Presents brief annotations and evaluative comments on various instructional media. Discusses filmstrips, computer software, and other instructional materials. Includes materials about dinosaurs, Native Americans, Congress, and the Vietnam War. Describes new technological resources for education. Provides information on availability. (DK)

Discusses the Columbian Quincentenary statement of the National Council for the Social Studies. Recommends that key ideas and basic knowledge of the statement be used to evaluate instructional materials. Suggests questions developed from the ideas in the statement. Includes interconnectedness of world history and effect on Native Americans and…

Presents an annotated bibliography of children and young adult's books notable for their emphasis on human relations, sensitivity to cultural diversity, originality, scholarship, and high literary quality. The books are arranged by categories and themes and keyed for their usefulness in implementing thematic strands of social studies curriculum…

Considers learning activities that may be successfully used with most social studies textbooks. Activities include introducing chapters using illustrations, hypothesizing for directed reading, distinguishing fact from opinion, creating examples of glossary term usage, recreating illustration formats, writing editorials, role playing, debating, and…

Suggests a bibliography dealing with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lists sources for copies of the convention, basic sources, curricular materials, videos, and organizations. Includes works on children's rights under U.S. law and the right to education. (DK)

This three- to eight-week unit encourages dialog among students concerning the myriad aspects of the nuclear weapons controversy. The unit is comprised of several areas: a preassessment quiz; a section on relevant vocabulary; an historical overview; a literary exploration; guest speakers; suggestions for personal involvement; and a major project.…

Demonstrates how illustrations can stimulate learning and critical thinking, specifically in studying Latin American cultures. Seven illustrations with questions for student analysis are included. (KC)

Discusses ways to use a primary source document--a telegram from the U.S. Ambassador to Germany to the American Secretary of State describing Hitler's actions to consolidate his power on March 23, 1933--in helping students understand and compare the leadership of Roosevelt and Hitler. (CS)

Presents a transcript of a decoded telegram which describes events surrounding the death in 1924 of Robert Imbrie, United States Vice Consul to Tehran, Persia (presently Iran). Background information and suggestions for teaching are included. (KC)

Presents a brief overview of ethnic material available to elementary school social studies classroom teachers, suggests criteria for selection of materials, presents examples of ethnic materials on different complexity levels, and gives some general pointers to teachers on what to avoid when selecting ethnic materials. (DB)

Describes a critical thinking activity for secondary school social studies students using a letter written in the nineteenth century. The letter contains references to unfamiliar people and events. Through research, students are able to trace the exact date of the letter and to identify the people and events. (KC)

Discusses this year's recipients of the award that honors books dealing with subjects related to U.S. ethnic minorities and race relations in a manner suitable for young readers. The books include the story of a young Navajo girl learning to weave and an account of the Tuskegee airmen. (MJP)

Describes the first map to divide the globe into five symmetrical climatic zones. Discusses Ambrosius Macrobius's map as a statement of earthly limitations rather than physical reality. Suggests its significance for teaching world history is as an example of deductive cartography that influenced and challenged late medieval Christian thought. (DK)

Guidelines developed by the National Council for the Social Studies to help teachers eveluate and select social studies microcomputer software are presented. The guidelines are organized around three areas: knowledge, skills, and values. Additional systems for evaluating technical and instructional computer courseware issues are cited. (RM)

Teachers can exploit the contrast between the 1920's and the 1930's as a means for helping students understand the latter decade. Discusses the political, economic, social, and cultural differences between the two decades. Case studies and supplementary reading materials are suggested. (CS)