Historical portraits - a new element of the Unified State Examination on history

The final certification of graduates in the form of a unified state examination was often criticized in connection with the mechanics and superficiality, which do not allow to see the full range of knowledge and skills of students at the rate. Among teachers even the term "training on the USE", which characterizes, first of all, the automatic performance of tests. Therefore, gradually the work of the USE changes in the context of expanding creative tasks that require both knowledge and skills simultaneously. These include historical portraits.
These tasks are not new in the methodology of teaching history, and yet the graduates of 2013, performing them, faced difficulties, which indicates the lack of attention to this form of work by teachers.
There is an algorithm for compiling historical portraits. A competent answer will necessarily be structured and logical. Therefore, in the lessons, when studying a certain material, it is expedient to compile such characteristics first collectively, then to give assignments to the house and, in the end, to enter into independent work.

So, the historical portraits are described according to the following scheme. First, there is an objective epochal atmosphere in which a hero was born and brought up, with specific dates, be they years of life or activity. Secondly, personal traits that have played a positive or negative role in his or her fate are indicated. The next step outlines the actions of the hero directly. In this part, it's important to keep the chronology, and not to throw everything into a heap. In addition, a conclusion about the results of the main activity of the object of description will be required. In conclusion, you can earn an extra score, giving your assessment of this person in history.

Such a scheme is not something complicated or too heavy for high school students. In addition, this year the graduates were offered a choice of describing one of the three figures of different eras, which facilitated the task.
Here are some examples of such characteristics. The historical portrait of Alexander 1 is good to start with the contradictions of the Pavlovian era, which destroyed the foundations of the Enlightened absolutism of Catherine II. In addition, it is necessary to describe the state of Russia in the early 19th century in comparison with Western Europe and the tasks of its development. It is necessary to fix the years of government: 1801-1825, the objectives of the activity: reforming the state system in Russia, turning it into a limited monarchy, granting the constitution and abolishing serfdom that hindered the development of the country. It is important to outline two periods of domestic policy: before the Patriotic War and after, with the dates of all significant reforms ( public administration reform , Speransky's activity , education reform , peasant question, Arakcheevism). Describe the successes of foreign policy activities both in the eastern direction (the struggle against Turkey and Iran), and in the West (the defeat of Napoleonic France, the Vienna Congress, the annexation of territories). In general, to characterize the contradictory results, since the resistance to reforms on the part of the upper classes of society did not allow Alexander to carry out the tasks set.

Let's move to another era. The historical portrait of Alexander Nevsky must begin with the theme of feudal fragmentation, indicate the years of the reign of Nevsky in Novgorod (1236-1259 with interruptions), and then on the Vladimir throne (1252-1263). If the exact dates are not familiar, designate an eyelid. The West or the East is the historic choice that faced the Russian land in that era. In the person of Alexander, a choice was made towards the east. The Battle of Neva (1240) and the Battle of the Ice (1242) relieved the Russian principalities of the capture of the Crusaders and exaggeration. Thus, statehood and culture in Russia were preserved. This merit was highly appreciated by the Russian Orthodox Church, which elevated the Russian prince to the rank of saints. Further, the attitude to this personality and its activities is formulated.

So, on the above examples, we see that historical portraits are a form of work that tests not only the actual knowledge of students, but also their ability to analyze, compare, highlight the main thing, draw conclusions.