Historiana, developed by the European Association of History Educators (EUROCLIO) in collaboration with a network of history educators and researchers, offers a wealth of resources and tools to enrich history education. The end of the school year and summer time offers a great opportunity to teachers to design their material for the next year. In this blog post, we will explore how to effectively use Historiana in the Greek History curriculum to unlock its potential and enhance historical understanding in the classroom.
Access and Utilise Educational Materials
Historiana offers a wide range of educational materials that can enhance history lessons. These materials include ready-to-use learning activities, both analog and on line, lesson plans, and historical content designed by history educators. The materials provided on Historiana are created and reviewed by experts, ensuring their quality and accuracy.
Key moments are modules that include three topics: World Wars I & II and The Cold War, all of which are included in the Greek history curriculum for secondary education. Here teachers can select all the information needed for their lessons and download helpful materials.
Narratives is a new section in the platform developed as part of the project Teaching European History in the 21st Century (TEH21). Many topics are approached from a European perspective, that until this moment is lacking from the Greek History curriculum, but it has been integrated into the new curricula that may be implemented from the school year 2025. It is a good opportunity for a colleague to attempt a first familiarisation with this kind of approach in subjects such as Peace and conflict, Ideologies, Protest and social movements, or Migration. All Narratives are accompanied with Discussion Questions and rich references in English. The Art of Questioning and The Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture help the teacher design History lessons (and not only) that promote historical thinking and foster students’ engagement.
Explore Historical Sources
One of Historiana’s most valuable features is its vast collection of historical sources. These primary and secondary sources provide students with authentic materials to engage with history directly. Encourage students to critically analyse and interpret these sources, fostering historical thinking skills. The sources are organised into categories, making it easier to find relevant materials for specific topics or periods. Incorporate these sources, for example, In what ways did Greek inventions affect later development in European life? into your lessons to give students a firsthand experience of historical research.
Viewpoints are also collections of sources on specific topics that were developed as part of the project “Learning to Disagree” and can be used for Dialogue, Discussion, Debate in history classes. Surviving under pressure: Famine in Greece, and Cultural Heritage: Hagia Sophia, Church or Mosque can contribute to the Greek curriculum also in different subjects than history, such as Modern Greek Language, Social Sciences or even Religion lessons.
Utilise Interactive Tools
Historiana offers interactive tools that allow students to actively engage with history. One such tool is the “Historiana eLearning Activities”, which provides a framework for students to analyse historical evidence, make interpretations, and construct historical narratives. Encourage students to use these tools to develop their historical thinking abilities. Apart from numerous activities that are related to the World War I & II (i.e “Iconic images”, “The role of postcards in WWI”, “The Road to WWII”) , a rage of activities which can be incorporated in the Greek Curriculum are:
“What we can learn from Ancient Greeks for Democracy today?”,
“When Middle Ages end and The Renaissance begins?” ,
“How does coffee reveal the contradictions in European values?”,
Historiana also offers teaching material translated in Greek , although few:
«Η ΕΕ και το εμπόριο σε ένα παγκόσμιο πλαίσιο»,
These can be applied either in history lessons or in a broader curriculum, and can be project topics.
Additionally, the “Historiana eActivity Builder” tool allows you to create interactive online activities, quizzes, and assignments tailored to your teaching objectives. Here you can find an explanatory video on how to use it.
Customize and Adapt
While Historiana offers a wide range of ready-to-use materials, it is important to adapt and customise them to suit your specific teaching context and students’ needs. We suggest you modify lesson plans and activities to align with your curriculum, incorporate local history, and address specific learning objectives. Tailoring the resources to your students’ interests and abilities will enhance their engagement and foster a deeper understanding of history.
Historiana is a powerful platform that empowers educators to enhance history education through a vast array of resources and interactive tools. By familiarising yourself with Historiana, accessing educational materials, exploring historical sources, utilising interactive tools, and customising resources, you can harness the full potential of this platform to create engaging and enriching history lessons. Embrace Historiana as a valuable ally in your journey to inspire and cultivate a deep appreciation for history among your students.
This article was written by Historiana Teaching and Learning Team Member Vassiliki Yiannou