<p>The purpose of this essay is to illustrate, by using history didactic concepts and the history of timber rafting on the Klarälv, the role of local history in school context. To achieve my aim and to broaden the essay four teachers were interviewed and a survey was conducted among high school pupils. The information on the subject has been gathered through literature on timber rafting and by an interview with a raft man. Literature was also used for obtaining information regarding history didactics.</p><p> </p><p>Through Värmland flows the longest river in Sweden, Klarälven, which for over 400 years was used for the transportation of timber. The extensive work that was timber rafting, affected all of Sweden and vice versa. It gave rise to work opportunities and created a growing ground for industry along the river. Preserved memories of log-floating tell of a bygone era which mustn't be lost. The task of schools is to pass this knowledge on to future generations in order to preserve the history of an important part of the Swedish cultural heritage.</p><p> </p><p>The result shows that timber rafting isn't paid much attention during history classes in school. Since history is such a broad subject, some things are considered too narrow to be properly introduced. The history subject is the largest of the SO subjects due to its permeating nature, and by furthering the cross-subject cooperation students are aided in their cognitive development as they should compare and analyse from four perspectives rather than one. As well, teachers consider themselves having a greater freedom in grading when combining the four SO subjects. Local history represents only a small part of the total education, but is ought to be paid greater attention as it provides the students with a greater ability to see patterns on a global level.</p>

The purpose of this essay is to illustrate, by using history didactic concepts and the history of timber rafting on the Klarälv, the role of local history in school context. To achieve my aim and to broaden the essay four teachers were interviewed and a survey was conducted among high school pupils. The information on the subject has been gathered through literature on timber rafting and by an interview with a raft man. Literature was also used for obtaining information regarding history didactics.   Through Värmland flows the longest river in Sweden, Klarälven, which for over 400 years was used for the transportation of timber. The extensive work that was timber rafting, affected all of Sweden and vice versa. It gave rise to work opportunities and created a growing ground for industry along the river. Preserved memories of log-floating tell of a bygone era which mustn't be lost. The task of schools is to pass this knowledge on to future generations in order to preserve the history of an important part of the Swedish cultural heritage.   The result shows that timber rafting isn't paid much attention during history classes in school. Since history is such a broad subject, some things are considered too narrow to be properly introduced. The history subject is the largest of the SO subjects due to its permeating nature, and by furthering the cross-subject cooperation students are aided in their cognitive development as they should compare and analyse from four perspectives rather than one. As well, teachers consider themselves having a greater freedom in grading when combining the four SO subjects. Local history represents only a small part of the total education, but is ought to be paid greater attention as it provides the students with a greater ability to see patterns on a global level.

Sammanfattning Biflödesområden och sammanflödeszoner spelar en viktig roll, inte minst genom deras förmåga att förändra miljöförhållandena och framkalla ett biologiskt svar i huvudfåran de rinner ut i. Biflödesområden utgör även platser med högt inneboende ekologiskt värde, där särskilda biofysiska processer och ekologiska tjänster ofta är koncentrerade. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka huruvida biflödesmynningsområden inom Klarälvens avrinningsområde utgjorde hotspots för fisk samt kartlägga eventuella fluviala påverkansfaktorer. Parametrar som studerades var artförekomst och medeltäthet samt omvärldsfaktorerna medeldjup, lokalbredd, bottensubstrat, vattennivå, vattenhastighet och förekomsten av vandringshinder i vattendraget. Flest arter återfanns i Klarälvens huvudfåra, varpå biflödesmynningarna hade näst flest arter och uppströms biflödena lägst antal arter. Medeltäthet av arterna bergsimpa (Cottus poecilopus), elritsa (Phoxinus phoxinus) och lake (Lota lota) var störst i biflödesmynningarna, medan medeltätheten av lax (Salmo salar) och öring (Salmo trutta) var som störst uppströms biflödena. Resultatet visade också att öring, i större utsträckning än lax, förekom högre uppströms i biflödena, ett förhållande som även stödjs av tidigare studier. Gällande omvärldsfaktorerna var vattenhastigheten signifikant högre i biflödemynningarna och uppströms biflödena jämfört med i huvudfåran, samtidigt som det högsta diversitetsvärdet för bottensubstratkompositionen återfanns i huvudfåran. Utifrån dessa resultat var det svårt att dra en slutsats kring om biflödesmynningarna faktiskt utgjorde hotspots för fisk eller inte, då det skiftade beroende på vilka parametrar som studerades. En bedömning gjordes att biflödesmynningsområden inom Klarälvens avrinningsområde inte utgjorde hotspots för fisk. Nyckelord: Biflödesmynning, biflöde, huvudfåra, Klarälven, flottning, vattenkraft / Abstract Tributary areas and confluence zones play an important role, not least through their ability to change environmental conditions and elicit a biological response in the main stream they flow into. Tributary areas also provide sites of high inherent ecological value, where specific biophysical processes and ecological services are often concentrated. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether tributary mouths within the catchment area of Klarälven constituted hotspots for fish and to identify possible environmental factors associated with hotspots. Parameters studied were species composition and mean density, as well as the physical factors such as average depth, local width, bottom substrate, water level, water velocity and the occurrence of migratory obstacles in the watercourse. Most species were found in the mainstream, whereas tributary mouths had the second highest species richness and upstream tributaries had the lowest number of species. The mean density of the alpine bullhead (Cottus poecilopus), eurasian minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus) and burbot (Lota lota) was greatest in the tributary mouths, while the mean density of salmon (Salmo salar) and trout (Salmo trutta) was greatest upstream of the tributaries. The results also showed that trout, to a greater extent than salmon, occurred higher upstream in the tributaries, a relationship that is also supported by previous studies. Regarding the physical factors, water velocity was significantly higher in the tributary mouths and upstream tributaries than in the mainstream, while the highest diversity for bottom substrate composition was found in the mainstream. Based on these results, it was difficult to conclude whether tributary mouths actually constituted hotspots for fish or not, as it varied depending on the parameters studied. Overall tributary mouths within the catchment area of Klarälven did not constitute hotspots for fish. Keywords: Estuary, tributary, mainstream, river, rafting, hydropower

Living conditions in periods of transitions. Changing working conditions of the log-driver during the 1930s. Petrus Forsgren, Economic History Bachelor Degree, Umeå University Autumn 2020. The working terms, salary and conflicts between the workers and the Umeå flottningsförening in log driving-district of Umeåälven has been studied between the period 1928-1939. Although it was a relatively few years that were studied, changes were observed especially for the working terms. The contracts went from hand-written to standardized and a orientation towards the new consensus for collective agreements in the work places occurred during the 1930s. Collective bargaining agreement were written 1935. The employers were expected to take more responsibility for the workers at the end of the period. A specialization of the workers and foremen occurred although no major changes happened to the log driving process. The working conditions in log-driving were still the same as in early industrialization. There was a diversification to hourly wages although they remained similar in the studied period. Conflicts occurred during the years 1933-34. The log drivers usually combined the work with farming, forestry or later also road construction. Other branches did the same transition but usually earlier such as railway workers during the 1910-1920s or forest workers during the 1960-1970s. This work gives a clue to why the changes happened relatively late in the log driving industry in Umeälven. The internal factors for change were weak due to the background of the workers, pull from other industries in the area and small extent of rationalization within the organization, but the external factors became more and more apparent during the studied period. The new institutional changes ignored the old industries which also lost influence but they were never the less affected indirectly by the changes and the Swedish economy as a whole.