Visualization is the ability to translate information into visual models and understand the information visual models are communicating. Visualization has become a key way we cope with large data sets and make sense of the complexity of our environment.

                                        -- From 2006 MacArthur Whitepaper, Media Education in the 21st Century

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What are interactive timelines and maps and why do they matter?

• A basic definition and list of elements

• Maps are arguments that shape public opinion - collection of maps and infographics curated by Nathan Phillips at UIC 
  

Classroom-friendly examples:

• 7 Eye-popping interactive timelines and 3 ways to make your own - @ MediaBistro
• Western Culture During The Interbellum -- interactive timeline and map that illustrates key cultural events between world wars (made using MyHistro)
• The Learning Machines -- interactive timeline featured on New York Times website that chronicles the technological advancements in education.
  

Student-created examples:

humanities (social studies, art, popular culture) 

• Popular Music 1895-present - interactive timeline (using KnightLabs) chronically popular artists who defined music 
• New York 2140 - interactive timeline that reviews plot of a book (using Padlet.com timeline feature)   
• Civil War Battles -- Annotated map made by 5th grade class using Google maps 
• My Brother Sam is Dead -- customized GoogleMap made surrounding events of the Revolutionary War & historical fiction novel  

art

• The Art of Christo and Jean-Claude - interactive map narrative presenting the performance art of Christo and Jean-Claude. Using StoryMap JS.
• The Garden of Earthly Delights by Dutch Renaissance painter H. Bosch - interactive map/canvas, analyzing the painting panel by panel. Created Using StoryMap JS.
  

Tools & Tutorials for creating, assessing, and teaching with timelines:

• ReadWriteThink Lesson Plan: "Timelines & Texts: Motivating Students to Read NonFiction Texts" (ReadWriteThink timeline platform for creating timelines)
• Teaching With Timelines -- featured at TeachingHistory.com

timeline platforms: 

• Knight Labs Timelines - web-based timelines
• Sutori.com  -
• Timetoast -  
• Padlet.com - Making timeline via Padlet via timelime format (0:14) 

map platforms:

• StoryMap JS - interactive "maps that tell stories." See examples: Manifest Destiny -- "The Art of Christo and Jean-Claude"-- Wisconsin Breweries)
  
• MyHistro -- geo-located timelines
• CartoDB - free web-based software for making data-rich maps Gallery of Case Study MapsCartoDB -
  
• Historypin -- web-based software for annotating maps with images
• My Google Maps -- web-based app for making customized maps through personalizing with images and annotation 
  
• Google Maps in the Classroom (11:47) -- teacher-friendly tutorial; models various ways Google maps can be used for teaching and how to set one up.
• Milwaukee Mural Map -- Interactive map that highlights all of the murals in Milwaukee with descriptions of muralist and art of each.
  

other related resources: