When using a timeline for a history presentation, it is very important to make sure that it is organized and easy to read. There are several steps you can take to make your timeline as good as possible.
Source: Venngage
Size Matters
First of all, the size of your timeline template will affect how successful it is at getting its point across. A small timeline with few words means that readers will have to spend more time looking at your timeline in order to understand it. Conversely, a large timeline with many words means that readers will be overwhelmed by the amount of information presented. The size of your timeline also affects how easy it is for readers to compare different events in history – a larger timeline is harder to compare events because they are further apart.
On the other hand, a timeline with only one word for each event in history will leave readers confused. A timeline should give your reader enough information to understand what is going on, but not so much that it leaves the reader overwhelmed. The ideal size of a timeline presentation depends on how much time you have to complete it and how complex the time periods are.
For timelines of all sizes and options, check out Venngage.
Make It Long Enough
The size of the timeline also depends on what you will be using it for. A timeline for a history project or presentation should make sure to include all major events in history, even minor ones that have been forgotten over time. You can leave out less important information from your timeline when you use it for a science project.
If you make timeline templates that are too short, you will leave out important events. Likewise, a timeline that is much longer than it needs to be may cause your readers to get bored and confused. Again, it depends on what you are using the timeline for. In general, try to find a balance between not including enough information and including too much – make sure that your readers will understand what is going on with at least a basic knowledge of history, but not have their eyes glaze over from the amount of information.
Keep Events In Order
When using a timeline to explain a historical event, it is important to make sure everything in the presentation is in chronological order. This means listing all major events in history in the correct order that they occurred.
You may find it helpful to create a brief timeline on the left side of your paper, listing just the major events in history. Note where each event belongs on your main timeline – these are known as anchor points. Anchor points come first, followed by smaller events that happened earlier or later than the anchor point at the bottom or top of your main timeline.
If you find that the anchor points are too far apart, you may need to add additional events that happened before or after the main event. These extra events should appear at the beginning and end of your timeline like a bracket. Note: most timelines use years as their unit for measuring time, but you can use other measurements if you find it necessary.
Source: Venngage
Proper Spacing
When using a timeline graphic, make sure that the events are evenly spaced. This means that no one event should cover too much or too little space on your timeline. The ideal amount of space between two events is about five years – this makes it easy for your readers to see at a glance what was happening during each time period.
You can also create subheadings for major events in your timeline examples to help break up the information so it is easier to read. You may want to do this if you are creating a timeline of American history, for example, and separate the different colonial eras from each other with a subheading for each one. This makes it easier to compare events in colonial history and to see how these eras led up to the present day.
Timeline Presentation
You should also make sure that your timeline infographic is visually appealing. If you are creating a paper timeline, you should use color and pictures as much as possible to break up the words and make them more interesting for your readers.
If you are creating a timeline on the computer, you should use graphics to make it more appealing. You can also add sounds or music to your presentation to make it more interesting for readers of all ages. If you are using pictures in your timeline, make sure they are properly labeled so that your readers will be able to understand what is going on.
When creating a timeline, you should think about how you will be using it and who your audience is before you begin. This will help you create the best timeline possible so that your readers can understand exactly what is going on and how everything fits into place.
To Conclude
A timeline is a great tool for presenting historical information in an engaging way. It presents the time period as a series of moments, with each moment containing a list of events that happened during that specific time. With this guide for creating your own history presentation timeline, you’ll be able to make a good one.
