Advocates the use of primary source materials in the classroom. Describes a lesson based on Thomas Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virginia" in which students consider Jefferson's ideas on science and technology in the United States and Europe. Explores the links among science, technology, politics and social issues. (RW)

Examines Edward Bellamy's "Looking Backward" as the most popular U.S. utopian novel, and a major expander of the ideology of progress through technology. Provides an explanation for the book's popularity, and compares it to other utopian novels. Warns against using "Looking Backward" as a substitute for full-scale historical…

Provides a model lesson from the book "Science/Technology/Society: Model Lessons for Secondary Social Studies Classes." Outlines Japan's campaign in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to rid itself of guns and return to swords. Provides background information and student handouts. (RW)

Maintains that Darwin's theory of evolution was more than a science versus religion debate; rather it was a revolutionary concept that influenced numerous social and political ideologies and movements throughout western history. Traces the impact of Darwin's work historically, utilizing a holistic approach. (RW)

Traces the history of science in the United States through an extensive bibliography of sources useful to history teachers. Expounds on notable trends in the history of science, beginning with the revolutionary period up to the present. Focuses on the impact of social and cultural ideas on science in the United States. (RW)

Asserts that environmental history is an important component of the history of the American west. Discusses the historiography of the American west in relationship to environmental issues. Concludes that environmental history opened the door for scholars to study the way human beings interact with the physical world around them. (CFR)

Traces the historiography of the scientific revolution through a bibliographic essay. Examines trends in recent scholarly publications in an effort to identify new areas of research. Maintains that the study of the scientific revolution is problematic and cannot be reduced to simple analysis. (RW)

Illustrates the relationship between the technology of canal building and the development of national unity prior to the Revolutionary War. Examines George Washington's efforts to build the Potomac canal. Encourages students to consider the interrelationships among technology, resources, politics, and leadership. Includes two student handouts and…

Describes the JASON project, a joint project of the National Council for Social Studies and the National Science Teachers Association. Provides a sample lesson on the Punic Wars in which students study the relationship between shipbuilding and Rome's ascendancy to power. Explores the links among technology, science, and social studies. (RW)

Points out the contributions of the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT) in understanding the relationship between technology and the development of civilization. Surveys books and articles that deal with this theme. Suggests that the history of technology provides a wealth of insight and information for secondary education. (RW)

Traces the life and inventions of Thomas A. Edison up to the invention of electrical incandescent lighting in 1881. Focuses on the process that Edison followed in developing incandescent lighting, including financial aspects, other competitors in the field, and the eventual establishment of the Edison Electric Light Companies. (RW)

Expounds on the importance of teaching the interrelationships among science, technology, and society (STS). Addresses the problem of what can be done to infuse STS into the social studies curriculum. Provides bibliographic entries, including resources from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) useful to educators in developing and…

Outlines a lesson plan in which students role play a 1920s farm family deciding whether to buy an automobile or a tractor. Other students act as automobile and tractor sales groups. Explains how the lesson illuminates relationships between technological advance and social history. Includes handouts identifying benefits of purchasing cars or…