research and synthesis conducted in order to construct their timelines, students think carefully and critically, when prior to their presentations, they engage in discussions with peers and mini-conferences with me, to explain their timeline item choices and the references from which they gained evidence.
Critical thinking and communications are used when students present their timelines during our gallery walk. During the gallery walk students verbally present to groups of peers, explaining their analysis of the information on their timeline, and explaining their creative process in depicting themes and designing the overall timeline. They answer peers’ and my questions, and pose questions to classmates in response to classmates’ timelines. At the end of unit, whole class discussion, again students reflect and discuss their timelines’ elements and their thinking process. In addition, students provide annotated bibliographies and notes that elucidate their thinking.
Creativity
Students add images to communicate the themes and create visual interest that customize their presentation; chronicle multiple representations of the people, events, and ideas; and establish the central focus of their timeline. Students make materials on their own or are supported with digital tools (for example, Canva Google Slides, Prezi, etc.) to construct their timeline poster or infographic. The timeline examples (Figures 1, 2, and 3) demonstrate student creative thinking.
Further Scaffolding
Our course readings and topics are appropriate for the whole class to use as students begin their timeline research. Students can use research I have cited in prior class discussions.
One goal of the timeline project is to correct students’ misunderstandings and errors regarding the history of Science and Math fields, and STEM Education. Students’ questions reveal their learning needs to me, and I probe or follow-up, based on students’ responses. Typical student misunderstandings are a timeline is used to document factoids, information can be disconnected, or history is a simple series of events and dates only.
To support students in overcoming undue, preconceived biases, I remind students to avoid determining history, using their memory or previous schooling to start their research; or omitting or not omitting people, events, or ideas. To support students in seeking truth, I stress that students must use terminology such as evidence rather than facts.Second, I invite my students to view a timeline as a vibrant oral and written discourse on the messy debates about the nature of mathematics and science.
Reflections
The Timeline Project strengthens students’ investigation and understanding of mathematics and science histories. Students’ review of scholarly literature, class talks with peers, and work with their writing groups support their metacognition and development of expert knowledge on the topic and episodes they selected. The timeline assignment is active learning and provides opportunities for critical thinking (analytical, practical, creative, and research-based). This unit expands and enhances my instructional practices.
When I teach the course again, I will integrate two changes. First, in stated learning objectives I will include problem-solving (categorizing, drawing conclusions, observing and identifying relevant information, and creating and designing). Second, I will revise the project to be understandable to all learners, addressing their learning needs.
With the Project Path, the timeline project has scaffolding by chunking the work but not intentional differentiation.The KWLH (Know, Want to Know, Learned, How) chart is an activity I will add to help me differentiate learners’ needs and address them. The KWLH graphic organizer will provide a structure for me to confirm gaps in student knowledge and their level of understanding of the content to factor into planning, which will help address students’ erroneous preconceived ideas about their research topic. Students will use the KWLH graphic organizer to organize their research and questions before, during, and after the project and engage them in monitoring their learning.
References
Prangsma, M. E., Van Boxtel, C. A., & Kanselaar, G. (2007). Developing a ‘big picture’: Effects of
collaborative construction of multimodal representations in history. Instructional Science,
36(2), 117–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-007-9026-5
Ramirez, A. (2020, July 31). Building critical thinkers by combining stem with history. Edutopia.
Retrieved August 29, 2022, from
https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-critical-thinkers-combining-stem-history
Appendix A
Timeline Topics
Appendix B
Project Path
| The Engage | |
| Students read a journal article or articles to know and learn about the use of timelines in teaching and learning.Students identify timelines’ philosophy, principles, and application in scholarly and creative activities. Students discuss the learning goals for the timeline project and review the assignment requirements and rubrics to summarize the central elements of the research project. | |
| Cooperative and Collaborative Learning | |
| Students are in groups of three critical friends (peers) for ongoing feedback and peer review and talk aloud about their research. Each student is a clarifier, asking questions (I like, and I wonder) for their team members to continually refine and adjust their work and offer considerations for the next steps. | |
| Mini-Conference | |
| Students identify perspectives, questions, and episodes or ideas in the history of mathematics or science to research and then develop as a timeline and discuss in a mini-conference with the course instructor. The course instructor asks questions to probe student thinking about their research focus, for students to debrief their topic, and examine their initial design of the timeline.Students will construct an annotated bibliography after a successful mini-conference meeting, or they will re-examine their selection and the connection they are making between the pieces of evidence. | |
| Storyboard | |
| Students write the narration for the timeline using the annotated bibliography. Students will read the narration with the goal for a maximum of five minutes. After completing the storyboard narration, students will select images that align with the pieces of evidence, a minimum of one image per frame. Students must not use symbolic or metaphorical pictures and clipart images (arrows, emojis, symbols, and the like) or use blurry photos. | |
| Gallery Walk | |
| Half of the class will present in the gallery walk, and the other students will randomly start at a different station and rotate through the gallery walk. Groups rotate to the next station until all students have visited each station. Students will present their timeline and lead a discussion of the research perspectives, questions, and episodes or ideas in the history of mathematics or science. Students will present their timeline in approximately five minutes at their station. Another three-five minutes is for students to ask the presenter about their findings and the implications of the historical documents or images. | |
| Discussion Including Active Listening | |
| After the gallery walk, the whole class comes back together, and students reflect on the timeline presentations to discuss what they learned, ask final questions about what they saw, and interact with peers to gather new ideas and foster their perspectives of the mathematics and science topics. |
Yolanda F. Kirkpatrick, PhD is Clinical Associate Faculty at The University of Tennessee Knoxville; Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Kirkpatrick can be reached at yfkirkpa@utk.edu