Presents a brief overview of the history of the first early childhood teachers in the United States. Describes the circumstances under which colonial America's dame schools were created and run. Sketches a typical day in a dame school and delineates dame school teachers' qualifications and methods. Closes with the story of how the signing of…

Studies classic American children's readers used 100 years ago and concludes that they contain selections that are more mature, substantial, challenging, and sophisticated grade-for-grade than those in use today. The old books contain more serious nonfiction and invite critical reading as they teach values. (SLD)

Argues that the elementary social studies curriculum is based on unimportant and disconnected topics that are of little relevance or interest to students. Proposes a curriculum based on major social education goals such as shelter, citizen participation, and the appreciation of a multicultural society. Suggests seven steps teachers can use to…

The United States Supreme Court ushered in a new era in American history on May 17, 1954 in its monumental ruling in "Brown v Board of Education," Topeka, Kansas. "Brown" is not only the Court's most significant decision on race and equal educational opportunities, but also ranks among the most important cases it has ever decided. In "Brown" a…

The 50th anniversary of the historic 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in "Brown v. Board of Education" provides an opportunity to trace the origin of "Brown" and the long journey by African Americans to achieve quality elementary and secondary education in this country. This journey began with passage of the Fourteenth…

This report describes the process of establishing the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Achievement Levels-Setting (ALS) to formulate expectations for the geography and U.S. history assessments in 1994 for grades 4, 8, and 12. The volume includes the following: (1) "List of Tables"; (2) "List of Figures"; (3)…

This paper examines the history of the growth, development, and failure of Henrico College (Virginia), the first planned college in colonial America, and draws implications for contemporary higher education. It considers the role of the Virginia Company of London during the early 17th century in the college's early planning, the school's purpose…

Two main ideas are put forth in this paper: a description of the struggle of African-Americans to become full participants in the democratic process both before and after World War II; and an argument posited that through these struggles African Americans exposed the imperfections and weaknesses of the democratic society and provided for…

The National Register of Historic Places maintains a database with information on more than 60,000 historic places of significance in U.S. history. This paper contends that the emerging K-12 social studies core curriculum, as exemplified by the National Standards Project, contains a number of openings for teaching about historic places.…

This paper describes the lives and contributions of George Peabody and his nephew Othniel Charles Marsh. Marsh influenced his uncle's gifts to science and science education, particularly in the founding of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard, the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale, and the Peabody Academy of Science,…

A relationship exists between agrarian thought and the practice of formal schooling in the rural Midwest. Three traditions have shaped agrarian thinking about democracy and its application to social institutions, especially education. Fundamentalism, localism, and pastoralism have combined to form the ideological base for rural resistance to…

The seven articles in this collection deal with theoretical and practical freedom of speech issues. Topics covered are: the United States Supreme Court, motion picture censorship, and the color line; judicial decision making; the established scientific community's suppression of the ideas of Immanuel Velikovsky; the problems of avant-garde jazz,…

The study of Afro-American writers in American literature courses has experienced a noticeable decline since 1972. The most ignored of black literature is that written during the nineteenth century. Perhaps the most outstanding examples of black literature from that period were the "slave narratives," autobiographies by exslaves from…

A history of the employment of women in the Department of State and the Foreign Service is presented. Thirteen chapters consider the status of American women from 1776 to the present; women in the Department and at international conferences, 1800-1940; applicants and employees for overseas employment, 1851-1943; the Foreign Service examinations;…

This paper introduces topics about the American West to teachers and students of U.S. history and suggests that interested students can pursue the topics at greater length. The report is based on information from the novelist, Tony Hillerman, who states in "The Best of the West" (1991) that there are many firsthand accounts and other…