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History has often been taught using famous characters and personalities to bring an element of empathy to what can feel like a vast and abstract subject. But what if that famous personality wasn't in a book, or in a dramatisation, or even played by an actor, but there in person?

Children from all over are going to experience just this - and they're inviting the rest of Scotland to take part. Former Prime Minister and current MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, , will be taking part in a from Dunfermline to launch a new 'evolving history' of Fife. As one of Fife's most famous sons, Mr Brown will be speaking from the , the philanthropist .

As a keen historian (with a PhD in the subject) Mr Brown has made a start himself of mapping out parts of Fife's history - but has left deliberate gaps. He said:

'It would be great if we could get pupils involved in actually writing and researching themselves and adding to what could become a modern history of Fife. So it could be a collective project that ends up with everyone feeling they have contributed something to it. And what they can find out and study themselves could actually be part of a book that is eventually published. I think there is huge potential for pupils of different abilities and interests to have a role in making their mark on the project, and I believe it could yield something quite important.'

The sustainable vision of the project, however, means that projects such as this one could be rolled out in different regions across the country - again tapping into the values of Curriculum for Excellence. David Gregory, national history specialist with , said: "The new curriculum encourages pupils to start local and think global. Thinking about Fife will eventually lead pupils to, say, look at Carnegie on a global scale. It's about getting history at the roots to enable young people to become global citizens."

The added bonus of having a famous Fifer involved in the project is obvious - Mr Brown's time in Downing Street may one day be taught as history in itself. And therein lies this crux of the matter - history isn't in the past, it lives and breathes.

Local libraries and museums are a mine of information on history - but they're not the final word. There's a lot of potential for personal stories to sit alongside more standard accounts of events, for example, using family artefacts to complement museum pieces. This project reminded me of the recent ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and campaign 'A History of the World'. 100 objects were chosen from the riches of the British Museum, some from smaller museums around the UK and the rest were uploaded by the great British public, including 120 items from .

The chronology of certain events might be reasonably well known, but the personal stories and perspectives that young people can research and bring to a project are equally valuable. Learning how to research, interview and capture information is so important - and the knowledge they'll gain about their local area and the connections it has to the wider world will hopefully give them fresh insight as global citizens.

You can still upload objects to the website for A History of the World, and additionally now you can add your local photographs to our Scotland's Landscape website to build a visual history of change in Scotland. You can also get involved with the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Hands on History campaign, visit us online or at our pop up shop in the Thistle Centre, Paisley from 25-27 November.