BCE / CE Timeline: With Time Markers
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
Opening windows to the wider world, this BCE/CE Timeline material puts children in direct contact with the fundamental concept of historical chronology through a solidly built wooden display featuring two scrolls marked '1 BC' and '1 AD'. The movable gold star marker along the base timeline allows children to physically explore the transition between these two eras, making abstract time concepts tangible and meaningful for young learners.
“Children display a universal love of mathematics, which is par excellence the science of precision, order, and intelligence.”
The BCE/CE Timeline transforms abstract historical time into concrete experience through its wooden scrolls and movable gold star.
- Understanding that time moves in a linear sequence from past to present
- Recognizing the BCE/CE division as a fundamental organizing principle in history
- Developing spatial awareness of before/after relationships through timeline positioning
- Building vocabulary for discussing historical time periods and chronology
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Young children grasp time's linear nature by physically sliding the star along the base timeline, bridging the gap between '1 BC' and '1 AD'. This timeline's visual separation of two distinct eras through separate scrolls helps children understand that history has definable periods. The gold star marker invites repetitive manipulation, allowing children to internalize the concept of chronological sequence through movement. Rather than memorizing dates, children using the BCE/CE Timeline develop an embodied understanding of time's progression. The wooden construction provides durability for countless explorations as children return to this fundamental concept throughout their early years. By isolating just the BCE/CE transition point, this timeline addresses the child's need to understand basic temporal relationships before encountering more complex historical periods.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the timeline on a low shelf or table where children can access it independently. Ensure the gold star marker moves smoothly along the base. Position the '1 BC' and '1 AD' scrolls clearly visible.
- 1
Introduce the timeline by showing how the gold star moves along the base from left to right
Use slow, deliberate movements to emphasize the continuous nature of time - 2
Point to the '1 BC' scroll and explain this represents time 'before' while moving the star to the left
Use simple language like 'long, long ago' rather than complex explanations - 3
Move the star to the '1 AD' scroll, explaining this represents time 'after' the dividing point
Connect to the child's experience: 'This is closer to now, to today' - 4
Invite the child to move the star between the two periods several times
Allow plenty of repetition - children learn through repeated manipulation - 5
Ask the child to place the star to show 'before' or 'after' as you name simple events
Start with concrete examples from their life before introducing historical events
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
AMI approved
To the association standard
BCE / CE Timeline: With Time Markers
