Philography, or autograph collecting, is a good way to liven up social studies classes. For example, after watching the TV miniseries "Winds of War," students wrote to famous real life participants in the war asking them a variety of questions. The response rate was nearly 100 percent. (RM)

Illustrates an innovative approach to teaching the 1932 Veterans' Bonus March on Washington DC. The teacher used instructional packets with 1930 nostalgia, the Pete Seeger album, "American Industrial Ballads," and film clips. An instructional guide is included. (GG)

Describes six alternatives to the one-year chronological survey course on world history in secondary grades. The alternatives are topical or thematic courses, conceptual or generalization-centered courses, world regions or world cultures courses, problems approach courses, case study courses, and depth studies or patch-work courses. (RM)

Reviews cooperative learning theory, listing areas of improvement for both disabled and regular students. Explains how cooperative learning can be used to help mainstream students into social studies classes and gives guidelines for implementation. Points out that success depends on teachers' planning, implementation, and correct evaluation. (GG)

Traces the history of the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Includes copies of the U.S. Supreme Court mandate to the Louisiana Supreme Court denying Plessy's request to overturn the Jim Crow law and ordering him to bear the court costs. Provides teaching suggestions for interpreting the document and highlights related topics and questions for research and…

Illustrates a fifth grade teaching unit on international economics. Gives suggestions for use at the lower elementary and primary grades and points out that incorporation of economics into the elementary education curriculum can produce economically literate citizens in a cost-effective way. (GG)

Notes the recent trend toward converting sound filmstrips into videocassettes. Reviews offerings from commercial publishers which treat topics related to the constitutional bicentennial and the colonial history of the United States. (JDH)

Presents three television production projects for the college political science classroom: a political television "spot" project, an international press conference simulation, and an international news broadcast project. Offers a comparative evaluation of the projects and makes suggestions for improving the less successful ones. (GEA)

Presents television as an instrument through which adolescents can gain social experience and strengthen social development. Examines the link between watching television and social relationships, discussing how television viewing can provide "blueprints" for behavior in social situations. Lists four steps for using television as a learning tool.…

Illustrates a method for demonstrating historical chronology using popular songs that comment on a variety of social, political, and economic concerns. Provides an audio time line which uses U.S. recordings from 1955 to 1987 as musical time markers, highlighting such issues as racial discrimination, urban decay, political chicanery and women's…

Intended for middle school social studies classrooms, this publication features articles that spotlight diverse and innovative learning activities. This document includes the three issues of the "Middle Level Learning" supplement published in 1999 and the three that were published in 2000. Articles and classroom activities highlighted in this…

Describes a technique to teach students about U.S. society that involves: assigning each person an imaginary occupation and family statistics. Students attend a mock 20-year high school class reunion. The class discussion that follows this activity explores group dynamics and social patterns that evolve along class lines. (GG)

Demonstrates how role-playing in a mock trial situation allows children to view critically both sides of an issue and introduce them to trial procedure. Offers pre-trial activities, ways to teach students to see both sides of a situation, themes for mock trials, and supporting resources. (GG)

Discusses the use of oral history to enliven, enhance, and supplement the standard social studies curriculum. Presents rationales for using oral histories, methods for classroom use, and suggestions for locating interviewees. Includes an annotated list of oral histories that address social issues. (GEA)

Presents five activities for grades 3-6 which show how to harness the fun of Halloween to achieve social studies goals such as values clarification, critical thinking, personal decision making, and inquiry. States that Halloween's rich history, contemporary customs, ancient rituals, and myths provide a high-interest background of common experience…