Plan the inquiry before students begin

• Skills. Construct and defend a historical story by investigating sources, finding a perspective that is often left untold and comparing evidence-based interpretations.
• Knowledge. Understand that historical interpretations depend on surviving evidence: some claims are supported, some are reasoned inferences and some remain unknown.
• Attitudes. Question initial assumptions and the stories encountered in textbooks, museums, online or from AI, then revise an interpretation when the evidence challenges it.
• Values. Represent people with dignity, give overlooked experiences serious attention and be honest about the limits of what can be said.

Historical empathy means using evidence and context to understand someone’s world, not pretending to read their mind. Multiple perspectives can change how students understand the past, but every interpretation still needs evidence. An impressive AI output is not automatically true; the goal is a story students can stand behind.

• Start small. Choose a specific event or situation within a topic students already study, or a documented museum object whose story they can investigate.
• Prepare the evidence. Save the exact starting story and a manageable pack of credible sources. Inquiry does not require AI.
• Keep everyone involved. Work in stable groups of two to four, with an active contribution from each student. Share findings between groups after each phase.
• Keep the work connected. Prepare printed or digital worksheets and a place to save sources, decisions and drafts across the six phases.

• Choose for the output. Writing, images, video and interactive formats need different capabilities. Match the tools to your available devices, budget and school policy.
• Test before class. Try the whole workflow, including saving and sharing the result. Check current access rules and usage limits, especially for video generation.
• Keep a workable alternative. Use a teacher-led demonstration or a no-AI format when direct student access is not appropriate.

The AI tool guide (PDF) ↗ compares tools by task and outlines free and budget-conscious workflows. It updates details from the recording; check providers’ current terms before planning a lesson.

The curriculum mapping sheet ↗ connects project activities and student work to curriculum goals in Belgium (Flanders), the Netherlands, Greece, Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia), Spain and France. It includes official source references, subject and stage, and links to the relevant lessons.

Select the country, school context and standards source that apply to your class. Keep the applicability conditions: some links depend on optional activities or a particular production route. The mapping supports planning; it does not claim that completing the project meets an entire curriculum or proves an individual student’s attainment.

• Use school-approved tools and follow local age, privacy and safeguarding rules.
• Do not require personal information or a personal AI account.
• A teacher-led demonstration can replace one-device-per-student access.
• Provide paper and prepared-source alternatives where homework research or technology access is unequal.
• AI may support production, but it is not a historical source and cannot make the judgement for the student.