In her keynote address at the History for Peace conference in 2015 Barbara Christophe from the Georg Eckert Institute said ‘(history) textbooks are probably among the most selective media we have.’ The textbook selects, omits, simplifies and gives shape to the past. Sometimes, those choices are influenced not only by the demands of the classroom, but also by politics, ideology and ideas about what should be remembered.

This module looks at the textbook differently. Rather than accepting its narrative as the unquestionable truth emanating from a single authoritative voice or, dismissing it altogether,

we will place it alongside other voices, perspectives and pieces of evidence.

Through a selection of topics, the module will explore how teachers can turn the textbook from a source of ready-made answers into an object of historical enquiry. The goal is not to replace one “official” version with another, but to help students recognise that history is complex, contested and open to interpretation.

SFFF-Web.pdf

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