Build a Daily Timeline- 1st & 2nd Grade Social Studies Hands-On Project

Help your students understand the concept of time and sequencing with this fun, hands-on timeline activity! Perfect for 1st and 2nd grade social studies standards, this resource introduces what a timeline is through a simple read-aloud and then guides students step-by-step to create their own daily timeline.

Students will:

• Learn what a timeline is and how it shows events in order.
  
• Review a daily schedule with kid-friendly examples.
  
• Pick one day from their own week and list 6–10 activities from morning to night.
  
• Write words or short phrases and draw pictures in timeline boxes.
  
• Add the time of day (digital and analog clocks included). Ties in Common Core Math standards 1.MD.B.3 and 2.MD.7.
  
• Cut, fold, and staple their boxes into loops to build a hanging timeline.
  
• Thread the loops onto string or yarn to proudly display their project.
  

This engaging project makes sequencing and time concepts visual, interactive, and meaningful. Students will practice literacy, math, and critical thinking skills while connecting learning to their everyday lives.

Standards Alignment:
✔ 1st Grade Social Studies Standard 1.1 – Understanding past, present, and future through personal history
✔ 2nd Grade Social Studies Standard 2.1 – Understanding how individuals and families organize their daily lives

What’s Included:

• Teacher directions and background information
  
• “What is a Timeline?” introduction and read-aloud
  
• Daily schedule background info
  
• Printable timeline boxes with both digital & analog clock options
  
• Step-by-step student project instructions
  

Great for classrooms, homeschool, or small groups, this activity helps students understand sequencing, time, and history in a memorable way!

*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.