This book seeks to establish a broader picture of the issues that confronted those who framed the U.S. Government during the founding period. This collection of primary historical documents shows how the founders arrived at consensus from the many conflicting viewpoints that characterized the debate on establishing the constitutional republic. A…

Based on a preliminary version of this study, project aims were to learn what college freshmen knew about presidents in office from the late 19th century to the present and to determine the students' writing levels. During the first class of each of five semesters, students enrolled in an American History Since 1985 course were asked to write one…

The first purpose of a high school course in U.S. history must be to help students understand the essence of democracy and those events, institutions, and forces that have either promoted or obstructed it. This review examines five textbooks and analyzes how useful they are in aiding that process, and how they might be made more helpful. The five…

The paper analyzes seven widely-used fifth grade social studies textbooks with the hypothesis that texts are unnecessarily loaded with poorly conceived instructional design features that often do not relate to content or skills and tend to minimize the primary function of the texts. Using present and future challenges facing the United States as a…

The founding fathers of the United States were products of a classical education, and they used the Greek and Roman classics as republican models and classical virtues. In their writings, the founders frequently associated liberty and republicanism with the ancient commonwealths. John Adams spoke on three separate occasions of the need to reflect…

A research study was undertaken to determine how U.S. history is taught and what is learned in Indiana public high schools. The objectives of the study included: (1) to ascertain the status of U.S. history in Indiana public schools; (2) to compare results of data with national literature; (3) to identify what is actually taught; (4) to ascertain…

Asserts that the Civil War was one of the first wars in which women took an active part. Relates examples of women who assumed responsibilities typically associated with males. Maintains that Victorian standards of appropriate female behavior continued to dominate both male and female thinking during this period. (CFR)

This booklet is a special tribute to Lou Henry Hoover, wife of President Herbert Hoover, from a close friend, social secretary, and chief research assistant to the First Lady. The small booklet provides a look at the social history of the era by focusing on Lou Henry Hoover and her interest in the outdoors. Lou Henry Hoover was the first women to…

A survey of 12 leading high school U.S. History textbooks has resulted in the opinion put forth in this book that the textbooks currently used in high schools are an embarrassing amalgam of bland optimism, blind patriotism, and misinformation. In addition to critiquing existing textbooks, the book also suggests how U.S. History should be taught.…

Prior to a curriculum unit on the English colonies in America taught within a U.S. history course, two classes of fifth-graders stated what they knew or believed was true about colonies and what they wanted to learn about them. After the unit, they reported what they had learned about the English colonies in North America. In addition, a…

This paper discusses the distinction between the Constitution and constitutional law. The Constitution is the fundamental law of the United States. It creates the institutions of government, enumerates the powers of these institutions, and delineates areas government may not enter. The Constitution is the instrument by which the consent of the…

This study investigates middle graders' understanding of significance in United States history through open-ended interviews with 48 students in grades 5-8. Students were presented with a set of captioned historical pictures and asked to choose the one important enough to include on a timeline of the last five hundred years, and to explain their…

Asserts that social studies or history methods textbooks do not enjoy the same popularity among teachers they once did. Reviews five texts used prior to 1910 and maintains that each contributed to the traditional history curriculum. (CFR)

This book examines the difficulty in the United States of educating students about civic ethos. While most educators agree about the importance of civic education, many disagree over how to go about that education. This study concentrates on the role textbooks play in the debate over civic education. It examines education's role in reflecting and…

This study examines the representation of Western Europe, particularly Germany, in world history, world geography, western civilization, and U.S. history textbooks used in U.S. social studies classrooms. The goal of the study was to identify avoidable imbalances in the representations of Germany and Europe, point to areas in which the portrayals…