This document presents a case study of the reinstatement of Advanced Placement European History at Brookline High School (Massachusetts). The paper explores the parents' role in reviving the course and indicates that proponents of the course were rebuffed despite a petition campaign in support of the course. Course backers formed the…

This document presents a curriculum plan for social studies for each grade from kindergarten through high school. Each unit is designed to utilize community resources in teaching students a global approach. Three possible approaches to using resources are suggested: (1) to introduce a unit of study, to focus students' attention on planned…

In order to investigate elementary school students' understanding of historical time, this study conducted open-ended interviews with 58 children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The students were asked to place nine illustrations from various periods of American history in chronological order and to talk about the reasoning behind the order…

This document reports survey results providing data and ideas for evaluating possible Organization of American Historians (OAH) international initiatives. The survey was constructed to address a wide range of issues and to solicit information on those resources that Americanists worldwide either wish to receive or have to offer. It sought…

A case study of the methods of teaching U.S. history that have been developed by an exemplary fifth-grade teacher is presented. It includes description, rationale, and examples of the instructor's overall approach, along with detailed recording of everything done during a month-long unit on the English colonies. The teacher's approach is notable…

The European history textbooks of four authors, Phillip Van Ness Meyers, Willis Mason West, Hutton Webster, and James Harvey Robinson, are described to show how they responded to and reflected the changing nature and function of the high school from 1880 to 1930. Data for the study came from educational histories, committee reports, journals,…

With enrollments in the social sciences declining markedly and their educational values being deemphasized, a new approach must be taken to social sciences instruction. Social science courses are antiquated, need revision, fail to offer enough job relevance to draw most students, are taught too conservatively, and no longer enjoy a protected…

Pennsylvania high school seniors who were tested on their knowledge of South Asian geography, history, political science, and culture knew little about this politically important region. The sample included 684 urban and rural students from high and low income families who answered 43 multiple choice questions on knowledge, interests, and…

In this article, Alison Kitson and Alan McCully discuss the findings of their research into history teaching in the most divided part of the United Kingdom: Northern Ireland. Drawing on interviews with students and teachers, they consider what history teaching might contribute to an understanding of the current situation and reflect on the extent…

Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of specific reading strategies on content area comprehension and reading skills. The strategies tested were a specific study guide, directed reading questions, cognitive organizer, and structured overview. In the first study, 225 students enrolled in a community college history course were…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between student verbal ability and performance in an introductory United States history class at a comprehensive community college. For the purposes of this study, performance was defined as grade point average and rate of persistence. Because of degree requirements, students at…

Indicates that textbook explication alone of causes of events is insufficient for acquisition and use of hierarchically organized knowledge; students must be taught how to construct text-based information into hierarchically structured form and use it for making predictions. (FL)

For this study, high school students studied a brief history text and then: (1) answered a short-answer test; (2) answered a multiple-choice test; or (3) completed a questionnaire about study habits. Results concerning the effectiveness of these procedures on retention of material are discussed. (Authors/CJ)

Describes the design of a hypermedia application, "Set on Freedom," on the American civil rights movement and presents preliminary qualitative and quantitative research on its use in a seventh- and eighth-grade classroom. Results suggest that hypermedia applications can be designed to support development of historical thinking. (Contains…

Uses data from the California Basic Educational Data System (CBEDS) to analyze course listings in history and the social sciences in California secondary schools from 1981 to 1990. Uses three variables: enrollment, number of sections, and number of full-time faculty assigned to social studies courses. Reviews course offerings and recommends…