History fairs are an excellent way to recognize student achievement and to generate an interest in history. Described is a History Day fair that encouraged students in grades 6-12 to research and prepare papers, projects, and media presentations on a historical theme and to have them judged by history professionals. (RM)

Discusses the events of the Haitian Revolution, including the slave rebellion which began on August 22, 1791. Focuses on the efforts of Napoleon to overtake Haiti and the effects of the the slave revolt on the Louisiana Purchase and the U.S. Civil War. Includes an annotated bibliography. (CMK)

Describes the Southwest Texas State University course "History Practicum: Researching, Writing, and Publishing Local History" that stresses computer proficiency, teamwork, and active learning. Students create and publish a guidebook for a town, city, or historic site in central Texas. Discusses the publication process of "San Marcos: A Guide to a…

Presents the story of the role railroad technology had in the adoption of Standard Time Zones in 1883 and also considers the influence of astronomers at the time. Includes the map of the standard railway time used by W. F. Allen and an annotated bibliography with primary and secondary sources. (CMK)

Describes National History Day, an annual event in which students compete for state and national prizes awarded for the quality of their self-selected historical research projects. Evaluates the contest as an educational program, suggesting some implications it has for the teaching of history in the schools. Describes various student experiences…

Describes how the author's opinion of contests for students changed from generally negative to overwhelmingly positive after he had experience with them. Recounts his experiences with the contests and describes the projects entered by his history students. Concludes that contests can work well in motivating students to write research papers. (AEM)

Describes a strategy to teach research skills using U.S. census data and microcomputers. Outlines a data-entry system which can be used to verify large amounts of information. States that students will be able to learn commands for more complicated manipulation of data. May be used with any good relational database software package. (KO)

Discusses a history professor's attempt to awaken students' interest by assigning an oral history project rather than a traditional research paper. Reports that adding to the personal dimension to the project increased students enthusiasm and introduced them to problems of historical research and historiography. Includes problems of reliability…

Reports the extracurricular activities of the Civil War Study Group at O'Neill High School (New York) that studies the 124th New York State Volunteers. Activities include battle reenactments, research using primary sources, presentations before school and historical groups, and the preservation and cataloging of a collection of historical letters.…

Over the last several decades, undergraduate history instruction has increasingly emphasized efforts to engage students in hands-on historical research. Texts that present students with sets of primary sources for analysis are now widely available. These texts strive to build students' research and analytical skills, and engage them in the…

Makes recommendations for student research projects on local history and family history. Suggests teachers and librarians working together can overcome problems concerning accessibility to, and careful use of, genealogical materials. Suggests research projects and gives examples of cooperation between teachers and librarians who solved research…

Describes a 5-day simulation workshop on the Cuban Missile Crisis developed for 60 secondary school students participating in the Indiana University summer gifted and talented program. Uses role playing and game situations to teach critical thinking. Finds these techniques effective in providing a sense of power and competence. (NL)

Discusses teaching styles exhibited by two different history teachers. Describes both teaching styles as epistemological representations, although one consists of a passive approach while the other employs active teacher involvement. Stresses each teacher's use of primary sources to help students see both sides of issues and critically analyze…

In 1999, the City University of New York (CUNY) abolished remedial programs in its four-year colleges and began to rely on standardized test scores as criteria both for exiting remediation and for admission to bachelor's programs. By doing that, the university has in effect eradicated its three-decade-old "open admissions" policy, argue…

A school-year research experiment using primary resources to teach an important national issue--protest movements against the Vietnam War at the local level--is an excellent way to motivate students and energize classroom teaching. Every local community in America has its own story to tell about the war in Vietnam. Whether it is about a local son…