The objects collected and displayed by museums may be connected with famous people, made by exceptional artists, natural specimens, or simple ordinary things that show what everyday life was like for most people. All these objects offer unique ways to learn about life in the United States and the world. In 1996 the Smithsonian Institution…

Current social studies programs do not include the study of prosocial behaviors such as altruism, generosity, and compassion. This omission legitimizes the view that human behaviors are self-serving. Curriculum developers should fashion programs which provide prosocial models and opportunities for students to conceptualize such behaviors and…

Clothing of the nineteenth century and its reflection of the middle class ideals of how men and women should look is the focus of this publication. Through a series of activities, students are encouraged to think about the interaction of clothing and society, both past and present. Worksheets accompany lessons: "A Change of Clothes" and…

Describes the idea of the null curriculum in the context of teaching about genocide. Explores obstacles that prevent educators from teaching about genocides other than the Holocaust. Explains how teachers can begin teaching about other genocides in their classrooms. (CMK)

Addresses the beginnings of Swiss tourism, its barriers, and the development and role of transportation in mountain tourism. Considers the environmental problems caused by mountain tourism in Switzerland and provides seven teaching ideas. (CMK)

Describes how to utilize instructional resources to personalize a social studies methods course for elementary school teachers-in-training. The approach involves teacher-pupil verbal interaction, inquiry, and valuing. (Author/DB)

Discusses the use of melodrama as a method of historical research that provides students with an opportunity to study historical events and themes. Presents an activity based on the civil rights movement. Includes an example and handouts for creating a melodrama in class. (DK)

Explains that in a study of the Holocaust teachers must connect the stories of the Holocaust to the lives of their students. Provides five activities about the Holocaust that focus upon teaching tolerance. Addresses the children of the Holocaust, difference versus deviance, social identity, and The Night of Broken Glass. (CMK)

Provides background information on the arrest of Rosa Parks and the effects this event had on the Civil Rights Movement. Offers a collection of teaching activities in which the students examine the arrest records of Rosa Parks and explains that these activities are designed to accompany a unit on racial segregation. (CMK)

The role of the U.S. Constitution as a model for an influence on the establishment of governments in other nations offers an effective vehicle for expanding education about this nation's civic values, rights, and responsibilities. By studying how the ideas and principles of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights have been adopted, adapted,…

In 1893 the last monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili'uokalani, was overthrown by a party of U.S. businessmen, who then imposed a provisional government. Soon after, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison submitted a treaty to annex the Hawaiian Islands to the U.S. Senate for ratification. In 1897, the treaty effort was blocked when the Hawaiian Patriotic…

Teaching a unit based on the migratory experience of a particular group of immigrants gives students a better understanding of the entire immigration experience. Presents a lesson that focuses on the Italian immigrants as they moved throughout the world during the Age of Immigration. (CMK)

Asserts that students must learn about nuclear fission and fusion in the social studies curriculum to help them develop a foundation for considering the social issues associated with the everyday use of nuclear reactions. Gives background on the two types of reactions and provides three lessons for middle and secondary classrooms. (CMK)

Designed to accompany an audiovisual filmstrip series devoted to presenting a visual history of life in America, this guide contains an elementary school (grades 2-6) unit which traces the history of dress in America over the last century. Using authentic visuals including posters, paintings, advertising, documentary photography, movies, cartoons,…

Presented are objectives, activities, materials, and concepts for a social studies unit on the study of culture. The following categories make up the universals of culture (interpreted as functions which are found in some form in every culture): material culture, art and recreation, language, social organization, social control, conflict, economic…