1. What is History?

History is all around us:

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Old buildings
Archaeological sites
Ruins and remains
Films
Historical houses
Documentaries
Libraries

History is one of the most ancient branches of knowledge. It is the Greek word for enquiry or
learning by enquiry. History is a record of past events. It is also a science that seeks the truth in
different fields of human achievement:
1. Political 2. Social 3. Economic 4. Cultural
Evidence, questioning and interpreting are three important aspects in constructing historical
knowledge:
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The past generates relics-some of which survive

Relics are questioned and become evidence.
Questioning the evidence yields information which contributes to interpretations
Interpretations contribute the basis for Historical Knowledge

2. History in schools
History refers to the past as well as the process by which we understand the past.
Amount of historical knowledge
History is very vast. History curriculum explores only a tiny selection of history
The underlying challenge of teaching history in school areas from decision about:
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what to teach
how to teach
how to structure
what methods to adopt
how to assess and evaluate the effectiveness of what is taught

Purpose of history in school:

A high quality History Education will:
1. Help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding the past of Mauritius and
that of a wider world.
2. Inspire pupils curiosity to know more about the past
Teaching should equip pupils to:
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Ask perceptive questions

Think critically
Weigh evidence
Develop perspective and judgment

The study of history helps pupils to understand:

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The complexity of peoples lives

The process of change
The diversity of societies
The relationships between different groups

History enables students to develop an understanding of societies, events, movements and

developments that have shaped humanity from earliest times. It allows them:
1. To ask questions and enables them to answer todays questions by engaging with the past
2. To imagine and speculate on possible futures
3. To connect students with the wider world as they develop their own identities and sense
of place
Pupils engage with History at personal, local and international levels. It equips students with
knowledge that are valuable and useful throughout the life. These include techniques and skills
needed to:
1. process complex materials
2. give clear and effective oral and written presentations
3. be able to articulate ideas clearly to others
Awareness of history inspires students to:
1. questioning and empathetic individuals

2. have an understanding of the society

3. develop a sense of belonging and love for the nation
4. developing essential skills
History is thus an account of events that happened in the past and analyses the changes that took
place overtime:
1. It enables learners to know about the different origins of peoples, their way of life and
their role in the development of the country.
2. It helps learners to recognize the need for harmonious co-existence of peple with different
cultures, languages and values
3. It develops patriotism and a sense of commitment to preserve national heritage.
Patriotism implies a sense of belonging to the nation this can be achieved by sharing the
joys and pains of our forefathers and by appreciating and respecting our rich cultural
heritage
4. It contributes to the intellectual development of children. They develop a number of skills
such as ability to:
a. Ask questions
b. Observe
c. Analyze a situation, make judgment based on facts and evidence
d. Develop historical imagination
5. It develops:
a. a sense of identity in the pupils. ( who I am?/Who are we?)
b. a sense of time and chronology. ( who came before and after us?)
c. a sense of continuity and change. (Have things changed or remained the same?)
Students will work towards:
1. Developing and understanding of past societies, developments, events that enables them
to interpret and analyze historical as well as current issues.
2. Analyzing how people from diverse groups have interacted and how they have changed
overtime
3. Understanding the experiences of and empathizing with people in past societies
4. Developing historical literacy skills by analyzing and interpreting evidence from primary
and secondary source
History in the Mauritius School Curriculum
History occupies an ambiguous palace in the school curriculum. Government expects schools to
ensure that pupils gain an understanding of the past by providing adequate time for history.

Learning about the past involves the understanding of the concepts and interlinked aspects which
shape the history curriculum over the learning journey. Some of the interlinked aspects are:

1. Time and memory

2. Interpretation
3. Knowledge and understanding
4. Enquiry
5. Organization
6. Communication
To what extent does history contributes to pupils overall curricular experience?
Is it sufficiently distinctive to justify a place in the crowded curriculum?

History- Being taught as a single subject or whether it can be effectively taught through
integrated or interdisciplinary work
EVS: His/Geo taught using an integrated approach
2002: His/Geo separated from EVS in view to provide an opportunity for a better understanding
of these subjects
Prior to 1980s: No Teaching of history, Only Geography
1980s: EVS was introduced. (Component of Geo, Science, Agriculture and some History)
2002: EVS replaced by His/Geo & Science
2014: Introduction of social, scientific and Environmental Education (SSEE)
Std III&IV: History taught as an integrated approach
STD V&VI: Separate subject
SSEE curriculum enables learners to acquire knowledge, develop inquiry skills, conceptual
understanding, requisite attitudes and values for a critical understanding of the three dimensions
of the environment: natural, cultural and social
Drawing on several historical events and facts the History curriculum informs learners of our
historical past by helping them to better understand the experiences that people have gone
through and the changes overtime. It makes use of past experiences to understand and explain the
present and plan for the future.

The History curriculum further provides opportunities for learners to develop and use inquiry
skills to explore phenomenal in their natural, cultural and social environment. History which is
an important component of SSEE curriculum also focuses on the development of important
values and scientific attitudes.
Aims:
1. Develop an interest and curiosity about the past
2. Appreciate how people and events in the past shaped the local community and the
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environment
Understand the concepts of: sequence, time and chronology, change and continuity
Develop a range of inquiring skills in interpreting the past
Develop a sense of personal and national identity
Understand the importance of their Historical heritage and care for its preservation

Approaches to History Teaching:

Teaching and learning has to be child-centered so as to make history alive and interesting.
Teacher-centered approach: Teacher provides all information, with the support of textbooks.
The pupils only play a passive role. They read from textbooks and obtain information that they
have to learn and remember.
Child-centered: Pupils participate in the learning process as they are required to carry out a
variety of activities on the topic that is being studied.
A sequential approach to the teaching of history, suitable to the developmental needs of pupils
should be adopted in the primary school as this will prepare the child for a chronological
approach of a later stage. It is important that the chronological character of historical
development to be a part of the pupils historical consciousness as early as he is able to assimilate
it.
Approaches:
1. Local History
The importance of local History is difficult to over emphasize.
The study of the locality is rooted in the familiar or easily accessible geographical
locations of the child.

For a child, National History with government policies is too complex to

understand whereas local History is meaningful

Local History is concerned with names of their streets. The jobs of their
grandparents, their own school, buildings and structures in the locality. For

example: the old chimney in the sugarcane field

Local history can be used properly only as an approach if it involves visit to

relevant sites
2. Line of development studies
Line of development studies are valuable as they are most concern concerned with

features of what is often called Social History

This approach illuminates the evolutionary nature of History. For example:
studying the development of Education in Mauritius from the beginning to present

time.
3. Patch study
Patch study is the opposite of the line of development approach
The close examination of a particular period or movement
Emphasis is not on the evolutionary nature of History but on many interlocking
features of a particular period which combine to give it characteristics effect. For
example: studying the development of Education in Mauritius during the British

period
Such a comprehensive approach can make a particular period very alive and

vibrant to pupils
Its weakness lies in the tendency to treat periods of history in isolation
4. Project work
Project work can provide children with an introduction to some of the basic
historical skills- the collection of materials from various sources and the recording

of conclusions
A valuable activity which introduces the concept of historical interpretations to
the child during his research

5. Texts

Conducting a History class based only on textbooks inhibits the creative

approach to the teaching of History in Primary schools

Local history, line development studies, patch studies and successful project
work depend for their effectiveness on the initiative of the teacher and the extent

of their own knowledge.

History and historical textbooks have little to contribute to these strategies.

Conclusion
A careful mix of strategies outlined, set against a background of a general, evolutionary,
chronological overview would seem to be the most effective way to approach the teaching of
history in primary school. Such a chronology must relate to the childs stage of developments.
The importance of history in the primary curriculum cannot be undermined. However the
significance of history teaching at the primary level lies more in the development of skills and
positive attitudes among the pupils. Approaches adopted to teach History at primary level should
aim at developing interest and curiosity among the pupils.
Key questions:
Why is it important to teach and learn history at primary level? (Purpose of teaching
history)
How would you justify the place of History in the Primary Curriculum?
How do you think the teaching of History can be made interesting and lively for pupils at

primary level?