America’s Timeline: Cut & Paste History Project for 1st & 2nd Grade

Introduce young learners to the story of America with this hands-on cut, color, and paste timeline project! Perfect for 1st and 2nd graders, this resource makes it easy for students to see history come alive as they build a long, connected timeline featuring 8 key events in American history:

• Christopher Columbus Reaches America (acknowledging Native Americans already lived here)
  
• The Declaration of Independence
  
• The U.S. Constitution Written
  
• The Louisiana Purchase
  
• The Emancipation Proclamation
  
• Women Gain the Right to Vote
  
• The Civil Rights Act
  
• The First Man on the Moon
  

Students will color each event card, cut it out, and paste it in order to create a visual display of America’s story. This interactive project is a perfect introductory activity to U.S. history, reinforcing sequencing skills, fine motor practice, and historical awareness.

Great for homeschool, social studies centers, or classroom wall displays, this timeline is designed to be simple, engaging, and meaningful for early learners.

What’s Included:

• 8 illustrated timeline event cards (black & white for coloring)
  
• Timeline strips to cut, paste, and connect together
  
• Teacher tips for easy assembly
  

Standards Alignment:

• 1st Grade: 1.1 – Understand past, present, and future through personal and family history
  
• 2nd Grade: 2.1 – Understand how individuals and families lived in earlier times
  
• 2nd Grade: 2.5 – Learn about national symbols, landmarks, and key events in U.S. history
  
  

✨ By the end, your students will proudly hold their very own timeline—a foundation for deeper history studies in later grades!

*This is an individual worksheet from Stories in History's 1st and 2nd grade social studies curriculum called My World, My Story, coming out Spring 2026