A classroom examination of the featured historical article announcing North Carolina's ratification of the Constitution can springboard into a lesson on federalism, the Bill of Rights, and the ratification process.

Oral histories are an exciting way to directly involve students in the act of historical inquiry. They assist students in personalizing history and relating to the actual lives behind major events, names, and dates in history. This article discusses the benefits of using oral histories in the classroom. It describes how to use "Oral Histories…

In the spring of 2003, the author worked with a team of eighth grade teachers at Asheville Middle School in North Carolina on a project that combined fine art, music, the history of the railroads, and the African American experience in the state and nation. In her classroom, students interviewed a retired train conductor, who was African American,…