The gradual transformation of historical situations : understanding 'change and continuity' through colours and timelines

Abstract

The small-scale research that Yosanne Vella reports in this article was driven by concern to help pupils develop 'big picture' visions of the past and to engage effectively with the idea of change as a process rather than an event. The strategy that she adopts - asking groups of students to colour in a timeline recording their judgement in response to a range of sources - is a deceptively simple device that enables all her class to engage in a real historical controversy. While the specific question that she tackled (relating to religious change in medieval Malta) is obviously of particular relevance to her own context, the principles that underpin her approach can be widely applied in developing overviews that make the processes of change and continuity visible and open to debate.