Our new Timeline of Numbers has been developed by Dr. Daniel Jutras, founder of the Montessori Teacher Education Institute. The Timeline of Numbers is aligned with the Montessori history curriculum and covers 16 millennia of history, from 15,000 BCE to 1,500 BE. The Timeline of Numbers is designed to be presented during the 5 Great Stories of the Montessori history curriculum and is accompanied by research cards written in a storytelling manner.
The Timeline of Numbers consists of a 5.5-foot long no-tear synthetic paper and 60 large colorful illustrated Research Cards with stories on the back. This layout is ideal for storytelling since the picture can face children while you can look at the notes on the back of the same card. The timeline touches upon some of the historical key events that highly influenced the development of numeracy around the world:
- Babylonian mathematicians
- Ahmes’ Papyrus
- Brahmi Numbers
- Benedictine Monk Herbert
- Hindu-Arabic Numerals
- Leonardo Fibonacci
The Research Cards challenge children to reflect on the creation of numbers as a response to growing trades occurring in this period of time. It begins with crucial questions such as: “Have you detected that all these words for “one” have the letter-sound “n” in common?” These types of questions are meant to elicit answers that allow children to exercise their critical thinking skills and make inferences. Children are exposed to different groups and civilizations using further eliciting questions such as: “How did it start?” “Where did people start using numbers?” No exact answer is provided because the goal is to activate children’s vivid imagination and engage them. The Timeline of Numbers and Research Cards also provide information on diverse techniques and materials used to create “numerals,” which are then used to represent “numbers” (quantities with determined unchangeable values). For instance, the Sumerians used two types of devices, a wedge and the corner of a small rod, to build a system of 59 numerals comprising units and tens.
Through the Research Cards, children will also learn how the Babylonians dealt with having no numeral to represent zero. They used units and tens (i.e. – 60 was 6 and 10). Later, the Babylonians left a gap to represent zero. Other fascinating stories are recounted, such as the journey of Fibonacci or Ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi, who actively advocated for mathematical advancements in their surrounding communities.
Finally, the Timeline of Numbers contains excellent visuals, which are also found on the corresponding Research Cards. Each research card is numbered to facilitate finding its location on the timeline. The pictures are a mix of real pictures of artifacts, realistic images, portrays, and maps, all carefully selected to provide children enough visual information and keep them engaged. It may take about 2-3 days to tell the story of numbers. Some additional activities and materials can be added: sticks, rocks, beads, clay, large printed posters of various systems of numerals, maps, etc. The Timeline of Numbers should be left in the History area of the classroom for personal exploration. You may want to check out our exclusive Timeline holder, which ensures that the timelines are safely stored and inviting for children!
You may want to also consider our related material, Timeline of Mathematics, which retraces the evolution of counting devices and methods of recording numeracy across civilizations and time.
