My favorite way to display Timeline Cards

If you've been with Classical Conversations for any length of time, you will have inevitably heard of the Timeline Song and the Timeline Cards that go with it. Technically they are named the "Classical Acts and Facts History Cards", and you can pick them up from the CC bookstore, at Practicums all over the nation, or from your local CC book rep. They are sold in 4 packages, so you could buy them one at a time, and expand to a full set over time. (Ancient, Medieval, New World, Modern) The timeline is one piece of information that does NOT rotate with our 3 cycles. We study the entire timeline every year, from K-6th grade. Most kids have the majority of it memorized by the time they are 8/9.

If you already own a set of timeline cards, one of your very first questions was likely, "What do I do with them? How do I store them? I do NOT want my kids messing them up!" Many people keep them in binders (usually 3-4, half-sized (5.5x8") 2" binders) in page protectors, or in a clear bin with a snap-top lid. The binders and page protectors are not only expensive, but also heavy and large, and not very pretty. Plus, if your binder ever goes on its side or upside down, your cards will slide smoothly out of your page protectors. If you use a bin they are nicely contained and it's cheap, but you can't really get them out and look at them or let the kids go through them without needing to sort them all out at the end.

Another option is to hang them around the top border of a room in your house. The only problem with that is that 160 cards (plus Presidents!) at 5.5" wide equal over 80' of timeline! Plus, no one can read the back, and if you tutor you have to take them down to bring to class every week.

I saw an idea for the paper towel holder display about 4-5 years ago, and immediately thought that it was the best idea I'd seen. I then proceeded to NOT make it, and wish that I did. For almost 5 years. Finally I remembered one day, grabbed my phone and impulse bought a $10 holder from Amazon.

The directions are simple, and it only took me about 30 minutes to completely assemble the whole thing, including punching the holes. Below are detailed instructions to make your own paper towel holder display!! I leave mine on the kitchen table, where my kids can look at and read all the cards without disorganizing them. They can stay there amid drinks, spills and crumbs, because of the raised base - no worries about destroying the cards. And the laminated timeline cards are incredibly tough. A toddler could rip them out, of course, but turning them normally will not wear out the holes. See closeups of my cards. I did hole-punch the tops 5 years ago and put them on 3" rings, which kept them in a stack and made them easily portable. They were difficult to turn and read, but it kept them in order. I tutored for 2 years with that stack - pulling the weeks in and out - and the holes are none the worse for wear.

Supplies:

1 paper towel holder. Standard-thickness center dowel that can screw out of the base, or has a handle that screws off, or is narrow enough at the top to slip the rings over., with or without a 'tear bar'. I used this one (dowel screws out of the base)
2 book rings, 2" diameter (more cheaply available of Office Depot, etc)
3 hole punch that has adjustable punches
Your beautiful timeline cards (or other large deck of cards to organize. The Timeline Cards are about 3" thick in total)

Step 1 - Punch your cards

Your 3 hole punch will need to be adjusted to a new spacing to

properly space the holes on your cards. Mine needs a straight

screw driver. I moved my 'center' punch down to the top hole

of the next set. The holes are perfectly spaced from the top

and bottom of my cards. I'm sure that's what it's designed for,

at least for other 8.5" papers. A 3-hole punch can only do 2 TL

cards at a time, and the hole-punch-catch-tray fills up almost

immediately. Just take the bottom off and let the punches

collect on the table and brush them into the trash when you're done. Be sure to seat the timeline cards firmly to the top of the punch, so your holes will all align. Be sure to punch the LEFT side of your cards, just as you would any piece of paper to go into a binder.

Step 2 - Place cards on rings

Once they are all punched, divide your cards in half, flipping the top half

like turning the pages of a book. All your holes will be towards the center,

and you'll see the backs of the stack on your left. This is the only part

that's at all fiddly. A second set of hands wouldn't hurt, but I did it myself.

Be sure that your rings will snap together really tightly. If they are loose,

you can twist them the opposite way (bending the pin slightly) so that you

have to use more force to clamp them shut. Now place a ring up through

each stack of cards. The ring should be open and facing the ceiling, with

1 arm coming up through each stack. I only did 1 set of holes at a time.

The tips of the ring should barely come out of the cards, and may not even

peek out. Slide the cards end off the table towards yourself so you can get