Interviewing a Historical Figure

Click here to view the Student Assignment handout

General Information

Title	TimeLiner 5.0
Publisher	Tom Synder Productions -Link to web site
Cost	$79.95 for a single copy; $199.95 5 CD Lab Pack; $349.95 10 CD Lab Pack
Hardware Requirements	Macintosh Power PC or higher: 24 MB RAM; 55 MB hard drive space Pentium 133 or higher: 32 MB RAM; 70 MB hard drive space
Content Area	Social Studies English/Language Arts Science Math
Intended Audience	Teachers, Works well for grades 4-12
Software Category	General Application
Description	TimeLiner is a software program that allows you to create and print time lines of historical, contemporary, and future events. Furthermore, TimeLiner puts everything in chronological order and provides proportional spacing, making it really convenient.

Instructional Design

Content	This software allows the students to construct time lines of people and events in American history and to display it as a multimedia presentation. Furthermore, the students can add movies, sounds, and Web links to their time lines.
Appropriateness	It is appropriate for elementary, middle, and high school students because of its wide range of functions. It works very well for my lesson as it helps students organize their information with an easy-to-use program.
Purpose of Graphics	It includes over 400 historical photographs that the students can insert for their presentation. You can also add your own graphics. The graphics help make the presentation more than just information and gives students the ability to personalize their timelines.
Instructional Objectives	To use TimeLiner to construct a timeline that includes 10 facts about the historical figure that will used as a multimedia presentation. The students will print off their timelines to display around the classroom.
Prerequisite Skills of Students	Knowledge of using a keyboard, mouse, surfing the Internet, inserting graphics from the Internet.
Prerequisite Skills of Teachers	Familiarity with navigating TimeLiner and how to use all its features. Teacher needs to know how to project the presentations as well.

Considerations Specific to General Applications Software

Content Areas	Social Studies English/Language Arts Science Math
Ease-of-Use	TimeLiner is a straightforward software program that is easy to navigate. TimeLiner organizes the events for you and does proportional spacing for you as well. Time lines can easily be merged, edited, and printed.
Direction Clarity	Easy to navigate around. The "help" portion of the software was easy to understand and navigate through.
Manual Dexterity Required	Ability to type with the keyboard and use of the mouse.

Content

Accuracy and Timeliness of the Content	All of the information is accurate and quick and easy to retrieve.
Racial/Gender Stereotypes	None that I noticed.
Bias	None that I noticed.

Documentation

Installation Directions	Quick and easy installation process both for Macintosh and Windows. I can't see how anyone would have problems installing this software.
Teacher Guide	Easy to find what you need because it is labeled well. It contains great information on classroom activities for a variety of subject areas, teacher projects, and student projects/worksheets. I found the information to be of great help and it gives step by step instructions for all the software features.
Value	It has great value because it helps students with technology skills and becoming more familiar with using software as a multimedia presentation.
Built in Electronic Help within the Application	A TimeLiner web site, walk through option, and an HTML help section that has step by step procedures for using any feature in TimeLiner.
Provisions for Special Populations	If there are blind or deaf/hard of hearing students, the teacher can pair the blind or deaf student with a student who does not have a visual or auditory impairment. For the presentation portion, an interpreter can assist the deaf student. For students who may have English as a second language, Time Liner has a neat feature that allows them to use either Spanish or English.

Screen Shot

Questions? Feel free to email me at dave@mikebaloga.com
Thursday, May 13, 2004 3:24 PM