This issue of the children's quarterly magazine, "The Goldfinch," focuses on World War I. A brief discussion of how the United States came to enter the War is followed by a discussion of propaganda. An article on the use of posters to encourage citizens to participate in the war effort is illustrated with reproductions of several of…

This theme issue of the "Social Studies Journal" focuses on the worldwide conflict known in the United States as the French and Indian War (1754-1763). The volume is dedicated to examining the conflict in Pennsylvania. Western Pennsylvania became a battle-scarred landscape as the British and French, with their Native American allies,…

Provides a wide-ranging survey of relations between war, science, and technology from the days of the American colonies to the Vietnam War, indicating that the overall impact of science and technology on war has been overstated by historians in many fields. Includes military histories that science/technology historians have not used. (JN)

This packet suggests activities and events that school districts, schools, classes, and educational organizations can conduct to commemorate World War II. Suggestions are made to include local veterans, including those in veteran's and nursing homes and hospitals, and youth at every possible opportunity. Recognition can take the form of military…

This flexible resource teaching package describes the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg and explores how conflicts begin and how they can be ended. Lessons address visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners while fostering critical thinking skills as students read, write, analyze, and draw conclusions. Role playing and other creative activities are…

At the First Battle of Manassas (Virginia) in 1861 many Union doctors fled the battlefield in fear. Those who remained found themselves without adequate medical supplies or ambulances for their patients. As the U.S. Civil War progressed and casualties mounted, military surgeons became more adept at caring for the wounded. By the Battle of…

In this activity for secondary social studies students both rock and country-western music are used to analyze the different views held about the Vietnam War for nearly a decade. Specific songs are suggested. (RM)

Using primary source documents, this teaching unit focuses on the role monuments and memorials play in the culture. Teacher background materials include a unit overview and unit context, correlation to National Standards for United States History, unit objectives, a lesson plan list, and historical background on commemorative sculpture in the…

In 1864, President Lincoln was frustrated by the inability of Union Generals to defeat Robert E. Lee's forces. Lincoln looked to the western theater of the Civil War to find a winning leader, General Ulysses S. Grant. In March 1864, Grant took command of the entire Union army and began to wage a war of attrition to destroy Lee's army, its civilian…

This lesson plan utilizes poems and quotations of things said by women who served in the Vietnam War as a means of helping students to understand the War and its impact on those directly involved. Procedures for teaching the lesson, small group discussion questions, a 12-item list of references, and all materials containing the poems and…

This teaching unit, one of a series of eight, provides a view of the impact of war on everyday life and commerce during the Civil War. The unit will supplement teaching the Civil War in U.S. history, economics, or business classes. The unit includes an overview, objectives, class activities, vocabulary, student handouts, and ways to use economic…

Outlines reasons why teaching about Vietnam is important. Presents the results of a survey designed to find out what New England teachers are teaching about Vietnam. Critiques textbooks on the Vietnam War, and offers teaching strategies for Vietnam War instruction. Recommends the use of maps, films, and videos. (RW)

This guide to Civil War books provides help in locating information about a specific person, battle, or campaign, as well as social or political conditions during the Civil War period. Teachers and librarians will find it useful when developing assignments or guiding students to sources for their research. This resource guide brings together books…

The goal of this handbook is to introduce a way of teaching history that will stimulate student interest and facilitate learning. Trade books, which include both fiction and nonfiction, provide a way to supplement the use of the textbook and allow the teacher to design a program that provides both structure and the freedom to meet the child's…

In this interdisciplinary curriculum unit, students work in groups to examine, role play, and report on how the United States should have responded to England in the War of 1812. Students take on the roles of news reporters to explain and evaluate U.S. policy and are provided with background information, detailed instructions, on-line resources,…