Yesterday & today: 2013 No 10

Contents

No. 10, December 2013

Articles

• "Who does this history curriculum want you to be?": Representation, school history and curriculum in Zimbabwe. / Moyo, N & Modiba, M
• Informing history students/learners regarding an understanding and experiencing of South Africa’s colonial past from a regional/local context. / Van Eeden, ES
• African history teaching in contemporary German textbooks: From biased knowledge to duty of remembrance. / Marmer, E & Sow, P
• The contested nature of heritage in Grade 10 South African history textbooks: A case study. / Fru, N; Wassermann, J & Maposa, M
• Incomplete history curriculum? Teaching socio-environmental history in South African high schools. From an indigenous perspective. / Kgari-Masondo, MC
• Restoring the generations? - A preliminary literature review exploring the educational potential of the "Zeugen der Shoah" DVDs. / Morgan, KE
• Youth between identity and the market: Historical narratives among South African university students in a History "bridging" lecture room. / Waetjen, T

Hands-on articles

• Connecting the dots: History teaching in the 21st century classroom - juggling reason, technology and multi-media in the world of the young technophile. / Haupt, PM
• The sixties in the United States in historical perspective. / Garcia, KA
• A subject "promotional agenda" versus decline in enrolment figures: The need to identify those schools swimming against the tide. / Brookbanks, G

Book reviews

• Sleigh, D. & Westra, P. 2012. Die aanslag op die slaweskip Meermin, 1766. [Book review] / Groenewald, G
• Schroder-Nielsen, I. 2012. Amongst the Boers in peace and war. [Book review] / Labuschagne, P

Thanks

• Thank you - Editorial. / Anonymous

Editorial

Traditionally the second issue of the Yesterday&Today covers the SASHT's annual chair report, the AGM-minute and the keynote of the most recent SASHT conference. The editorial decided that these contributions, for practical reasons, should be reserved for the July 2014 edition. Therefore, in this second 2013 issue of Yesterday&Today educators of history can look forward to read a gem-like variety of well-argued research articles on curricula issues in Southern Africa, textbook debates, youth identity and History, the value of socio-environmental history within an indigenous paradigm and the teaching of sensitive topics such Nazism. Even better, if such an effort is pondered on from a German family point of view, with the objective to develop learners sophisticated analytical competencies. The research article section are concluded with the contribution of the Germans, Elina Marmer and Papa Sow on African history teaching in contemporary German textbooks, focussing on the colonial discourse, embedded in racism. The efficient utilising of regional/local history in the teaching of colonial themes and doing meaningful assignments on FET and HET levels, concludes the research article section.

No less than three contributions in the hands-on section provides for stimulating thoughts. It's good to learn from Paul Haupt that history educators and learners don't shy away from thinking about, as well as using, technology and multimedia. Its progress in the direction of modernising the history classroom for the young technophile, at last! What's more is that Westford High's history teachers explain how it's possible to theoretically and practically channel their teaching in History in such a way that a decline in learners becomes a strange term. In fact, at Westford learners are achieving distinctions in History with flying colours and also literally flying to places, exploring their histories, and so becomes part of supporting mechanisms in gaining invaluable knowledge. Read this fascinating hands-on article by Gordon Brookbanks. In turn, Kevin Garcia, with his reflections on the USA in the ninety sixties, wants to create an awareness for complexity in society and an exposure to unusual information to broaden the scope on how to think about the USA.

Lastly two book reviews are offered which covers two totally different centuries and themes. Gerald Groenewald discusses the rich history and assignment of the slave ship Meermin during the late eighteenth century written by Dan Sleigh and Piet Westra. The value of Ingvald Schroder-Nielsen, Lone Rudner & Bill Nasson's "Amongst the Boers in peace and war" promises to offer fresh perspectives on the already well-recorded Anglo Boer War/South African War. Written and oral memories by war veterans from other countries (and in this case Schroder-Nielsen's experience in South Africa in war time as Norwegian soldier) certainly add value to how a foreigner perceived the Boers, and the tragedy that accompanies war.

Yet again the editorial board extends an open invitation to the entire History community to submit research reports for possible publication in any of the future issues of the journal. It's great to know that the Yesterday&Today so far has enjoyed a healthy support from all institutions nationally and internationally.