⏳ A Place in Time Mini-Unit

Grade Level: High Ability 1–2 (adaptable 3–5)
Duration: 6 Lessons (20–30 min each)
GT Focus: Creativity, Critical Thinking, Differentiation, Problem Solving
Standards: W.3.3, W.4.3, W.5.3; L.3.1, L.3.6, L.4.1, L.4.6, L.5.1, L.5.6; MP1, MP2; 3.MD.A.1, 4.MD.A.2; RI.3.1, RI.4.1, RI.5.1, W.3.7, W.4.7, W.5.7

📘 Teacher Guide

Unit Goals

• Foster imagination through creative writing about past and future scenarios

• Strengthen vocabulary with domain-specific “time travel” words

• Develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork through STEM and math challenges

• Encourage research and presentation skills through inquiry-based learning

Lesson Flow

Lesson Activity GT Focus Duration Materials Needed

 1 A Place in Time Journal Creativity, Differentiation 20–25 min Journal pages, pencils

 2 Razzle Dazzle Words Vocabulary, Creativity 20 min Word list, visual dictionary template

 3 Time Machine STEM Critical Thinking, Teamwork 25–30 min Egg, straws, tape, paper, rubber bands

 4 WHEN Are We Jack? Research, Teamwork, Competitiveness 25 min Devices, scavenger hunt worksheets

 5 Math TIME Differentiation, Teamwork, Competitiveness 25 min Human clock props, problem cards

 6 TIME for Research Research, Presentation 25–30 min Choice board, rubric, presentation materials

Rubrics

1. Creative Writing (Journal)

Criteria 3 – Excellent 2 – Good 1 – Needs Improvement

Creativity Imaginative and detailed scenario Some creativity Little imagination

Clarity Ideas are clear and well-explained Some clarity issues Hard to understand

Grammar & Mechanics Few or no errors Some errors Many errors

2. STEM Time Machine

Criteria 3 2 1

Functionality Egg protected successfully Egg partially protected Egg broke

Creativity Innovative design Some unique ideas Basic design

Teamwork Excellent collaboration Good collaboration Limited collaboration

3. Research Project

Criteria 3 2 1

Accuracy Facts correct & complete Mostly accurate Inaccurate

Presentation Clear, engaging, visually appealing Some clarity Hard to follow

Creativity Creative visuals or props Some visuals None

Lesson 4 – WHEN Are We Jack? Scenarios

Scenario Teacher Notes / Clues

1. You find yourself in a marketplace where people trade spices and silks along the Silk Road. Era: ~2nd century BCE – 14th century CE

2. You meet a Viking preparing his longship for a raid. Era: ~8th–11th century CE, Scandinavia

3. You arrive at a colonial American town with horse-drawn carriages and early settlers. Era: 1600s–1700s, early American colonies

4. You see people in powdered wigs and ornate clothing attending a grand ballroom in France. Era: 1700s, pre-French Revolution

5. You watch the first moon landing on television with astronauts planting a flag. Era: 1969, Apollo 11 mission

6. You are in a futuristic city where flying cars zoom past holographic billboards. Era: Future – speculative, encourage creative reasoning

7. You meet Leonardo da Vinci sketching flying machines and studying anatomy. Era: Late 1400s–early 1500s, Renaissance Italy

8. You watch the first Wright brothers’ airplane take flight at Kitty Hawk. Era: 1903, early 20th century

9. You are in Ancient Egypt watching workers build pyramids along the Nile. Era: ~2600–2500 BCE, Old Kingdom Egypt

10. You meet a samurai in armor training with a katana in Japan. Era: 12th–19th century, feudal Japan

11. You observe people in togas debating politics in the Roman Forum. Era: ~500 BCE – 476 CE, Ancient Rome

12. You are in the first public library in Alexandria, observing scholars with scrolls. Era: ~3rd century BCE, Ancient Egypt

13. You attend the first Olympic Games in Greece, watching athletes compete. Era: 776 BCE, Ancient Greece

14. You see miners working in gold rush towns with pickaxes and carts. Era: Mid-1800s, California Gold Rush

15. You meet a cowboy riding cattle across the plains in the American West. Era: Late 1800s, American frontier

16. You are at a medieval castle watching archers practice in the courtyard. Era: ~1100–1500 CE, Europe

17. You watch the signing of a famous declaration with quill pens and parchment. Era: 1776, American Revolution

18. You see knights jousting in a tournament with lances and armor. Era: 12th–15th century CE, Medieval Europe

19. You observe the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg. Era: ~1440 CE, Renaissance Germany

20. You watch astronauts aboard the International Space Station orbiting Earth. Era: 2000s–present, modern space exploration

📝 Student Packet / Worksheets

Lesson 1 – A Place in Time Journal

Directions: Imagine you have a time machine. Write about:

1. Where you would go in the past and why

2. Where you would go in the future and why

Template:

If I could travel to the past, I would go to ______________________ because ________________________________.

If I could travel to the future, I would go to _____________________ because ________________________________.

Drawing Box: Draw yourself in each place.

Lesson 2 – Razzle Dazzle Words

Task: Use the given “time travel” vocabulary to create a visual dictionary sheet. Include:

• Word

• Definition

• Picture

• Sentence

• Part of Speech

Template:

Word Definition Picture Sentence Part of Speech

Sample Words: Chronology, Paradox, Era, Timeline, Temporal, Future, Past

Lesson 3 – Time Machine STEM

Task: Build a “time machine” to safely transport an egg (the human) through fast travel.

• Use materials like straws, tape, paper, rubber bands

• Sketch your design first

• Test and revise

Planning Sheet:

• Machine Name: _____________________

• Sketch: [Drawing Box]

• Materials: __________________________

• Predicted Problem: __________________

• Solution Tried: _____________________

• Outcome: Egg survived? ☐ Yes ☐ No

Lesson 4 – WHEN Are We Jack?

Task: Internet scavenger hunt: For each scenario, figure out WHEN in history we are using accurate facts.

Template:

Scenario Historical Facts Found Year or Era Notes

Example:

• Scenario: You meet a knight in shining armor.

• Historical Fact: Knights were common in medieval Europe, ~1100–1500.

Lesson 5 – Math TIME

Task: In groups, create human clocks to answer time word problems.

Sample Problems:

1. If you travel 3 hours into the past from 2 PM, what time is it?

2. You spend 45 minutes traveling to the future. If you start at 10:15 AM, what time do you arrive?

3. A time machine ride lasts 2 hours 30 minutes. You leave at 1:20 PM. What time do you return?

Template:

Problem Solution Clock Drawing

Lesson 5 – Math TIME: Additional Problems

Problem Solution Clock Drawing

4. You travel 2 hours and 15 minutes into the past from 3:30 PM. What time is it? ______ ______

5. A time machine ride lasts 1 hour 45 minutes. You leave at 9:10 AM. What time do you arrive? ______ ______

6. You travel 30 minutes into the future from 11:50 AM. What time is it? ______ ______

7. A time machine ride lasts 3 hours. You leave at 2:25 PM. What time do you return? ______ ______

8. You travel 90 minutes into the past from 12:10 PM. What time is it? ______ ______

9. A round trip through time takes 4 hours 20 minutes. You leave at 8:40 AM. What time do you return? ______ ______

10. You spend 2 hours 15 minutes traveling to the future. If you start at 1:35 PM, what time do you arrive? ______ ______

11. You go 45 minutes into the past from 3:05 PM. What time is it? ______ ______

12. A time travel experiment starts at 10:30 AM and lasts 2 hours 50 minutes. What time does it end? ______ ______

13. You start a time trip at 7:15 AM. You travel 1 hour 40 minutes into the past, then 2 hours 20 minutes into the future. What time is it now? ______ ______

14. You spend 3 hours traveling into the future, then 1 hour 30 minutes into the past. You start at 9:45 AM. What time is it now? ______ ______

15. You travel 50 minutes into the future from 11:20 AM. What time is it? ______

Lesson 6 – TIME for Research

Choice Board: Pick 1–3 projects:

1. Famous inventions and when they were created

2. The evolution of transportation through time

3. Historical figures you’d meet on a time travel journey

4. Future technology predictions

5. Events that changed history

6. Time travel in literature and movies

Planning Sheet:

• Topic: ____________________________

• 3 Facts: 1. ___ 2. ___ 3. ___

• Presentation Method: ☐ Poster ☐ Slide Show ☐ Skit ☐ Model

• Reflection: What surprised you most? ________________

Culminating Task: Time Travel Expo

• Students present their journals, STEM machines, research projects, and clocks

• Peer feedback tickets for: Creativity, Accuracy, Presentation, Teamwork