Social studies worksheet · Timelines and sequencing

Inventions: Put Them in Order

Put 6 inventions in order, from the printing press (about 1440) and the telephone (1876) to the World Wide Web (1989).

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Grade level
Grades 2–5
Time
About 20 minutes
Answer key
Yes, page 2 of the PDF
Kids practice
Timelines, Sequencing, Understanding time, Primary and secondary sources

What kids do

“Read the inventions and their years. Number them 1 to 6 from oldest to newest, then write them on the timeline.”

Printed on the sheet:

  1. 1989 The World Wide Web
  2. 1440 The printing press
  3. 1876 The telephone
  4. 1879 The light bulb
  5. Write the inventions in order
  6. Which invention would be hardest to live without? Why?

Teacher tip

Ask kids which invention they could not live without.

How to use it

  • Count by tens or hundreds on the timeline ruler first.
  • Point out that dates get bigger as you move to the right.
  • Start with a quick question that connects the topic to kids’ own lives.

Watch for

Kids who think everything long ago happened at the same time. Use spacing to show the gaps.

Talk about it

  • What would your timeline look like?
  • How does this connect to where we live?

Take it further

Ask a grandparent what life was like when they were young.

US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.

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