Università Roma Tre

In the course, the teaching of modern history and historiography has two purposes: the education and the satisfaction of pleasure or necessity of knowing. The student’s education makes him aware that history, following the teaching of M. Bloch, is not a succession almost mechanical and inevitable of events, but the man’s walk on the earth: man in his entirety, in his totality. The need, or better, the taste of knowledge, of understanding in the stimulating awareness of Croce’s lesson: all history is contemporary history, it’s history of "reciprocity of the consciences" (M. Nèdoncelle).
If the history can’t be qualified as a teacher of life tout court, however, it’s a primary aid to understand what’s happens around us (A. Placanica). Education and knowledge will help the student to form a critical and balanced mens that will guide him in judging and evaluating of facts and circumstances. The H. Marrou’s persuasion is that "history is inseparable from the historic" in the final analysis the evaluator is the person who should be formed.
The method used could be called "participatory" method: "non auditores tantum ...".
Involve the student educationally means, by the teacher, preparation and research of a suitable methodology. At first I solicited the participation through, term papers, slides, films and visiting significant places. I have recently requested to the students to present the chapter of the monographic course with slides, images and written text. The result was surprising, they made a "lesson" which impressed me for their creativity, research and presentation skills.