Introduction to Create a Personal Timeline in Google Drawings

In this lesson, you will create a timeline diagram in Google Drawings to reflect on recent events and look forward to new ones.

Diagrams are great for visualizing ideas and processes.

You can even use diagrams to simplify complicated ideas and make them clearer.

A timeline is a type of diagram that represents the passage of time in chronological order, or the order in which the events happened.

You may have seen timelines to show events in school subjects like Social Studies or Science.

You can also use timelines to visualize events in your own life.

A timeline can help you reflect on the past while looking forward to the future.

Using digital skills to create your timeline allows you to quickly add past and future events to your project to reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going.

As you make your timeline, you will think about big events, such as the Coronavirus pandemic.

Although the pandemic caused the world to slow down, it affected everyone in both similar and unique ways.

Discuss with a partner or small group the different experiences that people had during the time of the pandemic.

If you do not have a partner or group, ask your teacher.

Your teacher may want to have a whole-class discussion instead.

Here are some questions to help guide your discussion.

Did the pandemic affect people in different ways?

Perhaps because of their job, their health, or other reasons?

Did the pandemic affect people differently depending on where they live?

Like in different countries, in a nursing home or apartment building, or in a city as opposed to a rural area?

Then discuss: How were the experiences of many people similar during the pandemic?

Pause the video here if you need to keep the questions on-screen as you discuss.

Now, individually think about how events during the pandemic affected you personally.

This might include… When your school switched to remote learning, The last time you visited someone close to you before quarantine rules began, Or, positive events like something new you learned how to do...

Or, someone you know being honored for their work in the community.

Try to think of five of these events.

In addition to events related to the pandemic, you may also choose events that happened around or during that time period.

For example, you may choose to include events about getting a pet or helping out in your home or community.

Now, think of the approximate months these events happened.

If you’re unsure, search for the event online or, if it’s personal, ask someone you know or make your best guess.

This lesson uses Google Drawings, but you could apply these skills and concepts in most other drawing applications.

As you complete this lesson, you will… Insert a timeline diagram template into a drawing, add past events to your timeline, and share how you felt about each event using words and colors.

Then, you will… Add events that you’re looking forward to to your timeline, add a background color and title, personalize your timeline with photos, images, or GIFs, and talk with your teacher about how to share your timeline.

To work on this lesson, sign in to your Google account.

Open a new tab in your browser, and navigate to google.com.

If you are not signed in, do so now.

If you do not have a Google account, pause the video and create one.

Then, create a new drawing and rename it.

Now, it’s your turn: Discuss with a partner or small group the different experiences that people had during the pandemic, think about how five events during the pandemic affected you personally, sign in to your Google account, create a new drawing, and rename it.