The Big Ideas through History Interactive Timeline is designed to help students see when world events occurred and how they related to each other over time.
The Interactive Timeline is a Microsoft Excel file. It does not work with Google Sheets, but is compatible with the free LibreOffice Calc program (though timeline labels do not show). The file has not been trialed with other spreadsheet programs and troubleshooting help may not be available when using with a program other than Excel.
It is highly recommended that an original, unaltered version of the file is saved in case something becomes corrupt as you move around events and explore the timeline. To do this, open the file and immediately go to File, Save As, and rename the file. The original, unaltered file will remain under the original name, and you can begin exploring the Interactive Timeline. Remember to save your timeline frequently, and if you run into any problems, see the troubleshooting tips below.
If you would like to save a timeline you’ve created, you can either save the entire excel document under a new name or save just the timeline image by copying it to another program and saving it as a picture (see directions below).
Using the Interactive Timeline
The basic use of the Interactive Timeline is to copy and paste the various sections off the corresponding Part tabs onto the data tab and view the timeline.
The Interactive Timeline is set up to automatically adjust the view to the information input on the Chart Data tab (it is initially set up to view one whole Part at a time).
Adjusting the Viewable area of the Timeline
To spread out fewer entries across the entire height of the page, adjust the Vertical Axis values:
- right-click anywhere on the timeline and select “Format Plot Area”
- click “Vertical (value) Axis” under the “Plot Area Options” menu (it changes to show “Axis Options” once an axis is selected to edit)
- select the bar graph icon, click the “Axis Options,” and adjust the Maximum to the number of Sections you’re trying to view
You can do the same for the horizontal axis (years) if you’d like to zoom in on a specific time period (Sections currently on the timeline will run off either side if values are outside the viewable area). You can right-click on the numbers across the top of the timeline and select “Format Axis” to be taken directly to the Horizontal (value) Axis options, or, similar to above, you can:
- right-click anywhere on the timeline and select “Format Plot Area”
- click “Horizontal (value) Axis” under the “Plot Area Options” menu
- select the bar graph icon, click the “Axis Options,” and adjust the Minimum and Maximum bounds to the years you’d like to view
To set the Interactive Timeline back to auto adjust the size of the viewable timeline, select the “Reset” button next to any Vertical or Horizontal Axis value.
Adding Events to the Timeline
You can also put your own events or periods on the timeline by adding them manually to the timeline by inserting a title, starting, and ending years to the Chart Data tab. BCE years should be added as negative (-) numbers, and the difference should be automatically tabulated (DO NOT change the Y-value or Difference columns). If you’d like to add an event that happened in a single year, put that year as both the start and finish dates.
Events will show up on the timeline in the same order (top to bottom) that they are input on the Chart Data tab. To change the order of the events on the timeline, select columns B, C, and D on the Chart Data tab. Under the Excel Data tab, select “Sort”. Make sure the “My data has headers tab” is ticked then select to sort by Timeline Title, Started, or Ended, and whether you want values to increase or decrease:
Working with the Interactive Timeline
Occasionally the formulas and chart within the Interactive Timeline will become corrupt as items are added and moved around the Chart Data tab. It is imperative that an unaltered version of the file is saved on your computer before you start exploring should you run into a problem. You can also re-download the file through your account at store.beyondommying.com.
Troubleshooting tips for common problems:
- If the timeline suddenly has a problem, you can undo recent changes by hitting CTRL+Z. Sometimes multiple steps must be undone to fix errors.
- If some of your events are not showing on the timeline, check that:
- They have been entered onto the Chart Data tab with a Timeline Title, Started and Ended dates (use the same year in the started and ended dates for singular events)
- Make sure there is a number in the Y-value column for each event you’re trying to view on the timeline
- Make sure the viewable area of the timeline covers the events you want to include (see information above on adjusting the Vertical and Horizontal Axis bounds).
- Make sure there is a value in the Difference column for each event you’re trying to view
- If the “Difference” values become corrupt and show a #REF or other error code instead of a number, select an uncorrupt cell near the top; hover over the square in bottom right corner of the cell until a cross appears; then click and drag downwards to copy the formula into corrupt cells.
- If the timeline file you’re working with runs into a problem you can’t trouble shoot, close it without saving (you will lose any unsaved changes) and reopen the file. If the timeline is still corrupt, you’ll have start over by opening the original timeline you downloaded. Once again, immediately save the file under a new name before making changes.
To save a completed timeline as an image:
- select the timeline
- on the Excel Home tab, click Copy and select “Copy as Picture”
- paste into another program such as Word, PowerPoint, or Paint
- right-click the timeline in the new program, select “Save as Picture” and follow the prompts to save as a new image file
- If you’d like to use a non-Microsoft program, you can screen shot the timeline then use another program such as Google Slides or Docs to crop the image and save.
