Congress Timeline: Storyboard That's Lesson Plan

Q: What is a simple way to teach students about the history of the U.S. Congress?

Creating a timeline activity is an easy and effective way to help students learn about the history of the U.S. Congress. It allows them to organize key events chronologically and visually understand the evolution of Congress over time.

Q: How can I make a Congressional timeline activity engaging for middle and high school students?

To boost engagement, let students choose events to research , add illustrations, and present their timelines as posters or gallery walks. You can also provide multiple templates and allow creative expression through design and summaries.

Q: What major events should be included in a U.S. Congress timeline for students?

Key events to include are the First United States Congress (1789) , Bill of Rights Ratification (1791) , Capitol Groundbreaking (1793) , Louisiana Purchase (1803) , and significant amendments or acts like the 13th Amendment and 19th Amendment .

Q: What are some creative alternatives to a standard timeline for teaching about Congress?

Try having students create a timeline poster for a class gallery walk or design digital timelines with illustrations. You can also encourage them to predict future Congressional events or laws for added creativity.

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Activity Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Rubric

Activity Overview

In this activity, students will create a timeline that represents the major events that have occurred throughout the rich history of the United States Congress. Students may research events on their own, or the teacher can provide a list. For each event, students should include a brief description of the event along with a representation of the person, idea, law, or controversy that occurred at the chosen date.

For an alternative to the timeline layout, have students create a timeline poster to incorporate into a presentation or gallery walk. You can add more than one template to this assignment to give students lots of options and adjust the instructions accordingly.

History of the United States Congress

March 4, 1789 - First United States Congress
December 15th, 1791 - Bill of Rights Ratified
September 18th, 1793 - Capitol Groundbreaking
April 30th, 1803 - Louisiana Purchase
May 30, 1854 - Kansas-Nebraska Act
December 6, 1865 - 13th Amendment Ratified
June 30, 1906 - Pure Food and Drug Act
August 26, 1920 - 19th Amendment Ratified
July 2, 1964 - Crisis Finally Ends

Extended Activity

After students have created their timeline of events, students can complete the extended activity for the remaining two events. Depending on the teacher preference, students can choose the following options for the additional events.

The greatest law passed by Congress
The most infamous law passed by Congress
The greatest Congressman or Congresswoman
The most infamous Congressman or Congresswoman
An event that predicts the future of Congress or a law that they predict will be passed in their lifetime.

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Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a timeline detailing the history of the U.S. Congress.

Click "Start Assignment".
Identify important events and legislation and type them into the titles of each cell.
Write a summary of each event/legislation/policy in the description box.
Create an illustration using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
Save and exit when you're done.

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Timelines

Copy Activity*

Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Timeline

Create a timeline of important events and people, and explain their significance. Make sure the dates are correct, and the Photos for Class pictures are historically accurate or significant.

	Proficient 33 Points	Emerging 25 Points	Beginning 17 Points
Events and Dates	The events chosen for the timeline are significant and important to the overall understanding of the time period. The dates provided are correct.	Most of the events chosen for the timeline are significant and important to the overall understanding of the time period. Most of the dates provided are correct.	Some of the events chosen for the timeline are significant. There may be missing events, or events that are irrelevant. Too many dates may be incorrect.
Explanations/Descriptions	The explanations or descriptions provided for each event are accurate and provide insight into the significance of the events.	The explanations or descriptions provided for each event are mostly accurate and attempt to provide insight into the significance of the events.	There are several glaring inaccuracies in the explanations or descriptions of the events. There may be little or no insight int the significance of the events, or the information provided may be too limited or missing.
English Conventions	There are 0-2 mistakes in spelling, grammar, and mechanics.	There are 3-4 mistakes in spelling, grammar, and mechanics.	There are 5 or more mistakes in spelling, grammar, and mechanics.

Copy Activity*

Activity Overview

In this activity, students will create a timeline that represents the major events that have occurred throughout the rich history of the United States Congress. Students may research events on their own, or the teacher can provide a list. For each event, students should include a brief description of the event along with a representation of the person, idea, law, or controversy that occurred at the chosen date.

For an alternative to the timeline layout, have students create a timeline poster to incorporate into a presentation or gallery walk. You can add more than one template to this assignment to give students lots of options and adjust the instructions accordingly.

History of the United States Congress

March 4, 1789 - First United States Congress
December 15th, 1791 - Bill of Rights Ratified
September 18th, 1793 - Capitol Groundbreaking
April 30th, 1803 - Louisiana Purchase
May 30, 1854 - Kansas-Nebraska Act
December 6, 1865 - 13th Amendment Ratified
June 30, 1906 - Pure Food and Drug Act
August 26, 1920 - 19th Amendment Ratified
July 2, 1964 - Crisis Finally Ends

Extended Activity

After students have created their timeline of events, students can complete the extended activity for the remaining two events. Depending on the teacher preference, students can choose the following options for the additional events.

The greatest law passed by Congress
The most infamous law passed by Congress
The greatest Congressman or Congresswoman
The most infamous Congressman or Congresswoman
An event that predicts the future of Congress or a law that they predict will be passed in their lifetime.

Copy Activity*

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a timeline detailing the history of the U.S. Congress.

Click "Start Assignment".
Identify important events and legislation and type them into the titles of each cell.
Write a summary of each event/legislation/policy in the description box.
Create an illustration using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
Save and exit when you're done.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Timelines

Copy Activity*

Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Timeline

Create a timeline of important events and people, and explain their significance. Make sure the dates are correct, and the Photos for Class pictures are historically accurate or significant.

	Proficient 33 Points	Emerging 25 Points	Beginning 17 Points
Events and Dates	The events chosen for the timeline are significant and important to the overall understanding of the time period. The dates provided are correct.	Most of the events chosen for the timeline are significant and important to the overall understanding of the time period. Most of the dates provided are correct.	Some of the events chosen for the timeline are significant. There may be missing events, or events that are irrelevant. Too many dates may be incorrect.
Explanations/Descriptions	The explanations or descriptions provided for each event are accurate and provide insight into the significance of the events.	The explanations or descriptions provided for each event are mostly accurate and attempt to provide insight into the significance of the events.	There are several glaring inaccuracies in the explanations or descriptions of the events. There may be little or no insight int the significance of the events, or the information provided may be too limited or missing.
English Conventions	There are 0-2 mistakes in spelling, grammar, and mechanics.	There are 3-4 mistakes in spelling, grammar, and mechanics.	There are 5 or more mistakes in spelling, grammar, and mechanics.

Copy Activity*

How Tos about The Legislative Branch: Timeline of Congress

1

Engage students with a classroom debate based on a Congressional event

Debates help students analyze and discuss historical decisions, making Congress’s impact more relevant and memorable.

2

Select a major Congressional event as the debate topic

Choose an event from your timeline, such as the Bill of Rights Ratification or the Kansas-Nebraska Act, so students can connect their research to a real issue.

3

Assign students to represent different viewpoints

Divide the class into groups or pairs and assign each side a perspective—for example, supporters and opponents of the legislation or decision. This encourages critical thinking and empathy.

4

Guide students to research and prepare arguments

Encourage students to use both primary and secondary sources to build their cases. This step strengthens research skills and helps students use evidence in arguments.

5

Facilitate the debate and reflect on outcomes

Moderate the debate, ensuring respectful discussion. Afterward, debrief as a class to discuss how the event shaped Congress and what students learned about legislative decision-making.

Frequently Asked Questions about The Legislative Branch: Timeline of Congress

What is a simple way to teach students about the history of the U.S. Congress?

Creating a timeline activity is an easy and effective way to help students learn about the history of the U.S. Congress. It allows them to organize key events chronologically and visually understand the evolution of Congress over time.

How can I make a Congressional timeline activity engaging for middle and high school students?

To boost engagement, let students choose events to research, add illustrations, and present their timelines as posters or gallery walks. You can also provide multiple templates and allow creative expression through design and summaries.

What major events should be included in a U.S. Congress timeline for students?

Key events to include are the First United States Congress (1789), Bill of Rights Ratification (1791), Capitol Groundbreaking (1793), Louisiana Purchase (1803), and significant amendments or acts like the 13th Amendment and 19th Amendment.

What are some creative alternatives to a standard timeline for teaching about Congress?

Try having students create a timeline poster for a class gallery walk or design digital timelines with illustrations. You can also encourage them to predict future Congressional events or laws for added creativity.

How do I differentiate a legislative branch timeline activity for different grade levels?

For younger students, provide a list of events and templates. For older students, allow independent research, deeper analysis, and more complex illustrations or presentations to match their skill levels.