Lesson 2.5: Creating a Timeline

Working with Dates Before the Common Era (BC/BCE)

• As you read in Lesson 2, historians often date events using BC/AD, which refers to the years "before Christ" or the years since his birth "anno domini". To avoid the religious reference, some historians use the terms BCE/CE to distinguish between events "before the common era" and during the "common era". 
• Remember, organizing dates into CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER means to put them in the order in which they happened in history. This can get tricky with dates before the common era, which are recorded greatest to least (like negative numbers on a number line). 

• Watch the following instructional video to learn more about the terms BC/AD and BCE/CE, as well as how to place dates in chronological order. 

 Click "NEXT" below to begin the Historical Events Timeline Assignment.