HISTORY ROOM

It has long been recognized that subjects like science, geography, art and handicrafts etc.
which require considerable apparatus and equipments need to be taught in rooms
specifically fitted and reserved for them. History is also a subject with its own techniques
and thus experts claim that it should also have its own room for their effective use. In
other words it is expected that total or partial teaching- learning should be done in a
specific room of History. Separate schedule should be prepared for its use.

History room should have 20 sq. ft. area for every student. A floor area of 600 sq. ft. is
ample for a class of 30, leaving space at the back for the students and at the front for
teaching, demonstrations and play lets. There should be place for History library and
museum in the same room with index and reference scores given for the same. All the
necessary historical and audio- visual resources should be there.

Historical resources include ancient coins, pottery pieces and other utensils, time- graphs,
swords, edicts, relics, diaries, literary materials, charts, graphs, maps, pictures,
newspapers cuttings, models, albums, customs, national symbols, etc.

Reference materials include dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, yearbooks,

handbooks, manuals, periodicals, newspapers etc.

Audio- visual aids include tape recorder, videos, television, epidiascope, magic lantern,
film projectors, over- head projectors etc.

Structure and Arrangement of History Room:

1. The History room should be larger than the average classroom.

2. Easy, hassle- free movement should be possible for students.
3. There should be proper arrangement for ventilation and light.
4. The wall space could be utilized for display of the chalk- board, bulletin board,
models, maps and book shelves.
5. It should have the scope to serve the purpose of audio- visual room.
6. A permanent projection screen may be fixed above the black- board which can be
easily lowered for projection work anytime.
7. The windows should be provided with dark curtains.
8. It will be very helpful if a permanent channel railing with sliding hooks is fixed
along the black- board wall for hanging maps, pictures or graphs during teaching.
9. Seating arrangement should be comfortable, healthy and increase efficiency of the
pupils. It is better that sitting units- individual desks or dual desks or table and
chairs are movable and easy to rearrange for a variety of purposes for the teachers
lessons or group work or construction of various kind. Furniture should provide
facilities for the pupils books, pictures etc.
 10.There should be standard double drawer table which may be movable so that it
could be used for general administration as well as instructions. The table should
be equipped with an atlas, a table dictionary, a memorandum pad, and a desk
bottler.
11.There should be showcases with the glass tops for exhibiting collection of coins,
relics etc.
12.Periodicals, charts, articles etc. prepared by the pupils should be exhibited in a
separate cupboard.
13.Students should be motivated to collect relevant pictures and cuttings from the
newspapers and magazines which should be displayed on the bulletin board first
and then properly arranged in a cupboard so that they can be helpful for further
references.

Need and Importance of History Room:

a) Good atmosphere can be created.

b) Other teaching aids can be used apart from the conventional aids.
c) References are easily available.
d) No need to bring all educational aids in the classroom.
e) Teaching can be done scientifically. Imagination power develops in a student.
f) Good maintenance of Audio Visual Aids.
g) Different teaching methods can be used.
h) Saves Time.
i) Students get motivated to learn History.
j) Observation power of the students can be developed.

Some essential precautions to be taken in the History Room:

No room complete with furniture and equipment will by itself make a perfect place for
study of History. In order to ensure that the room serves the purpose, it should be
properly maintained as well.

i. Proper care of the room should e taken. Active participation of the students should
be sought.
ii. All the resources and equipments should be maintained, repaired whenever
necessary.
iii. Old documents of historical importance should be handled with utmost care.
iv. The room should be updated from time to time with state of art equipments and
research articles.
v. There should be a provision for separate funds for the History room.