ACTIVITY INTRODUCTION

Objectives:

• Discover the diversity of perspectives of shared historical events as well as the varying views of the major political figures associated with them.
• Think more critically about one’s own national history.

This activity can be followed up with a discussion on national myths and the figures they pertain to.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set up the room: Divide students into groups according to the number of participants.

2. Once groups are formed, each group chooses the national historical or political figures they consider ‘heroic’ or important and explains why they admire and are proud of these figures. This first part should take between 10 and 20 minutes. Participants can choose an unlimited number of figures.

3. If necessary, and if the room is equipped for it, participants can use computers or their smartphones to collect information or place the figures they have chosen into the correct historical context.

4. Once they have chosen their ‘heroes’, the groups present their lists to each other and the teacher writes the names on the board, underlining those who are mentioned most often.

5. The next part of the activity involves asking the participants questions, such as:

• Was anyone surprised by the heroes listed? Why?

• Does anyone know all of the heroes listed?

• Why are national heroes the ones most people know? What human values do they represent?

• What makes us admire some heroes more than others? Where did we learn to respect them and why? Do you think that if they were still alive today their actions and values would still make them heroes?

• Do you think the heroes listed are universal? Do you think everyone considers them heroes?

These questions should open a discussion among participants.

DOING THIS ACTIVITY ONLINE

1. The teacher creates a link to a Zoom (or other videoconferencing platform) meeting and sends it to students.
2. Once they are in the ‘virtual meeting room’, the teacher puts students into groups (depending on the number of participants).
3. Each group chooses the national historical or political figures they consider ‘heroic’ or important and explains why they admire and are proud of these figures. This first part should take between 10 and 20 minutes. Participants can choose an unlimited number of figures.
4. Once the groups have chosen their ‘heroes’, they present their lists to one another and the teacher writes down the names on a virtual whiteboard, such as https://awwapp.com/#, underlining the names that are mentioned most often.
5. The groups leave the main meeting room and enter ‘breakout rooms’ on Zoom.
6. The next part of the activity involves asking the participants questions, such as:

•Was anyone surprised by the heroes listed? Why?

• Does anyone know all of the heroes listed?

• Why are national heroes the ones most people know? What human values do they represent?

• What makes us admire some heroes more than others? Where did we learn to respect them and why? Do you think that if they were still alive today their actions and values would still make them heroes?

• Do you think the heroes listed are universal? Do you think everyone considers them heroes?

These questions can be sent via Framapad link to the two groups in the Zoom breakout rooms.

1. This is when participants should start researching online to collect information or place the figures they have chosen into the correct historical context.
2. Once the groups have finished their research and answered the questions, they return to the main meeting room to start the class discussion. The teacher can use an ‘online Post-It’ website such as https://note.ly as a whiteboard and show it to all participants in real time via screensharing.