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)

Two teachers describe their junior high school's involvement in National History Day. Participation in History Day provides students with the thrill of competition and the satisfaction that comes from really getting into a topic of their choice. (RM)

Provides directions for teaching high school students about world religions through the convening of a mock ecumenical council. Discusses objectives, activities, student presentations, the ecumenical council, and sample rules. Explains that groups of students are assigned to research particular religions and offer presentations about them before…

Discusses how students research and publish self-guided walking tours under the guidance of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Assesses the educational value of the experience and suggests resources for creating a tour. Recommends strategies for researching ethnic neighborhoods, including the use of religious and secular institutions for…

Describes the Readings Text task, a method for evaluating history students. Explains that the students learn history through primary sources and learn critical thinking skills as they weigh the importance of different documents. Discusses the students' selection of historical topics, selection of primary sources, and a model document edited by a…

Outlines a step-by-step process through which students can construct, defend, and test historical arguments. These include to support the claim with facts and analyze their relevance, to oppose the claim with additional facts, to rebut this claim with additional facts, and to ask for new information to test the claim. (MJP)

Describes a lesson plan for a classroom activity in which students research the causes that prevented the usefulness of early nineteenth-century schools. Discusses the project, a town meeting in which students play roles of community members. Includes instructions, follow-up activities, roles, and materials for use in the project and evaluation.…

Describes a history program at the Suzanne Middle School, Walnut, California, in which students create, design, and promote local history activities. Emphasizes the accomplishments of the program, including a rise in the school's state test scores from the twenty-second percentile to the ninety-fourth percentile. (RW)

Presents a lesson plan designed to sharpen students' research and analytical skills while giving them a better understanding of how the rise of large bureaucratic institutions redefined both the process and meaning of economic and social mobility. Students conduct research contrasting early U.S. apprenticeships with modern business people. (MJP)

Describes student development and production of a documentary film honoring local Vietnam veterans. Suggests that forming partnerships for learning is beneficial and successful and that using modern technology is the key to student motivation. Recommends student involvement in instructional television as a means of inspiring learning activities.…

The 1991 National History Day theme observes the Bill of Rights bicentennial, culminating in performing and essay writing contests, designed to demonstrate the importance of the Bill of Rights. Considers various subjects and methodologies available for student contestants, encouraging them to explore global topics as well as U. S. history. (NL)

Shows how studying sources of popular music and instruments help students understand historical patterns of immigration and geography. Presents lessons and materials for exploring origins of popular musical instruments and music that developed in the United States from other cultures. Includes several related classroom activities, recommended…

Describes teaching methods used to prepare students for conducting oral history interviews. Fishbowl interviews consist of a behavior-modeling exercise where the teacher interviews a guest in front of the class. Examines other instructional techniques such as role playing and paired interviewing. (MJP)

Describes a twelfth grade oral-history teaching project with multi-ethnic U.S. history senior students. Stresses that the project helps students think about and understand today's world by developing historical understanding. Activities include designing questionnaires, conducting interviews, writing biographical sketches, and producing a…

Presents a lesson plan that utilizes the study of Asian Americans in Hawaii to help students to develop the critical faculties needed to detect stereotyping and bias. Students create presentations on popular images of Hawaii. Later, they produce more critical and better researched presentations on the island and its inhabitants. (MJP)