People as historical sources
Story-telling in History
“Story-telling can be a powerful way of engaging learners imaginatively with the past: and of introducing a topic so that they can form a mental model of the past world. Stories give information and detail, and supplya context, a visualization of a different world.”
(Fines, J & Nichol, J. (1997). Teaching Primary History: The Nuffield Primary History Project, Oxford: Heinemann)
The telling of the story contributes to the creation of a common second record for the learners. Stories told to learners must be based on real evidence from the past - they are not fiction set in the past. A story helps learners form a context that will give more meaning to some follow-up work with sources.
Another idea might be to tell a story until a crucial point, and then ask the learners what they think happened next. They can argue the options in small groups and then record their differing perspectives on newsprint or on the chalkboard. Work with sources will then provide the 'what happened next' of the actual event. Giving learners the opportunity to argue develops their skills and is a way for them to see the validity of their suggestions. This skill also needs to be developed in writing.
Related Pages:
Next page: Drama and Simulation
Previous page: Working with oral sources
References
How to conduct & present historical research
Oral history - an educational tool for educators and learners
Source: Unpublished material from 3 Provincial History Conferences, December 2002, supplied by Claire Dyer, SA History Project, National Dept. of Education.