THE USE OF STORIES AS A TEACHING RESOURCE IN EARLY YEARS EDUCATION: A PROPOSAL FOR TEACHING ROMAN CULTURE

Abstract

The objective of this undergraduate thesis is to design an educational program that uses stories set in the Roman Empire to teach history to 5-year-old children. The study begins with a search for methods that enable young children to easily understand and learn history. To this end, previous studies on history education in early childhood, the development of the concept of time in children, and the use of stories as a primary educational resource were carefully analyzed. Consequently, various aspects of Roman culture were examined to select those most appropriate for this educational stage. Based on this theoretical foundation, a classroom project was designed, consisting of six activities linked by a narrative featuring two fictional characters, Sasha and Niko. The activities include hands-on and cooperative experiences aimed at familiarizing students with characteristic elements of Roman civilization, such as architecture, mosaics, and daily life. The results of the theoretical review show that the use of active methodologies and story-based learning promotes motivation, participation, and understanding of temporal and historical concepts at an early age. In conclusion, the designed proposal is considered an appropriate resource for introducing historical knowledge to early childhood education students, demonstrating that it is possible to work with content.