Draw a geologic timeline
Draw a geologic timeline showing Earth's major eons, eras, and key events on paper with colors, labels, and brief dates to learn deep time.
Step-by-step guide to draw a geologic timeline
Geologic Time - Earth's Long History
Step 1
Gather all the materials listed above and find a clear flat surface to work on.
Step 2
Use the ruler and pencil to draw a long horizontal line across the middle of the paper to be your timeline baseline.
Step 3
Write "4.6 billion years ago" at the left end of the line and write "Today" at the right end.
Step 4
Choose a time scale for your timeline and write the scale clearly near one end (for example 1 cm = 100 million years).
Step 5
Use the ruler to make evenly spaced tick marks along the baseline according to the scale you chose.
Step 6
Draw vertical lines at the tick marks that match major breaks to show the boundaries between Earth's eons.
Step 7
Label each eon above the baseline with its name for example Hadean Archean Proterozoic Phanerozoic.
Step 8
Add and label the major eras where they apply for example inside the Phanerozoic write Paleozoic Mesozoic and Cenozoic.
Step 9
Colour each eon and era in a different color using your colouring materials.
Step 10
Add at least six key events along the timeline with brief dates for example origin of life ~3.8 billion years ago oxygen rise ~2.4 billion years ago Cambrian explosion ~541 million years ago dinosaur rise and extinction ~230 million to 66 million years ago mammal rise ~65 million years ago humans appear ~300 thousand years ago.
Step 11
Draw a small simple icon or symbol next to each event to show what happened such as a tiny microbe a fish a dinosaur or a human silhouette.
Step 12
Trace over your labels lines and important marks with the black pen to make everything clear and neat.
Step 13
Add a title at the top and a small legend that explains your colors and the time scale.
Step 14
Take a photo of your finished geologic timeline and share your creation on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have a ruler, colored markers, or a camera to follow the steps?
Use a straight edge like a book or piece of cardboard to draw the long horizontal baseline and vertical tick lines, substitute crayons or torn colored paper for coloring each eon and era, and use a phone or borrow a camera to take the final photo for DIY.org.
What should I do if my tick marks or eon boundaries look uneven or my labels smudge during coloring?
Lightly mark the chosen scale with the pencil and ruler before drawing the baseline and vertical lines, wait for coloring to dry, then trace labels and important marks with the black pen to keep boundaries neat and prevent smudging.
How can I adapt this timeline activity for younger or older children?
For younger kids, pre-draw the baseline and tick marks and let them color eons and place stickers as simple icons, while older kids can pick a precise scale, add more than six dated events with detailed icons and a complete legend.
How can we extend or personalize the finished geologic timeline beyond the basic instructions?
Mount the timeline on poster board, glue 3D cut-outs or clay models next to events, add extra labeled events with short descriptions, and create a matching color legend before photographing and sharing on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to draw a geologic timeline
Make Your Own Geologic Timeline
4 Videos
Make Your Own Geologic Timeline
Video lab: Paper Geologic Timeline
A Brief History of Geologic Time
EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE - Geologic Time Scale
Facts about geology and Earth history
⏳ Earth is about 4.54 billion years old — that’s 4,540 million years of history to draw!
🦖 Dinosaurs roamed from about 230 million to 66 million years ago — a tiny slice on the timeline but super famous!
🌊 The Cambrian Explosion (~541 million years ago) brought a huge burst of new animal types.
💥 The Permian–Triassic extinction (~252 million years ago) wiped out around 90% of marine species.
🧱 The Precambrian covers nearly 90% of Earth’s history, before most animals evolved.
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