Dear History
Dear History is a set of two books–Student's Workbook and Teacher's Guidebook–designed as a supplementary toolkit for middle school students of Kalaburagi to explore their local heritage.
The project aims to create an alternate means for children to engage with and appreciate their rich local histories, and be more actively involved in their preservation
My role - Researcher and Designer
Timeframe
Processes
Tools
Mentors
Design Research
Qualitative Research
Education Design
Social Listening
12 weeks
Shreyas Srivatsa
Mahesh Bhat
Ishita Shah
Vinay Malge
Naveen Bagalkot
Adobe Creative Cloud
Google Workspace
This project comes under the thesis group, Cultures of Resilience and was executed from Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology in collaboration with UNESCO Chair in Culture, Habitat, and Sustainable Development India, Deccan Studies, Team YUVAA, and Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Problem
Kalaburagi (also known as Gulbarga) is a small town in north Karnataka with a rich history. It was the founding capital of the Bahmani Sultanate and has many places of historical significance. Many of these monuments are in a state of disrepair.
Newspaper clippings shared by the local historian, Rehman Patel
Opportunity
Kalaburagi has a vibrant culture of oral storytelling which paints a more vivid picture of the ignored monuments. This history only comes out through interaction with the people and place, which currently takes place only in limited ways.
Visualisation based on the legend of the crocodile filed moat at the Gulbarga Fort
How might we use the existing oral history practices to spark curiosity and drive engagement towards local historical monuments in Kalaburagi?
Dear History is a supplementary activity book for middle schoolers which allows them to explore and record their personal, family, and local history.
Target Audience
Middle school students of Kalaburagi.
From 6th grade onwards, history is a separate subject, therefore, Dear History enables students to explore their local history while also getting formally acquainted with the subject through national history.
Enabling Self-discovery
Since Dear History would be introduced at school, it was necessary to not turn it into another subject that students need to prepare for the exams. So rather than directly sharing the stories with students, the kit allows them to discover and record these and many more tales. The activities start from places with familiar places, like their home and school, and slowly expand to the rest of the town.
Teacher’s Hand Book
Aim and Suggestions for each activity are provided in the Teacher's Copy. According to the intensity of the curriculum, teachers can pace the activities over multiple years or break them down into short-term projects. It encourages parents and other subject teachers to be active contributors.
Story Time
Story Time activities create room for intentional and continuous engagement in the art of storytelling with friends, family and strangers, making the students aware of the connections between oral traditions and knowledge transfer.
Process Overview
Mapping the Local History of Gulbarga
Interviewing middle-schoolers at multiple English and Hindi Medium schools in and around Kalaburagi
Collecting stories and anecdotes about Kalaburagi
Site visits, SME interviews, rapid prototyping and concept testing to the local community