Feeling overwhelmed by Historiana? Is there a wealth of material but you’re not sure where to begin? Don’t worry! Here, I’ll introduce three easy ways to get started with Historiana. You can dive right in without logging in or extensive learning. And once you get started, you’ll discover the multitude of opportunities Historiana offers.
- Two Useful Source Collections:
- In what ways did Roman inventions affect later developments in European life? In what ways did Roman inventions affect later developments in European life?
- In what ways did Greek inventions affect later developments in European life? In what ways did Greek inventions affect later development in European life?
We all probably teach about ancient Greece and Rome and want to highlight how the influences of both cultures are visible in the present day.
These two collections showcase inventions from antiquity. I’ve used the collections even with 11-year-olds, having them explore inventions and then compare them to the present day. As students get older, the level of analysis improves.
The collections’ simplicity is a plus. Plus, the images help. If a student’s native language isn’t English, Google Translate can be surprisingly helpful. We’ve come a long way in comparison.
- Historical Politics Then and Now:
- Cultural Heritage: monuments representing controversial history Cultural Heritage: monuments representing controversial history
- Cultural Heritage: changing street names Cultural Heritage: changing street names
In everyday news (especially from Russia), we see how history is being rewritten and how historiography intersects with contemporary politics. The following two source collections examine historical monuments and street names. There are good examples in the collection of monuments to ambiguous figures and how street names change with shifts in power.
These examples are easy to compare to one’s own country’s history. For example, in Finland, Lenin’s parks and statues fell out of favour when Russia attacked Ukraine. Therefore, these source collections are excellent examples of how things can be viewed from many different perspectives.
- Everyday History:
- Life in Europe in the 1950s Life in Europe in the 1950s
- Paintings of everyday life Paintings of everyday life
Tired of war? Feel like the news is all bad? If the answer is yes, it’s good to realise that there’s also everyday life. History isn’t just about wars and upheavals but also ordinary life. The following two source collections allow you to explore how daily life was depicted in paintings from the 1600s to the 1800s and what people’s lives were like after World War II in the 1950s. Everyday life is often overlooked in history teaching, and these collections provide an opportunity to explore it.
Hopefully, these three easy examples will help you get started!