Creating Historical Timelines with Glogster

Right now my students are working through a chunk of Canadian History, examining a series of events that lead up to Confederation. In order to have them understand this flow of events, and how they lead from one to another to the final creation of our country, I have asked students to create a timeline. Last year, on a similar chunk of history, I had students use xTimeline, but in the end I wasn't that pleased with the products the students created.

This year we're trying Glogster, (thanks to Jared Nichol for sharing again!) and so far both me and the students are excited about the potential. Glogster lets you create multimedia posters, where you can embed text, image, voice, sound and video. When I signed up for Gloster, I was very impressed with the way they quickly set up student accounts - a very slick and effecient system to set up a teacher and class of students.

Last week my students began researching the historical events, and I was really pleased with the way it worked. Instead of focusing on the Glogster, I've been really stressing the historical understanding. Since this particular time in history leads to the creation of bilinguialism in Canada, I've assigned students either a Francophone or Anglophone perspective, and they are interpreting the causes and impacts of a list of events based on their assigned group. I then put them in work groups of 5-6 students, where they are working out their historical understanding. Students were given information charts to fill out - asked to collect the basic facts about the events on their own time, and then come to class ready to discuss deeper questions about meaning of the events with their groups. After collaboratively filling out the charts, the students decide how to summarize and express the information on their Glogster. They can use text, voice and video to communicate their topic's perspective on the events.

Here's the project assignment sheet that got the project rolling:

So far, I've been really happy with the way the students are examining this time in history - I think because I've focused on the collaboration skills and the historical understanding, not the technology. Creating the Glogster is the final step - and while I think it's a powerful web tool to use - I don't want the glitz of the Glogster to drive this chunk of our project.

Update:

I just finished looking at some of the student Glogsters , and I wanted to share one of completed timelines. I was so blown away by this student's work. While she included a great deal of specific, historical research, however, what I really love is how this student was able to make connections between the events.

That was my hope for this assignment, that students would not only gain an understanding of the particular events in isolation, but how the events connect together to build toward the Rebellions of 1837. This glogster timeline became the foundation for the the next phase of the project where students chose events to be remixed into propaganda posters for their side of the Rebellions. You can click here to learn about the next phase of the project.

As I watch and read this student's Glogster, I get a strong sense of how a citizen of one group of people (Francophones) might feel when gradually losing political power and control over a 100 year period. Again, what impresses me about his student is how she weaves in subtle historical details, and moves powerful use of writing style to bring the events to life.

What do you think? What historical thinking do you see going on here? Do you think Glogster was an effective tool for my students to piece together a flowing historical narrative? As you examine the sample below, make sure you click on the image and video clips.