Developed through a broad-based national consensus building process, the national history standards project has involved working toward agreement both on the larger purposes of history in the school curriculum and on the more specific history understandings and thinking processes all students should have equal opportunity to acquire over 12 years…

Developed through a broad-based national consensus building process, the National History Standards project has involved working toward agreement both on the larger purposes of history in the school curriculum and on the more specific history understandings and thinking processes that all students should have equal opportunity to acquire over 12…

Maintains that over 50 years ago the American Historical Association began to reshape history and social education. Asserts that only recently have professional historians begun to become reinvolved in history instruction in the schools. Describes the efforts to create National History Standards in both world and U.S. history. (CFR)

Describes a project to produce classroom materials for world and U.S. history based on primary source documents. Recommends departing from textbooks to penetrate particular historical problems through the units described. Suggests that such projects teach students the complexity of history, encourage active learning, and display a variety of…

Discusses the controversy surrounding the National Standards for World History and the National Standards for United States History. Maintains that people are finding out how unjust the criticism of the History Standards is. Includes supportive quotes about the standards from teachers and historians. (CFR)

Defends the National History Standards against the criticism that they virtually eliminated George Washington from the history curriculum. Maintains that this criticism is politically motivated. Provides many examples from the Standards mandating and supporting the study of Washington and his contributions. (MJP)