Suggests using portraits in history instruction. Uses the story and portrait of Pocahontas to show how expectations can differ from reality. Discusses the role of inference in interpreting what a portrait tells the viewer. Argues that portraits can "soften" social studies instruction and remind students that historical figures were real…

Suggests the use of picture postcards as a vehicle for teaching geographic concepts. Describes the development of postcards. Discusses the use of postcards for thinking skill development, as a social historical record, and as a study of the images of the places represented on the cards. (DK)

Advocates using broadsides, a form of public announcements in the colonial era, as an example of easily obtainable historical source materials. Examines how studying broadsides promotes skills associated with historical inquiry. Outlines a six-step model for teaching with broadsides. Provides three sample lessons for classroom use of broadsides.…

Provides a lesson plan on the geographic and civic aspects of municipal wastes. Offers action activities for students. Maintains that students will become familiar with the geographic, moral, and political features of municipal waste disposal. (RW)

Contends that geography teachers are always looking for ways to excite their students while engaging them in geographic skills development. Describes using "Wanted Posters" as a springboard to geographic learning in middle schools. Includes sources for obtaining wanted posters from government and social service agencies. (CFR)

Reviews an array of resource organizations useful for developing, implementing and evaluating service learning. Reviews practical "how-to" guidebooks, motivational materials, and resources for academic discussions of service learning. Formats reviewed include workbooks, field guides, ERIC digests, monographs, and anthologies of articles. (MJP)

Suggests a social studies unit on escaping geography. Examines escape from dangerous places including an airliner, hotel fire, or war zone or from a social situation such as a boring speech or party. Describes historic escapes such as the Underground Railroad and the Berlin Wall. Lists learning strategies such as awareness of space and cognitive…

Presents low cost ways that elementary teachers can develop classroom and school museums. Using objects and documents to record and display community events and traditions can help foster commitments to civic institutions and positive social values. Recommends creating wall murals, life ropes (personal event chronology), wall newspapers, and…

Suggests integrating teaching geography and other cultures within the context of children's literature in grades three through six. Provides instructions for teaching geographic vocabularies and concepts through a Chinese children's story, in which the author uses the physical landscape to set the stage for the story. (NL)

Offers guidelines for teaching about foreign countries in elementary school social studies lessons. Explains ways to determine content and goals, build background information, and locate instructional materials/community resources. Suggests activities for beginning, sustaining, and concluding units. Stresses importance of maintaining student…