Female English major student 'breathes new life' into history studies

A special love for history prompted My to carry out a project to convey the value of this subject to students.

Stand up strong after falling

In grade 11, Thien My registered for the national history team selection exam of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province for the 2022-2023 school year and won first prize. Therefore, in December 2022, My had the opportunity to study as a visiting lecturer at Hanoi National University of Education.

Also during the 2-week guest lecture, My visited the exhibition "Song of Triumph" on the occasion of the 68th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital" at Hoa Lo Prison relic and the exhibition "From the Ground to the Sky" on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Hanoi - Dien Bien Phu in the Air Victory" at Thang Long Imperial Citadel. These two events made My even more moved by the nation's turbulent history.

"I was impressed by the way the two exhibitions conveyed knowledge in a neat and appropriate way that suited the tastes of young people. Therefore, I hope to be able to do a similar project to spread the love of history among students," My said.

However, the time spent studying for the national excellent student exam later caused My to be under a lot of pressure and have mental health problems. As a result, on March 13, 2023, My received the news that she failed the exam. This made her feel insecure about her abilities and somewhat diminished her interest in history.

Gradually, because she did not want to be surrounded by negativity, My encouraged herself to return to her normal study routine. From here, My realized that she needed to express her love for her country's history in another way.

"The award is not the only way to prove how dedicated I am to this subject. Therefore, I have pulled myself together and continued to nurture the intention to do what I have always wanted," My confided.

Spread the non-profit project

At the end of July 2023, My started working on an online flip book with content revolving around historical events in Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 to help 12th grade students have a concise source of documents to review for the 2024 high school graduation exam. Talking about the reason for choosing the milestone to include in the project, My said: "I surveyed my friends to understand which historical period they wanted to present in the document. In addition, I personally also like poetry from the period of resistance against the French, so I decided to focus on this period."

The document systematizing Vietnamese historical knowledge from 1945-1954 was designed by the US using Photoshop software in more than 55 days.

The US chose the main colors of red and yellow to evoke the image of the Vietnamese flag.

The content of the project was distilled by My from the 12th grade history textbook and the book "System of historical knowledge from basic to advanced". During the implementation process, My also continuously compared data with reputable websites on the internet as well as asked for the support of the history teacher who was teaching her in editing the content of the document.

Regarding the form, My said that the first thing to do is to determine the moodboard for her "brainchild" because this step will shape the consistent style of the entire document. Next, My goes through steps such as: building an artboard, arranging the layout, choosing the font... The infographic format document was designed using Photoshop software and took more than 55 days to complete.

The American images used in the document were all taken from mainstream newspapers.

During the process, the US constantly compared historical knowledge.

According to My, the highlight of the project lies first of all in the main color scheme. "It can be seen that the colors throughout the document are red and yellow. The reason for this is because I want to remind people of the symbol of the Vietnamese flag," My explained. In addition, the format of each page of the document is designed by My so that the presentation does not overlap.

In addition, in the content of each topic, My highlights important keywords so that students can grasp the main idea when referring to the document. My also does not forget to attach images to each lesson to make the visual part more vivid.

Each page of the document is designed by the US so that the form is not duplicated.

In each lesson, My highlights important keywords so that viewers can grasp the core content.

After its launch, the project attracted the attention of many students and was also welcomed by some teachers at high schools in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. Ms. Vo Thi Thanh Xuan, a history teacher at Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, commented: "The harmonious combination of text and images in the American document will help viewers deeply understand historical events. The knowledge in it is also very concise and covers the core content for the high school graduation exam. It can be said that the American way of conveying is quite unique compared to conventional history textbooks."

My hopes that her document will help 12th grade students review effectively.

In the future, My hopes to continue to "conceive" a document that systematizes knowledge of Vietnamese history during the period of resistance against the US. My also believes that with the advantage of foreign languages, she will have the opportunity to take advantage of that to introduce to international friends more about the glorious history of her homeland.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nu-sinh-chuyen-anh-thoi-lan-gio-moi-cho-hoc-lich-su-185231027114353039.htm