A five-day activity helps secondary students evaluate the qualifications of each major presidential candidate. Ten presidential roles are explained: head of state, executive leader, head of armed forces, diplomatic leader, legislative leader, head of party, voice of the people, protector of the peace, manager of prosperity, and global leader. (RM)

This textbook aims to make the history of the country interesting to children, and, therefore, easily learned and long remembered. The chapters cover epochs and the lessons are topics or events within the epoch. Each lesson is a unit in itself and should be so considered in teaching the text. Topics included in this book cover the old world;…

History education lends itself to considering historical problems from the perspective of people of that time and exploring their thinking or "predictions" about the problems' possible effects. Building lessons around the use of prediction-making humanizes history because it allows students to investigate historical events and understand…

Intermediate and junior high school students learn about the social history of Vermont by studying events and trends during a 30-year period of the life of a famous Vermont native, Calvin Coolidge. Although designed for students in Vermont, materials can easily be adapted for use in other states, particularly those in the New England area. In…

An eighth grade social studies unit on Maryland studies contains three sections of material. In the first section, a two-column chart matches grade-level objectives to specific activities presented in the next section. A content outline is divided into sections of presettlement history, the early and late colonial periods, pre-Civil War…

This guide for eighth grade teachers was the product of a Title IX ethnic studies project. The guide was designed to supplement the regular South Carolina state history textbooks and place in a more positive frame of reference the ethnic contributions that specific ethnic groups have made to South Carolina history. Written by teachers, the guide…

Presents a complete lesson plan examining the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois. Background material covers the African American community in Springfield, as well as the incident. Handouts include a map showing the black neighborhoods in Springfield and a questionnaire concerning moral decision making. (MJP)

When Morris Dees was a young man in Alabama, the law said that black people couldn't drink from the same water fountain as white people, or sit at the same lunch counter. Back then, the government created and sanctioned divisions between human beings. The Civil Rights Movement changed all of that, of course, and ended state-mandated apartheid in…

Twelve lesson plans on the Bill of Rights are featured in these materials for Nebraska senior high school students. The 12 lessons include: (1) The Bill of Rights--Introductory Unit; (2) Freedom of Speech; (3) Freedom of the Press; (4) Free Press/Fair Trial; (5) Freedom of Religion; (6) The Right to Keep and Bear Arms; (7) Due Process; (8) Search…

This 8-week interdisciplinary unit for fourth- and fifth-grade students helps children address the U.S. westward expansion in the 1840's using the interactive software program, The Oregon Trail. The unit provides connections to literature, geography, computer/mathematics skills, language arts, and research skills. The work is done in cooperative…

Developed as an aid to Oklahoma educators, these easily duplicated learning activities can be used as a supplement in elementary and secondary social studies courses. Some of the teacher-developed activities are self-contained, while others require the use of publisher-available books and films. There are three major sections: Elementary; Middle…

Designed for teachers and researchers, this comprehensive outline of the history of North Carolina traces the state's history from its earliest Indian occupants to political events occurring during the 1960's. Over 40 chapters are included in the outline. In general, topics deal with expansion and settlement, agriculture and industry,…

This educators' guide deals with preparation for and a visit to the historic location of Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (Republic, Missouri), the site of the struggle on August 10, 1861, between Union and Confederate forces for control of Missouri. The guide contains the following materials: Educational Group Reservation Form; Educational…

Presents a lesson plan that invites students to view 19th-century Hawaii through the eyes of Isabella Bird. Bird left Victorian England hoping that traveling would improve her ill health. In the process she became a celebrated writer and explorer. Includes excerpts from her letters and books. (MJP)

Describes a role-playing activity designed to show how the United States began its involvement in Vietnam. Provides sample handouts assigning students to support either the French or Vietnamese side of a debate. The teacher assumes the role of President Truman who must decide which side will receive U.S. support. (GEA)