Make history lessons appealing - Additional opportunities for sustainable educational lessons

It is therefore important to convey the fascination and added value of the topic as far as possible in such a way that the interest is transferred to the students. In addition to appealing lessons, there are other options that we would like to present in this article.

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Eyewitnesses:

There is hardly any other way to show history more impressively than with contemporary witnesses. Especially as a student, you often forget that it is and was real people who have experienced history and not just characters like in a book or movie. By also asking contemporary witnesses questions, you can address particularly exciting aspects in more detail. Of course, the issue of eyewitnesses is a sensitive issue. It is therefore particularly important to sensitize students in advance. To discuss with them which questions you could ask and which you should be particularly sensitive to.

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Well-designed additional materials:

Well-developed additional materials make exciting lessons easier. Publishers such as CC Buchner Verlag, for example, offer thematic issues on important political and historical events. For example, they currently have a special issue on the Middle East conflict.

https://www.ccbuchner.de/produkt/politik-u-wirtschaft-themenheft-nahostkonflikt-8846

This can help to deal with this difficult topic historically and politically and thus be a great support for the attractively presented teaching.

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Active experience:

Students can retain and deepen what they have learned particularly well if they can empathize with the role of people at the time. What could it have been like when people used oil lamps before the invention of the light bulb, or what did they have to consider if they wanted to flee to the West during the Cold War? School classes in Berlin can get closer to the second question with the help of a puzzle game. During the digital scavenger hunt “Flight and espionage at the Berlin Wall” They solve puzzles and follow clues to help their friend, the antique dealer Siegfried, escape to West Berlin. In doing so, they playfully get closer to the history of the GDR, learn how the Stasi spied and what drove people to flee.

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Documentary and non-documentary films on the topic:

In the moving images of a documentary, you can often imagine events much better than when they tell you. In addition to documentaries, we would also like to recommend fictional films based on true events. These often have an even higher fun factor and so it is easier for students to pay attention. Some feature films, especially when they depict the life of a historical figure, are also very close to actual events. Films that are based rather loosely on historical events can be examined for accuracy in subsequent lessons. What exactly do the students think happened and what is more of a film stylistic device?

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At the scene of the events:

You can imagine history even better when you visit the places where it happened. For example, if you discuss regional history, you can explain the important trade routes on the roads, why they were important and what people transported here and how. Or you visit a historic building and talk about the reason it was built and the personalities who worked here.

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Our personal recommendation:

With our digital scavenger hunt “Flight and Espionage at the Berlin Wall”, students can learn something about the historical background of our important capital city in an easy and appealing way. Book now here your next class trip with SchoolRallye!