History teaching History teaching in Serbiain Serbia

History as a subject has a History as a subject has a significant part in school significant part in school curricula, both in Primary as curricula, both in Primary as well as in Secondary schoolswell as in Secondary schools History is taught for 4 years History is taught for 4 years in Primary schools (children in Primary schools (children age 11 – 14) and 1 – 4 years age 11 – 14) and 1 – 4 years in High schools, depending in High schools, depending on the type of schoolon the type of schoolHistory curricula are History curricula are organized chronologically organized chronologically

The main objectives of The main objectives of history as a subjecthistory as a subject

History as a subject has a very important History as a subject has a very important role in developing personal, cultural and role in developing personal, cultural and national identity national identity

Children learn about past events and Children learn about past events and complex processes that shaped our complex processes that shaped our civilizationcivilization

On history classes students should On history classes students should develop democratic and humanistic develop democratic and humanistic values and believes and learn to be values and believes and learn to be tolerant, open-minded and to think tolerant, open-minded and to think freely, logically and criticallyfreely, logically and critically

Problems in history Problems in history teaching in Serbiateaching in Serbia

Textbooks based on political history (lots of Textbooks based on political history (lots of facts and figures), traditional ways of facts and figures), traditional ways of teaching with lectures as dominant and teaching with lectures as dominant and prevailing model, lack of technical prevailing model, lack of technical resources, big student groups, lack of resources, big student groups, lack of enthusiasm among the teaching stuff and enthusiasm among the teaching stuff and lack of interest and discipline among the lack of interest and discipline among the student populationstudent population

Teachers often pay more attention on Teachers often pay more attention on memorizing facts, than on comprehending memorizing facts, than on comprehending processesprocesses

Modernization of the Modernization of the subjectsubject

The new generation of textbooks tends to The new generation of textbooks tends to cover not only political issues, but also social, cover not only political issues, but also social, cultural, technological changes, as well as a cultural, technological changes, as well as a life of “ordinary people”life of “ordinary people”

Textbooks are in color, nicely illustrated and Textbooks are in color, nicely illustrated and full of visual material (photos, cartoons, maps) full of visual material (photos, cartoons, maps) that can easily be analyzed during the classthat can easily be analyzed during the class

Ministry of education and different NGOs Ministry of education and different NGOs conduct teacher trainings in order to show to conduct teacher trainings in order to show to teachers how to use different methods of teachers how to use different methods of teaching, motivate pupils to actively teaching, motivate pupils to actively participate and make lessons more interactiveparticipate and make lessons more interactive

History Teaching: New History Teaching: New Approaches, New Approaches, New Tendencies, New Tendencies, New

PossibilitiesPossibilities Main goal of this seminar was to show Main goal of this seminar was to show to teachers how to use “untypical” to teachers how to use “untypical” sources (photos, cartoons, press articles sources (photos, cartoons, press articles and oral history method) during the and oral history method) during the classesclasses

These sources could be especially useful These sources could be especially useful when teaching about rapid when teaching about rapid modernization and urbanization, life of modernization and urbanization, life of “ordinary people”, migrations, changes “ordinary people”, migrations, changes in the way and standard of living, family in the way and standard of living, family life, local history etc.life, local history etc.

Why using this kind of Why using this kind of sources in the classroom?sources in the classroom?

Pupils can visualize to some extend Pupils can visualize to some extend processes that they are learning aboutprocesses that they are learning about

Together with teacher they have the Together with teacher they have the opportunity to critically analyze the opportunity to critically analyze the sourcesource

The analysis requires special knowledgeThe analysis requires special knowledge Both photographs and cartoons are Both photographs and cartoons are

excellent for the comparisonexcellent for the comparison Pupils can work in groups, pairs or try to Pupils can work in groups, pairs or try to

find out more about the given source at find out more about the given source at homehome

Dealing with the photo as a Dealing with the photo as a sourcesource

We must constantly have in mind that there are We must constantly have in mind that there are not so many “neutral” photos. not so many “neutral” photos.

Photos can be very suggestive, provocative and Photos can be very suggestive, provocative and powerful medium, taken with the purpose to powerful medium, taken with the purpose to achieve some impact or to provoke strong achieve some impact or to provoke strong emotions (e.g. compassion, sympathy, sadness) emotions (e.g. compassion, sympathy, sadness)

The choice of the filmed events / persons, The choice of the filmed events / persons, composition of the photo, the lightening, composition of the photo, the lightening, moment when the photo was taken, the moment when the photo was taken, the presence of the photographer on the exact presence of the photographer on the exact place in the exact time may be extremely place in the exact time may be extremely important when critically analyzing photo as a important when critically analyzing photo as a sourcesource

Possible questions when Possible questions when analyzing photograph analyzing photograph

Give detailed description of the photoGive detailed description of the photo What do you think is going on this photo?What do you think is going on this photo? Who are the people / object and what do they Who are the people / object and what do they

present?present? What do you think the photo was taken?What do you think the photo was taken? Is it a spontaneous photo or is it taken with Is it a spontaneous photo or is it taken with

some purposesome purpose What other sources do you know about this What other sources do you know about this

event / personevent / person Does the photo provoke some emotions? Which Does the photo provoke some emotions? Which

ones?ones?

Dealing with the cartoon as Dealing with the cartoon as a sourcea source

Teacher must clearly state that caricatures offer Teacher must clearly state that caricatures offer grotesque / satiric / ironic comment of some grotesque / satiric / ironic comment of some event, political notion or person and not the event, political notion or person and not the objective presentation of the situation in the objective presentation of the situation in the society. It is of great importance to know what society. It is of great importance to know what was the political, ideological and social was the political, ideological and social orientation of the newspaper in which the orientation of the newspaper in which the cartoon was publishedcartoon was published

Caricatures must obey certain social Caricatures must obey certain social conventionsconventions

They can be very powerful mean of propagandaThey can be very powerful mean of propaganda Many stereotypes that have lasted for decades Many stereotypes that have lasted for decades

were shaped through the cartoonswere shaped through the cartoons

Possible questions when Possible questions when analyzing cartoonsanalyzing cartoons

Describe the person / object on the cartoonDescribe the person / object on the cartoon Are the persons / objects portrayed in the Are the persons / objects portrayed in the

realistic or the grotesque way?realistic or the grotesque way? Can you recognize persons portrayed? Can you recognize persons portrayed?

Name them and define their political or Name them and define their political or social positionsocial position

To what event is caricature referring to?To what event is caricature referring to? What do you know about that event / What do you know about that event /

person?person? What is the meaning of the text below? Is it What is the meaning of the text below? Is it

supposed to be funny or ironic?supposed to be funny or ironic?

Possible questions …Possible questions …

What symbols are used on the What symbols are used on the caricature? Why the author did chose to caricature? Why the author did chose to use these particular symbols?use these particular symbols?

What other sources we have about this What other sources we have about this event / person?event / person?

Is this caricature in the collision with Is this caricature in the collision with other sources?other sources?

What is the effect of the caricature?What is the effect of the caricature? Which message did the author wanted Which message did the author wanted

to send?to send?