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ASL Time Words — The Time Line

Seventh graders discover a beautiful feature of ASL — the time line. Signs for the past move back over the shoulder; signs for the future move forward. YESTERDAY, TODAY, TOMORROW all live on this invisible line.

Grade 7Time Words50 minutes1 class periodACTFL / Visual LanguageExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Sign time words.
  • ✓Use the time line.
  • ✓Show past & future.
  • ✓Talk about time.
Essential Question

ASL has an invisible “time line”: the past is behind you, the future is ahead! How do you sign YESTERDAY and TOMORROW?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Time-Line Explorer

Project this and tap each. Have students make each time sign along the time line.

⏳ Explore time words — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Visual-Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Sign · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — An Invisible Time Line

5 min

In ASL the past is behind you and the future is ahead — how do you sign it?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Point behind and ahead.
  • Ask what it means.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Time Words

12 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Time-Line Explorer.
  • Make each sign.
  • Note past-back, future-forward.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Copy.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign YESTERDAY and TOMORROW.
  • Show the direction.
  • Sign along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Show it.
  • Try.
4

Sign — Sign

12 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign what you did yesterday.
  • Sign a future plan.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Sign it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a time word.
  • Say past or future.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice-High).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand time signs.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare how time is shown.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to time concepts.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: talk about time.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Time-word photo cards.
  • Model the directions.
  • Use a mirror.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with YESTERDAY and TOMORROW.
  • Show the direction.
  • Copy together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add NEXT WEEK / LAST WEEK.
  • Sign a timeline of your week.
  • Compare to spoken time.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • ⏳A time-line diagram
  • 💻The Time-Line Explorer
  • 🪩A mirror (optional)
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

timewhen something happensYESTERDAYcheek, move back toward shoulderTODAY / NOWbent hands drop down in frontTOMORROWthumb forward from the cheekFUTUREflat hand moves forwardPASTflat hand moves back over the shouldertime linepast behind, future aheadweekseven days
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
On the ASL time line, where is the past?
Behind you (signs move back over the shoulder).
QUESTION 2
How do you sign TOMORROW?
Move your thumb forward from your cheek.
QUESTION 3
How do you sign YESTERDAY?
Touch your cheek and move back toward your shoulder.

Reflect: time words.

Have students sign YESTERDAY and TOMORROW, showing the time-line direction. A printable ASL time-words sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 ASL Time Words (The Time Line)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 ASL Time Words (The Time Line)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ ASL Time Words (The Time Line)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: FUTURE, PAST, time, time line, TODAY / NOW, TOMORROW, week, YESTERDAY
  1. cheek, move back toward shoulder
  2. when something happens
  3. past behind, future ahead
  4. seven days
  5. flat hand moves forward
  6. flat hand moves back over the shoulder
  7. thumb forward from the cheek
  8. bent hands drop down in front

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. On the ASL time line, where is the past?
  2. How do you sign TOMORROW?
  3. How do you sign YESTERDAY?
Answer key — Part A: 1) YESTERDAY · 2) time · 3) time line · 4) week · 5) FUTURE · 6) PAST · 7) TOMORROW · 8) TODAY / NOW
Part B: 1) Behind you (signs move back over the shoulder). 2) Move your thumb forward from your cheek. 3) Touch your cheek and move back toward your shoulder.