Projects for Teachers

On October 15, a seminar for history teachers, organized by the “Territory of Memory” Genocide Museum, took place in Odesa. The speaker was Nataliia Vlasova – director of the Scientific Lyceum of International Relations at the University of Customs and Finance (UMSF), a history teacher, and a co-author of textbooks and model curricula developed in collaboration with the “Tkuma” Institute.

The presentation was titled “Modern Approaches to Addressing World War II in the School History Curriculum: Practical Tools for Developing Historical Thinking.” For over two hours, participants discussed how to teach the history of the war in a way that helps students not only absorb facts but also critically reflect on past events.

Nataliia Vlasova placed special emphasis on complex issues surrounding World War, II including mass atrocities, collaboration, responsibility, propaganda, and historical memory. The discussion centered on the teacher's role in fostering a comprehensive understanding of historical events – free from oversimplifications and stereotypes.

During the seminar, participants explored contemporary research and methodological approaches to teaching history, drawing on the works of Timothy Snyder, Paul-Robert Magocsi, Piotr Majewski, and Grzegorz Motyka. The speaker supplemented these theoretical insights with practical examples from textbooks published by the Orion publishing house – a series developed by a team led by Dr. Igor Shchupak, Director of “Tkuma” Institute.

The event served as a platform for professional dialogue and the exchange of experience among educators; participating in such gatherings helps disseminate modern history-teaching methodologies and facilitates their integration into school practice.