Planning a timeline with milestones
Name:
Date:
Class:
A
Quick Questions
Shade in the A or B circle for each question.
1. Which best describes a milestone on a project timeline?
2. A timeline puts tasks against what?
3. Your group has a poster due on Friday 20 June. Which is a good milestone?
4. On Wednesday your group is meant to have finished the draft, but it is only half done. What does the milestone tell you?
5. In a simple spreadsheet timeline, which set of columns would be most useful?
B
Match the Pairs
Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.
| Left column | Right column | |
|---|---|---|
| 1milestone | AThis milestone is vague and has no date, so nobody can check if the project is on schedule. | |
| 2Due date: Fri 14 Mar | BA checkpoint on a timeline, like 'Draft finished', that shows if your project is on schedule | |
| 3A simple spreadsheet timeline lists each task with its due date in columns | CMilestone: Prototype tested by 21 Mar | |
| 4A milestone is a checkpoint that shows whether the project is on schedule | DA2: Write script | B2: 10 Mar | |
| 5A2: Make poster | B2: (blank) | EThe task has no due date, so it is not placed on the timeline and you cannot tell if it is on schedule. | |
| 6Milestone: Do some work | FThe day a task must be finished by, shown against the task on the timeline |
C
Definitions
milestone
D
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.
1.
=_____()
2.
=C2_B2
3.
=IF(TODAY()_C2,"Late","On track")
4.
=___(C2:C8)
5.
=_______(D2:D8,"Done")
E
Spot the Error
Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.
Question 1
A
Task,Start,Due
B
Plan,1 Aug,5 Aug
C
Build,6 Aug,15 Aug
D
Test,16 Aug,10 Aug
Question 2
A
Milestone: Draft done
B
Due: 31 Feb
C
Today: 5 Sep
D
Days left = Due - Today
Question 3
A
Milestone: The whole project
B
Due: 9 Oct
C
Check: Is it done on time?
Question 4
A
Rule: due = start + 7 days
B
B2: 3/9/2025 (start)
C
C2: =B2-7
Question 5
A
Milestone: Draft, due 10 Sep
B
Today: 12 Sep
C
Draft finished? No
D
Status: On schedule
Answer Key
Planning a timeline with milestones
Section A: Quick Questions
Q1
A — A checkpoint that shows a key task is finished
Q2
A — Dates
Q3
B — Research finished by Friday 6 June
Q4
A — The project is behind schedule
Q5
B — Task, Start date, Due date, Milestone
Section B: Match the Pairs
Q1
milestone → A checkpoint on a timeline, like 'Draft finished', that shows if your project is on schedule
Q2
Due date: Fri 14 Mar → The day a task must be finished by, shown against the task on the timeline
Q3
A simple spreadsheet timeline lists each task with its due date in columns → A2: Write script | B2: 10 Mar
Q4
A milestone is a checkpoint that shows whether the project is on schedule → Milestone: Prototype tested by 21 Mar
Q5
A2: Make poster | B2: (blank) → The task has no due date, so it is not placed on the timeline and you cannot tell if it is on schedule.
Q6
Milestone: Do some work → This milestone is vague and has no date, so nobody can check if the project is on schedule.
Section C: Definitions
Q1
milestone — A checkpoint on a project timeline, such as a due date for a key task, that shows whether your project is on schedule.Section D: Fill in the Blanks
Q1
=TODAY()Q2
=C2-B2Q3
=IF(TODAY()>C2,"Late","On track")Q4
=MAX(C2:C8)Q5
=COUNTIF(D2:D8,"Done")Section E: Spot the Error
Q1
D — The due date (10 Aug) is before the start date (16 Aug), so the task would be late before it began. It should be a due date after the start, such as 20 Aug.
Q2
B — 31 Feb is not a real date, so the due date cannot be used on a timeline. It should be a real date such as 12 Sep.
Q3
A — A milestone is a checkpoint along the way, not the entire project. It should name one key task, such as 'Finish research'.
Q4
C — The rule says the due date is 7 days after the start, so the formula must add 7 (=B2+7). Subtracting gives a date before the start.
Q5
D — The due date (10 Sep) has passed and the draft is not finished, so the project is behind schedule, not on schedule.