Approaching literacy through a human rights lens potentially equips children with the courage and support needed to face sources of human suffering; develop compassion for others; and identify obstacles to their sentience, autonomy, and well-being. A human rights view of literacy pedagogy necessarily involves attending to the moral reasoning of…

This document discusses the movement to bring original historical sources into the classroom. Because students of history need access to sources of information that provide direct or primary evidence about reality, teachers must show that realistic alternatives to the traditional history text exist. In the first section of this paper, efforts to…

As a teacher of history in the early 20th century, Henry Johnson believed in the importance of making history meaningful to students. He hoped that it would teach critical inquiry skills which could be used throughout life. He also emphasized the developmental aspect of history to explain how the present grew out of the past. Johnson studied the…

Abraham Lincoln rose from the depths of obscurity to guide the United States successfully through the turbulent and menacing years of the Civil War. Laborer, businessman, postmaster, politician, and lawyer were some of the vocations, not all successful, that Lincoln tried during the years leading to his ascent to the Presidency. This review of the…