In this paper we make a survey of a 3-hour workshop based on historical material that has been adapted for use in the teaching of geometry and algebra. The first part of the workshop was devoted to the results of our work with 16-year students of the Greek Lyceum reading original texts on Euclidean geometry proofs. The second part of the workshop was devoted to the plan of our future work with 15-year students of the Greek Gymnasium reading original texts which reveal different levels of generality in algebra. In both cases the students are given worksheets with original texts of different authors (Euclid and Proclus on geometry, Diophantos, Viète and Euler on algebra) and they are engaged in small group discussion guided by their teachers. (ZDM/Mathdi)