In this article we identify opportunities for students to use timelines and textbooks to meet standards. Through the use of timelines, textbooks, and selected activities, upper elementary and middle school students are able to (1) be engaged in content area reading and writings; (2) understand large themes in social studies including time,…

Decades of research into which instructional strategies are successful in K-12 history and social studies conclude that having students write is extremely important. Effective writing assignments--whether a 3- to 5-paragraph essay, a longer term-paper-style assignment, or even a fictional short story based on a historical period or event--require…

Today's students grow up in a technological milieu of hand-held computers with high storage capacities, internet access, and the ability to shoot high definition photographs and video. As such, they are empowered to construct representations of the past virtually "on the run." In this article, the authors investigated the historical "and"…

Asking students to explore teacher-selected Web sites is an effective way to provide students with appropriate links to credible online resources. This article provides several links to relevant sites that cover the Holocaust and Nazi Germany in general. It also provides several sites that focus on one particularly controversial and significant…

Through an examination of one undergraduate American history course at a large university in the southeastern United States via interview, observation and content analysis, we attempted to discern if the pedagogical methodology was relating to the students in such a way as to foster students' ability to construct meaning beyond simply…

Intended for use in Marxist-Leninist theory courses in Chinese institutions of higher education, this syllabus discusses and interprets Chinese policies and events, from 1949 through 1981, considered most important by the current communist party leadership. In addition to the text, educational objectives, supplementary reading assignments, and…

Presents a board game in which students pretend to be American Indians, settlers, or traders. Explains that students learn about people and life in Canada in the nineteenth century. Suggests that players will learn vocabulary, a sense of value, and bartering methods. Includes designs for the gameboard, commodity cards, and score cards. (DK)

Discusses communication in history, the theme for National History Day in 1993. Presents a list of approaches to the theme that could be taken as topics for study. Includes informational media, rhetoric and social change, transmission of cultural values, technology, and miscommunication. Contains a bibliography for each topic. (DK)

Preservice teachers are often amazed at the wealth of print and Internet resources available. They look forward to selecting appropriate ones to make people and events in the past seem real to children. In addition to these, perhaps some of the most meaningful sources might be those they and their future students locate and/or create themselves.…

The American Civil War, the War between the States, War of the Rebellion, the Second American Revolution, and the War of Southern Independence are all names for the bloodiest conflict in American history. That war of many names has inspired authors to write thousands of books and articles. With the advent of the Internet came a plethora of Web…

Primary source materials and excerpts from books concerning three types of autocracy--the divine right of kings, benevolent despotism, and totalitarianism--are provided for use with secondary students. Discussion questions are included. (RM)

Presents an annotated bibliography of books on the Holocaust suitable for young adults. Describes Holocaust institutions and their resources. Provides an address for teachers interested in contacting a Holocaust institute in their area. Discusses the proliferation of teaching resources on the Second World War and their value in the classroom. (RW)

Presents an instructive outline for writing a research paper for National History Day. Organizes the process into three steps: (1) select an interesting topic; (2) develop a strong thesis; and (3) write a well-constructed paper. Includes hints on organization, technical matters, editing, and readability. (DK)

Presents a history lesson plan on village life among two groups of Plains Indians in the early nineteenth century. Includes student handouts of contemporary writings by Euro-Americans, maps of the area, and early American paintings of the villages. Describes and structures teaching activities, vocabulary, and additional reading. (DK)

Recommends the use of song lyrics in secondary school U.S. history, government, and economics courses. Contends that using music meets the criterion of cultural literacy in the California History Social Science Framework. (CFR)