Are you a history teacher looking to save time and offer innovative teaching materials? The site preceden.com, which uses AI, can help you create various types of media:
- planning tool (e.g. school trip to London)
- historical timelines
- an alternative history mode!!! (e.g. what if the First World War had never happened)
- a mode where you write your own story
- a legal mode (legislation) that recounts court cases
- a fun mode (to unwind).
Let us test these different tools.
1. School trip to London
Here is the result (here) for a school trip to London tailored to Year 7 pupils. The prompt used was created using another generative AI. This is because the AI from preceden.com is not effective in cases such as this.
2. Historical timeline
Let’s suggest the following prompt: “I want to know the history of Microsoft.”
The result can be viewed by clicking on this lien.
In just a few moments we have the result, but be careful with the information provided. The illustration provided for Windows NT is much more reminiscent of Windows 8.0. The error comes from the Wikipedia site, which provides this image for Windows NT…
Despite this problem (which, let us remember, is common to all AI), the friezes are created very simply and very quickly.
Now let’s try to create a timeline on the First World War for Year 7 pupils, using the following prompt: “I need a timeline on the First World War for Year 7 pupils, so just the 5 or 6 most important events.”
The result of this frieze is not very conclusive, too succinct and with errors in the illustrations… (not shown here).
But using another generative AI, we suggest the following prompt to preceden.com :
I need a timeline on the First World War with the following information:
The First World War began in 1914 with a significant event: the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on 28 June. A few weeks later, in August, the major European powers entered the war because of their alliances, kicking off a conflict that would quickly spread to several countries.
In 1915, the war became global. The Ottoman Empire entered the war and the conflict turned into trench warfare. Soldiers, known as “poilus” in France, lived in very difficult conditions in these long, muddy trenches.
The year 1916 was marked by major battles, the most famous of which was the Battle of Verdun, which lasted from February to December. This battle became a symbol of trench warfare and the suffering of soldiers.
In 1917, several important turning points changed the course of the conflict. In April, the United States entered the war alongside France and the United Kingdom, providing decisive reinforcement. In October, the Russian Revolution broke out, leading Russia to leave the conflict.
The war ended in 1918 with the signing of the armistice on 11 November in Rethondes, bringing the fighting to an end.
Finally, in 1919, peace was formalised by the Treaty of Versailles, signed on 28 June. This treaty held Germany responsible for the war and imposed numerous sanctions, marking the official end of the First World War.
The result (ici) is perfectly acceptable.
Voici une autre frise sur la première guerre mondiale mais pour des élèves de 3ème (plus détaillée donc).
It is therefore necessary to be precise when filling in the prompt.
3. Alternative history
In order to start a dialogue with your pupils, for example, why not imagine what history might have been like if…
Let’s try the following topics:
4. Let us write it ourselves
Let us try this proposal: “A character discovers a time machine, but can only use it once. He must decide which moment in history to visit and what impact he wants to have. What does he choose, and what are the consequences?”
Le moment choisi a été celui d’un échange d’idées avec les révolutionnaires français en 1789. Le résultat est ici.
5. Details of a trial
Penchons-nous sur un cas qui donnera matière à réflexion pour vos élèves: le procès de Bobigny, qui a contribué à l’instauration de la légalisation de l’avortement, le résultat est ici.
6. Pour décompresser (et rêver)
Sur un sujet (à peine) mégalomane : “je veux devenir le maître du monde en 2030. Quelles sont les étapes?”
Résultat (qui fait sourire) ici.
Pour conclure, le site preceden.com permet de gagner du temps pour la création de nos supports, mais propose également des outils qui permettent l’ouverture d’esprit et le dialogue avec les élèves.
L’IA, parfois présentée comme destructrice de notre capacité d’imagination, peut contribuer à la développer en nous ouvrant à des possibilités de réflexion alternatives (et si…).