Critically reviews "The Public Interest on Education" (Glazer, 1984), a collection of articles which appeared in "The Public Interest" between 1974 and 1981. States that this work usefully illustrates the neoconservatives' disenchantment with a variety of federally-instigated school reforms. A shortcoming of the book is its failure to focus on the…

The Alaskan Klondike Gold Rush coincided with major events, including the arrival of the railroad, and it exemplified continuing trends in Seattle's (Washington) history. If not the primary cause of the city's growth and prosperity, the Klondike Gold Rush nonetheless serves as a colorful reflection of the era and its themes, including the…

While American Legion officials wasted few words condemning the works of John Dewey and his followers, they really focused their attention and efforts on the curriculum materials developed and written by Harold Rugg. In 1941, as the U.S. prepared for war, the American Legion was busy writing and distributing the pamphlet, "The Complete Rugg…

Explains how social studies classroom teachers can use a biographical approach to citizenship education. The approach is often successful with upper elementary and junior high school students because they are generally interested in new and different ideas at this stage and are beginning to be able to handle reading material such as biographies.…

Points out ways in which concepts from the discipline of political science can be useful in teaching American government and history. Emphasis is placed on helping students understand basic political action choices and decision-making strategies through group work in the social studies classroom. (DB)

This review of literature dealing with Black political activism suggests that most of the political ideas generated within the Civil Rights movement are not original; these ideas are merely restatements of previous traditions of Black political activism in the United States. (Author/EB)

Presents seven annotations from documents found in the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database about the U.S. Constitution that are appropriate for secondary and higher education students. Documents include mock dialogues, teaching with documents, and a discussion on the impact of the U.S. Constitution bicentennial on teaching.…

Narrates U.S. soil conservation history since the late eighteenth century. Discusses early practices such as contour plowing. Profiles individuals who promoted soil conservation and were largely responsible for the creation of the Soil Conservation Service. Explains the causes of erosion and how soil conservation districts help farmers prevent…

Describes 21 World Wide Web sites devoted to various aspects of judicial history. Includes for each entry the site name, address (Uniform Resource Locator), and brief description of site contents. Focuses primarily on United States judicial history but also includes some resources for Anglo-Irish legal history and world legal history. (DSK)

This paper describes the methodology employed to study videotapes of presentations made by President George Bush during the crisis in the Persian Gulf. Analysis of President Bush's language in relation to the events of the Gulf War was undertaken. Videotapes were used because they allowed for analysis of nonverbal communication as well as verbal…

Noting that throughout U.S. history most viewpoints not expressed in the mainstream press have found an outlet among alternative publications, this paper presents a profile of the 19th century peace advocacy press. The paper also notes that most studies of peace history have been produced by scholars of diplomatic, military, and political history,…

An American historian writing about the experiences of American homefront children during the Second World War sought to add authenticity to his book by including in it the personal stories of people who had been children during the war, told in their own words. The writer's letter of appeal, published in about 100 U.S. newspapers and about 75…

Arguing that Africana librarianship developed in response to changes in the traditional image of Africa and that it influenced that image in turn, this paper focuses on the individuals who shaped Africana librarianship in the United States. The topics discussed include the earliest American examples of Africana librarianship as witnessed in the…

Newly discovered transcriptions of 87 of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's women-only press conferences held from 1933 to 1945 make possible an examination of the objectives, topics, and value of these conferences. By holding the conferences, Mrs. Roosevelt attributed to women an important function in the political communication process, and at the…

The components presented in this document are general and specific recommendations for improving instruction about the Constitution, including revised versions of the seven conference papers. The papers are: "Society's Expectations for School Instruction about the Constitution: An Historical Overview" (R. Freeman Butts); "What Youth…