For two weeks in December, the history classroom had a creative atmosphere, more like a film set or an artist’s studio. Students in Years 7 and 8 immersed themselves in a unique project: the creation of historical comic strips and media using the power of artificial intelligence.

The project covered different periods of history. Year 7 students embarked on a fascinating journey through the Middle Ages, exploring the lives of knights, great battles, cultural traditions and the lives of the people of the time. Year 8 students dived into the modern era, exploring the great geographical discoveries, scientific revolutions and political changes.

The project was characterised by an active use of modern technologies. Students learned to work with neural networks, generating historical-style images, creating dialogues for characters and even producing short video clips. This allowed not only to visualise historical events, but also to understand how technologies can help in the learning of the humanities.

The most difficult part was to achieve historical authenticity in the images generated by the neural network. Some comic book creators spent a lot of time tweaking costume details and correcting the lighting architecture to get the AI right. The results exceeded even the most daring expectations. The work varied from classic comics and illustrated presentations to animated video clips and short films. Each group chose its own unique approach to presenting the material.

A presentation of the projects took place last week. The students looked with interest at each other’s work, appreciating not only the historical accuracy but also the creative approach, the quality of the visualisation and the ability to present the material in an interesting way.

After viewing all the entries, a vote was held to select the best projects. The winners received special prizes.

This way of working allowed students not only to learn about dates and events, but also to come into direct contact with history. Students in Years 7 and 8 became co-authors of a historical narrative, learning about teamwork, the use of new technologies and the critical evaluation of information. Most importantly, many developed a genuine interest in the subject.

The project showed that history is not just the pages of a textbook, but a living, multifaceted world that can be explored with the most modern tools. Most importantly, it proved that creativity and technological literacy can go hand in hand with an in-depth study of the humanities.

All the works created are available on Google Drive, where a special folder has been created to allow interested people to appreciate the work of our young historians and designers.

Igor Kalakauskas.