1. Thumbs Up for Capitalization
Capitalizing Time Periods, Historical Events, Documents
& Laws

2. the nineteenth century
Names of Time Periods
Capitalize the names of time periods.
the Middle Ages
the Cenozoic Era
Do not capitalize centuries or decades.
the nineteenth century
the eighties
But do capitalize well-known names for centuries or decades.
the Roaring Twenties

3. Centuries are not capitalized.
Let’s Practice
One of these is wrong. Hold up one finger if #1 is wrong, two fingers if #2 is wrong, and three fingers if #3 is wrong.
1. I was born in the Twentieth Century.
2. Dinosaurs were dominant during the Jurassic Period.
3. Poodle skirts were popular during the fifties.
Centuries are not capitalized.

4. The Industrial Revolution is a time period and should be capitalized.
Let’s Practice
One of these is wrong. Hold up one finger if #1 is wrong, two fingers if #2 is wrong, and three fingers if #3 is wrong.
1. The Romantic Era occurred between 1770 and 1850.
2. The American Revolution was took place in the eighteenth century.
3. Have you ever wondered about the time period named the industrial revolution?
The Industrial Revolution is a time period and should be capitalized.

5. More Practice If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
During the Bronze Age, many
weapons and tools
were made of bronze.

6. More Practice If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
This is the twenty-first
century.

7. More Practice If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
Glaciers pushed south during
the ice age.

8. More Practice If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
Hippies were common
in the sixties.

9. Historical Events, Documents, and Laws
Capitalize specific historical events, documents, and laws.
the Vietnam War
the Constitution
Land Ordinance of 1785
Do not capitalize common nouns that simply refer to an event, document, or law.
Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, or, but), or short prepositions (to, for, in, of, etc.)

10. Let’s Practice
One of these is wrong. Hold up one finger if #1 is wrong, two fingers if #2 is wrong, and three fingers if #3 is wrong.
1. My mom grew up during the Great Depression.
2. If you drive too fast, you are breaking the law.
3. President Lincoln delivered the emancipation proclamation.
The Emancipation Proclamation is an important historical document and must be capitalized.

11. Names of wars are capitalized.
Let’s Practice
One of these is wrong. Hold up one finger if #1 is wrong, two fingers if #2 is wrong, and three fingers if #3 is wrong.
1. The Declaration of Independence was written at the beginning of the revolutionary war.
2. The Constitution organizes our government.
3. No Child Left Behind was a law written about education.
Names of wars are capitalized.

12. More Practice If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
World war II was fought
all around the world.

13. More Practice If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
The Nineteenth Amendment
gave women the right
to vote.

14. More Practice If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
The Treaty Of Versailles
officially ended
World War I.

15. More Practice If the sentence is written correctly, put your thumb up.
If the sentence is written incorrectly, put your thumb down.
Did they pass the Law that
banned public
smoking?

16. Copyright © 2013 Brenda Kovich Version All rights reserved by author. Permission to copy for single classroom use only. Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only. Images licensed by Dancing Crayon