As a result of the “New Ways to the Past” project, this publication offers practical examples of teaching, using historical topics, which will merge with the traditional curriculum. The project focused on the development of a teacher guide offering examples for a wide variety of approaches to history teaching, its dissemination and its implemen­ta­tion by in-service train­ing and History Teachers Associations. Every history teacher in Estonia and Latvia received a copy of the teacher guide.

The new stan­dards for history education in Estonia and Latvia required alternative approaches for history education. In these standards a wide range on content-based criteria were merged with modern approaches. During the project, the participants found out by experience how far it was possible to work with these new guidelines. As a result the standards were evaluated. The project also focused on the integration of minority teachers of history into the History Teachers Associations and their network.

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New Ways to the Past

Available in the following languages:
Estonian | Latvian | Russian

Download individual chapters

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Introduction  LV | ET | RU
Section 1. Selection Time: The 1920s and 1930s  LV | ET | RU
Section 2. Time without choice: Latvia and the United States of America  LV | ET | RU
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Part of the Project

New Ways to the Past

Funded by

MATRA Programme

Members involved

Latvian History Teachers’ Association

Estonian History Teachers’ Association

Contributors

Authors:

Juris Freibergs, Jolanta Klisane, Elvira Vilume, Sarmite Goldmane, Jelena Rjazanceva, Ligita Straube, Ülle Kõiv, Heli Aiaots, Eda Maripuu, Ivo Maripuu, Mart Kand, Eero Medijainen.

Coordinators Estonia:

Mare Oja, Reet Kandima.

Coordinators Latvia:

Aija Klavina, Dzintra Liepina.

Coordinators Russia:

Alexander Shevyrev, Tamara Eidelmann.

International experts:

Rosemary Rees, Sue Bennett, Ronald Donk, Ian McKellar, Harald Frode Skramm, Sirkka Ahonen.

  • Change and continuity through looking at the impact of a happening that is having a diverse impact on society
  • Project Citizen: engaging students in the active exercise of responsible citizenship
  • Helping all student answer challenging questions about the causes of historical events and developments
  • Action Research: projects as active methods to develop civic skills
  • How do we decide what we believe? – Helping students learn how to question beliefs and test claims to become more (self) critical and evidence based in their thinking