Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)

Lesson Idea Name: American Revolution Timeline

Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 8th

Content Standard Addressed: SS8H3 Analyze the role of Georgia in the American Revolutionary Era.
a. Explain the causes of the American Revolution as they impacted Georgia; include the
French and Indian War, Proclamation of 1763, and the Stamp Act.

Technology Standard Addressed: 6c. Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by
creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.

Selected Technology Tool: Visme

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://my.visme.co/templates/YkJFNTNIN0IrUmZLcTE5ak83aDdtQT09OjrsIsIC4mZsHDhHa5D5ryTj/createPro
ject#/infographics?type=Timeline
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):
☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☒ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

Creating a timeline using Visme will allow students opportunities for collaboration. The creation of a timeline
aids in comprehension as it guides information processing and visualization. Visme offers multiple media
formats such as presentations, infographics, documents, charts and graphs, printable, web graphics, social
graphics, social graphics, video/ gif, and in our lesson, timelines. Within each option there are various ways to
customize display of information, which helps with student perception. Lastly, because Visme is a tool that
adults use it has a connection to life outside of school. This makes the tool and the produce made using it
authentic, and authenticity leads to increased student interests.

Lesson idea implementation:

Students will be asked to use Visme to create a timeline of the three major events stated in the standard that
caused the American Revolution. Within the timeline, the students will have a brief summary of the event, a
summary of how that event impacted GA, and a picture of the event. Students will be asked to also cite their
sources. Students will be asked to work in pairs to create their product. It will be introduced as an activity that
will take an entire class period. It will be the class period after we study the causes of the American
Revolution. Before my students create their own Visme, I will give them a brief tutorial of how to use the tool.
I will give my students a checklist style rubric so they can-self regulate as they work. I will also ask that my
students take a brief survey after the completion of the assignment about how well their experience with
Visme went and how we can improve using that technology in the future. After the assignments are turned in,
I will give students a grade based off the requirements stated on the checklist style rubric I gave them. Also,
as students are working, I will walk around periodically and formatively assess them to see if they have
questions/concerns, and to ensure they are on task. Visme does require personal information (first and last
name, and email address) to create an account. With this in mind, any 8th graders under the age of 13 will be

Spring 2018_SJB
 Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)
sent home with a permission slip for their parents to sign either agreeing to let them create a free Visme
account, or denying. If a student’s permission is denied, they will just be asked to create their timeline on a
piece of poster paper I will supply them with. Nothing about their assignment instructions/ time limit/ rubric
etc. will change.

Reflective Practice: I think this assignment is a great way to have students work together and review the
causes of the American Revolution, as stated in the standard. This activity would be introduced towards the
beginning of our American Revolution unit. As students continue with our lessons on the American
Revolution, they could continue to use Visme to create helpful infographics, timelines of major battles,
presentations etc. as classwork reviews. Before beginning the Visme timeline of major causes of the American
Revolution, I could have students review the causes and what we have studied so far using a Kahoot I created.

Spring 2018_SJB