Making History Come Alive for Kids with AI

by Massimo Scapini

A few days ago, I went for a run with my three-year-old daughter in her stroller, and she started asking about the Fourth of July fireworks. Her curiosity sparked an idea: what if we could talk directly to someone from history? Knowing she enjoys chatting with ChatGPT, I decided to connect our morning activity with some exploration of the past. I opened ChatGPT in voice mode, tapped the microphone, and soon we were having a conversation with George Washington himself.

How to Bring History to Life in 3 Simple Steps

Getting started is surprisingly easy:

1. Open ChatGPT and select voice mode
2. Tap the microphone icon
3. Say: "We want you to impersonate [historical figure]"

You can choose anyone, from Cleopatra to Einstein, from Harriet Tubman to Leonardo da Vinci. The key is picking someone who connects to your child's current interests or questions.

Making the Most of Historical Conversations

Before you try this at home, know that ChatGPT prefers brief replies and usually avoids long stories. To get the best experience, keep your questions short and clear. Start by simply getting to know the historical figure as a person. This approach helps model curiosity as a habit, teaching your child how to ask questions, follow up on answers, and keep wonder alive.

Here are some universal question patterns that work for any historical figure:

Getting to Know Them:

• "Tell me about your childhood. What was it like growing up?"
• "What did your home smell/sound/look like?"
• "What was your biggest fear as a young person?"

Understanding Their Journey:

• "What experience from your youth shaped who you became?"
• "When you faced your biggest challenge, what did you feel?"
• "Who helped you when things got difficult?"

Making Personal Connections:

• "What games did you play as a child?"
• "What was your favorite food?"
• "If you could give advice to kids today, what would it be?"

My daughter, still too young to form detailed questions herself, listened closely, her eyes wide open. Each time I asked if she wanted to ask something, she laughed softly, shook her head playfully, and replied, "You ask," captivated by the conversation but not ready to join the inquiry yet.

I wondered if our chat would leave any lasting impression. A days later, she excitedly pulled my wife aside and said, "Mama, do you know what George said about the Fourth of July?" Her explanation was a delightful jumble of ideas, but one thing was clear: George Washington had become real to her, someone who could answer her questions about the world. Now she regularly asks if we can "talk to George" when she has questions.

Curiosity had taken hold.

Bringing History to Life with Video

Another engaging way to explore history is through video. Google's VEO 3 excels at simulating interviews with people from different eras. My eight-year-old daughter recently created videos depicting the tensions in the months leading up to the American War for Independence. With a Gemini Pro account (you get 3 tries per day, so use them wisely!), here are the actual prompts she used:

Boston print shop, 1774. Maya leans toward Benjamin, a young printer in an ink-spattered apron. She asks, 'What makes ink so dangerous today?' Benjamin feeds the wooden press and explains the Stamp Act protests. Cut to flying pamphlets. Captions: FREE PRESS and STAMP ACT

Dim corridor at Palace of Westminster 1776. Interviewer hustles beside MP Lord Sheffield holding parchment. 'Why tax the colonies?' He cites war debts and principle of sovereignty. Insert parchment graphics tallying costs, captions 'War debt' and 'Sovereignty'. Muffled debates in background

 Outdoor market, Philadelphia 1775. Maya pops beside Abigail, an apple seller. 'Why does talk of independence matter to you?' Abigail answers while handing fruit to customers and points to a posted boycott list. Captions: BOYCOTT and CONTINENTAL CONGRESS.

Thames dockside 1774. Interviewer corners Jack, a burly dockworker loading crates. 'Heard of the Boston Tea Party?' Jack shrugs, explains higher insurance costs and lost wages. Quick cuts of tea crates splashing in water graphics, captions 'Tea Tax' and 'Lost pay', screeching gulls overhead.

By bringing historical moments vividly to life, children can emotionally connect with the past, significantly enhancing their understanding and curiosity.

TIP: This is the prompt I used in ChatGPT to generate the set for VEO videos: "Make me a set of prompts for Veo 3 to have 10 scenes with an interviewer asking people about the moment before the war for America's independence started. Make 5 from the British perspective and 5 from America's perspective. Make it so that kids learn something from the era."

Creating Your Own Historical Interview Videos

You can adapt this format for any historical period using this template:

Interview Format: "[Historical location, year]. Interviewer approaches [character type with description]. Asks '[relevant question for that era]?' Character explains while [relevant action]. Captions: [2-3 key concepts]"

More examples across different eras:

• Ancient Egypt: "Thebes marketplace, 1350 BCE. Maya asks a papyrus seller about hieroglyphics..."
• Medieval Times: "London blacksmith shop, 1215. Interviewer asks about the Magna Carta..."
• Renaissance: "Florence workshop, 1504. Child asks apprentice about working with Michelangelo..."
• Industrial Revolution: "Manchester factory, 1843. Reporter asks child worker about daily life..."
• Space Age: "NASA control room, 1969. Interviewer asks engineer about moon landing preparations..."

The Walter Isaacson Approach to History

To enhance this exploration, I asked ChatGPT how Walter Isaacson might approach interviewing historical figures for his biographies. Here's the framework, perfect for helping kids connect with any era:

Explore places: Ask about specific locations from the subject's life. Physical places anchor memories and make history tangible.

Share original words: Use excerpts from the subject's letters, diaries, or speeches to invite reflections on underlying emotions.

Capture pivotal moments: Frame questions around critical turning points, helping children experience history as meaningful choices.

Highlight relationships: Discuss the friends, mentors, and rivals who influenced key decisions, emphasizing history as a shared human experience.

Following this approach, I asked Gemini to create a video of George Washington reading a sentence of his Farewell Address, published as an open letter in September 1796. The result was powerful: watching a historical figure speak their own words brings an entirely different dimension to understanding their thoughts and feelings.

[Video: Captions are auto-generated]

Suggested Historical Figures for Different Ages

Ages 3-6 (Simple, relatable stories):

• Amelia Earhart (adventure and courage)
• Johnny Appleseed (nature and kindness)
• Benjamin Franklin (curiosity and invention)

Ages 7-10 (More complex narratives):

• Harriet Tubman (bravery and justice)
• Marie Curie (persistence and discovery)
• Martin Luther King Jr. (dreams and equality)
• Frida Kahlo (creativity and resilience)

Ages 11+ (Nuanced discussions):

• Frederick Douglass (freedom and eloquence)
• Eleanor Roosevelt (compassion and leadership)
• Alan Turing (innovation and challenges)
• Malala Yousafzai (education and courage)

Tips for Parents

• Follow your child's interests: If they love dinosaurs, chat with Mary Anning. If they're into space, meet Mae Jemison.
• Connect to current learning: Studying Ancient Rome in school? Have dinner with Julius Caesar.
• Celebrate heritage: Explore figures from your family's cultural background.
• Address current events: Help kids understand today by exploring similar moments from the past.

An Open Invitation

History isn't confined to textbooks or special holidays. Every day offers an opportunity to explore the past with your children. Pick a rainy afternoon, a long car ride, or a curious question at bedtime. Let your child listen, ask questions, and discover that history is made of real people with real stories, people who once wondered about their world just as your child wonders about theirs today.

I would love to hear about your family's historical adventures. Which figures did you meet? What questions did your children ask? What connections surprised you?

After all, curiosity about our shared human story might just be one of the most meaningful gifts we can give our children.