BCE/CE

BCE and CE

Learning Objective: utilize timelines to identify the time sequence of historical data

​Vocabulary

• ​Chronological: [adjective] (of a record of events) starting with the earliest and following the order in which they occurred.

• ​Timeline: [noun] a graphic representation of the passage of time as a line.

​Why Study BCE/CE?

• ​BCE and CE help us place events in chronological order

• ​Helps us compare different points in history

• ​Helps us determine time between events

• Two sets of terms used to organize time:

  • BCE and CE

  • BC and AD

How and why did people start using the terms BC and AD?

• The exact history is very vague, because it took hundreds of years for the concept to catch on.

• Before it was determined, ancient cultures kept track of their years based on astrology, any important events, and/or how many years a leader had been ruling.

• Eventually, a Christian came up with the timeline we use today, and it was adopted by the world over hundreds of years as a common way to keep track of and compare time.

• Jesus was obviously incredibly important in Christian Europe.

• in 525 A.D., a monk wanted to work out when exactly Easter would occur in the coming years. He formulated a new table of when the holiday would fall, starting from a year he called “532.”

• He then used what he thought was the year of Jesus's birth, an important event for Christians, as year 1.

• BC = Before Christ

• AD = Anno domini - "the year of our lord"

Multiple Choice

BC means...

• Before Christ

• Before cheese

• By chance

Multiple Choice

AD means...

• After death

• in the year of our lord

• Among Dus

How did we get BCE and CE?

Though it took centuries for A.D. and B.C. to catch on, they stuck. However, some people didn't think it made sense to have religious meanings attached to a dating system used worldwide, especially in the last 30 years.

Therefore, you can now also say...

B.C. = BCE - “before the common era”

AD = C.E. “common era”

​BCE/CE

• ​BCE = Before Common Era

• ​CE = Common Era

• ​Timeline is secular

  • Secular = not based on religion

• We live in the Common Era (CE)

• BC = Before Christ

• AD = Anno Domini ("year of the lord")

• Timeline is based around the birth of Jesus Christ

• Current years are labeled AD​

​BC/AD

​Both sets tell us the exact same thing and follow the same years.

Multiple Choice

CE means...

• common era

• come everyone

Multiple Choice

BCE means...

• By Christian estimates

• Before the common era

Multiple Choice

Another name for BC times is..

• CE

• BCE

Multiple Choice

Another name for AD times is..

• CE

• BCE

​The Rules

• Year "Zero" does not exist

• BCE

  • ​The higher the number, the earlier the event happened/the older the event is

  • ​Counts down to 1

• ​CE

  • ​The higher the number, the more recent the event happened/the younger the event is

  • ​Counts up from 1

• ​When discussing modern times in the Common Era, "CE" is often assumed and does not need to be included in the date

CE dates which are largest are closest to today (2020).

BCE dates get larger the further back in time they go.

Think of reading historical timelines like reading a math number line.

Reading BCE dates is sort of like reading negative numbers on a number line.

Multiple Choice

Which date is closest to today?

• 300 BCE

• 100 BCE

• 100 CE

• 200 CE

Multiple Choice

Which date is oldest?

• 100 BCE

• 200 BCE

• 200 CE

• 100 CE

Multiple Choice

Which date is oldest?

• 100 BCE

• 200 BCE

• 200 CE

• 100 CE

Multiple Choice

Which date is the oldest?

• CE 45

• 2 BCE

• CE 2019

• 5,000 BCE

Multiple Choice

Which date is closest to today?

• 12 BC

• AD 345

• AD 187

• 8,987 BC

​Time Between Two Dates

​IF both events are in BCE/BC...

• ​Take the older event (larger number) and SUBTRACT the more recent event (the smaller number) from it

  • ​Example: If someone was born in 545 BCE and died in 445 BCE, they lived for 100 years

​IF both events are CE/AD...

• ​Take the more recent event (larger number) and SUBTRACT the older event (smaller number) from it

  • ​Example: if someone was born in 1910 CE and died in 2010 CE, they lived for 100 years.

Fill in the Blank

How many years separate the following two events: the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776 CE) and when American women gained the right to vote (1920 CE)?

Fill in the Blank

How many years separate the following two events: the Battle of Marathon (490 BCE) and the end of the Roman Republic (27 BCE)?

Fill in the Blank

The great philosopher Aristotle was born in 384 BCE and died in 322 BCE. How old was he?

Fill in the Blank

President Franklin D. Roosevelt became President in 1933 CE. He presidency ended in 1945. How many years was he president?

​Time Between Dates

IF the first event is in BCE/BC and the second event is in CE/AD...

• ​ADD the two numbers together and then SUBTRACT the number 1 from that sum

  • ​Example: if someone was born in 50 BCE and died in 50 CE, they lived for 99 years

​

​REMEMBER THE YEAR 0 DOES NOT EXIST AND WE MUST GET RID OF IT IN OUR CALCULATIONS

Fill in the Blank

How many years separate the following two events: The invention of the first alphabet (1700 BCE) and the invention of the lightbulb (1879 CE)?

Fill in the Blank

How many years separate the following: The founding of Rome (753 BCE) and the fall of the Western Roman Empire (476 CE)?

​Construction of the Great Wall of China begins (221 BCE)

​You are born.

​Mexico receives its independence from Spain (1810 CE)

​Kingdoms of Lower & Upper Egypt unite (3000 BCE)

​Do Now....

​Complete page 1 of your new folder pages

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​Once finished...

1. ​Complete any work that is missing/assigned during Remote

2. ​Make corrections/complete pages 1-5 if you were absent or given an extension

3. Practice one of the Seterra options from Google Classroom