Social studies activity
Time Traveler Journal
Pretend to travel back in time! Choose a time period — like when dinosaurs lived or when castles were built — and draw pictures of what you would see, eat, and do there.
Materials and setup
- paper
- pencils
- reference books
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Pretend to travel back in time! Choose a time period — like when dinosaurs lived or when castles were built — and draw pictures of what you would see, eat, and do there.
Steps
- Pull out a picture book about a long-ago time — dinosaur times, castle times, or when grandparents were kids — and look at the pictures together.
- Choose ONE time period to travel to in your imagination.
- Draw 3 pictures: What would you see? What would you eat? What would you do for fun?
- Tell the story of your time travel adventure to a family member.
Learning objectives
- Understand that the past was different from the present
- Identify simple differences between life long ago and life today
- Use imagination to explore historical concepts through drawing and storytelling
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Become a time traveler and keep a journal! Pick a historical period, learn 5 facts about daily life then, and write diary entries as if you lived there.
Steps
- Choose a time period to explore: Ancient Egypt, the Middle Ages, Colonial America, or the Pioneer era.
- Look through books or kid-friendly resources to learn 5 facts about daily life in that time.
- Write a diary entry as if you are a child living in that time: What did you eat for breakfast? What chores did you do? What games did you play?
- Draw a picture of yourself in that time period wearing the right clothes and surrounded by the right objects.
- Compare then and now: What is different? What is the same? Would you want to live there?
Learning objectives
- Research basic facts about daily life in a specific historical period
- Write a first-person diary entry from a historical perspective
- Compare and contrast life in the past with life in the present
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Research a historical period in depth and create a multi-entry time travel journal. Write diary entries from the perspective of a child living in that era, including accurate historical details.
Steps
- Choose a historical period and research it using at least 2 sources: daily life, food, clothing, homes, transportation, school, and entertainment.
- Create a character: name, age, family, job or school, and social class. Make historically accurate choices.
- Write 3 diary entries from your character's perspective covering: a typical day, a special event or celebration, and a challenge they faced.
- Include at least 5 accurate historical details across your entries (specific foods, tools, customs, or events).
- Create a timeline of 5 major events from your chosen period.
- Compare your character's life to yours: create a Venn diagram showing similarities and differences.
Learning objectives
- Research and accurately represent daily life in a specific historical period
- Write historically informed first-person narratives with accurate details
- Create timelines and compare historical periods to the present
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Conduct focused historical research and create a thoughtful time travel journal that uses evidence, multiple viewpoints, and clear historical context without becoming an oversized research project.
Steps
- Choose a significant historical period or event. Research using at least 3 sources, including one primary source (a letter, speech, photograph, or document from the time).
- Create 2 characters from different social positions (e.g., a wealthy merchant and a working-class child, a soldier and a civilian) living during the same period.
- Write 2 diary entries per character (4 total) that show the same period from different perspectives. Include references to real historical events, people, and places.
- Create a historical context page: a map of the area, a timeline of events, and a glossary of period-specific terms.
- Write a short explanation of one way the historical events you explored still affect the world today.
- Present your time travel journal to your family, reading selected entries and explaining the historical significance.
Learning objectives
- Conduct historical research using multiple sources including primary documents
- Write historically accurate narratives from multiple perspectives showing social complexity
- Analyze cause and effect between historical events and their modern-day impact
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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