Counterfactual Historical Reasoning (CHR) through Uchrony-Based History Assignments

General information

Organisation / School

University of Groningen – Teacher Education Programme (History)

Duration

3–5 lessons

Target group (age range)

16–18 years old (upper secondary / pre-university students)

Group format

Group work with plenary discussion (whole class)

Context of the Practice

Formal secondary history education

Description of the Practice

This practice introduces uchrony through Counterfactual Historical Reasoning (CHR) in history education. Students explore historically plausible “what if” scenarios by identifying a concrete point of divergence in a real historical event and developing an alternative, yet contextually grounded, narrative. The approach was designed by history teacher trainees at the University of Groningen and implemented with upper-secondary students.

Learners begin by analysing a well-documented historical episode (e.g. the fall of the Berlin Wall). They then identify several potential moments where events could realistically have unfolded differently. One divergence is selected and developed into an alternative scenario, following strict historical constraints: causality, historical context, continuity and change, and use of sources. Students compare the factual and counterfactual narratives, analysing differences in outcomes, significance, and ethical implications.

The practice deliberately avoids speculative fiction. Instead, it uses uchrony as a didactic tool to uncover hidden assumptions, challenge deterministic thinking, and highlight the constructed nature of historical narratives. By engaging creatively while respecting historical methodology, students deepen their understanding of how history is interpreted, narrated, and debated.

Link with Uchronia or Alternative Narratives

Does the practice involve rewriting history, alternative scenarios, role play, or speculative narratives?

Yes

Explanation:

The practice involves alternative historical scenarios (uchrony) through structured counterfactual reasoning. Students rewrite historical developments from a specific, historically plausible divergence point, without role-play or fictional fantasy. The focus is on analytical narrative construction rather than imagination alone.

Social and Transversal Skills Developed

What are the skills developped?

  • Empathy : Students adopt historical perspectives by reasoning from the viewpoint of past actors without hindsight bias.
  • Communication & Cooperation: Group-based discussion, joint narrative construction, and comparative analysis.
  • Critical thinking: Challenging determinism, analysing cause-effect relationships, and evaluating the degree of plausibility. 
  • Media literacy: Interpreting historical sources and contrasting narratives.
  • Creativity: Developing alternative historical outcomes within factual limits.

 

Explanation:

Inclusion and Accessibility

Targeted learners (learning difficulties, diversity, disengagement):

There is not much developed on this point, but we can make the following comments.
The learners targeted by this activity are:
Upper secondary students in general (with an extra interest for students disengaged from traditional fact-based history teaching)
Learners struggling with abstract historical reasoning
Diverse classrooms with different academic abilities

Accessibility measures used:

Clear step-by-step approach
Collaborative work to support peer learning
Two different approaches in order to fit the needs of different groups:
1) The teachers choose the points of divergence and the students create the alternative realities
2) The students choose the points of divergence and create the alternative realities (but this really requires an extensive knowledge about the historical facts).

Impact and Outcomes

Observed impact on pupils:

There is no detailed account of feedback collected from pupils or from teachers outside the University of Groningen who implemented the activity. However, according to the two project initiators, this approach shows strong potential to increase student motivation and engagement. They conclude that working with counterfactual scenarios can help pupils better understand that history is shaped by choices and could have developed differently, rather than being fixed or inevitable. In their view, the practice also encourages students to participate more confidently in discussions and to reflect critically on how historical interpretations are constructed, as well as on the role and limits of historians’ knowledge.

Feedback from teachers or pupils:

Transferability

Can the practice be reused or adapted?

Yes

Conditions for replication:

This project can be adapted to:
Different historical periods
Different schools, especially as it only takes 3-5 lessons.
Civic education, ethics or even media studies
Successful replication requires:
Clear historical grounding
Teacher guidance to make sure the divergence points are well chosen
An emphasis on comparison between real and alternative narratives

Relevance for Reframe the Story

This practice is very relevant to the Reframe the Story project because it shows how uchrony can be used in a clear and educational way to rethink history. Like in Reframe the Story, it encourages learners to question fixed or dominant narratives by exploring alternative possibilities (not as fiction, but as a way to better understand how history is shaped and told).

The approach also shares a strong focus on group work and discussion, which are central to Reframe the Story. Students build alternative scenarios together, exchange viewpoints, and reflect collectively on historical choices and consequences.

A key contribution of this practice is also its emphasis on choosing well-defined divergence points. To manage to find them, the most important criterion is that they are “significant events” which means that they are “of great consequence for a great number of people and/or when these consequences are in effect for a longer period of time.” “These points must be concrete moments in history, historical compactions of the past, and where possible distilled down to the smallest possible relevant chronological unit: the minute.”.
This will be good to keep in mind when creating the resources.