Discusses whether history was taught in U.S. schools when they began around 1820. Reports that what was labelled history dealt with the founding of the republic, the Constitution, and government. Includes information on U.S. historians. Suggests that a society does not teach its history until it reaches a certain level of stability or maturity.…

Urges that history be based on sound historical scholarship. Suggests that the most important key to good history is provided by well-trained history teachers who understand the dynamic nature of historical inquiry and help students develop a critical perspective of the past. Recognizes that women and minorities have been significant actors in…

Addresses the ways in which the United States uses history to justify present events. Suggests that two myths about history tend to confuse thinking (1) the notion that history repeats itself, and (2) the belief that hindsight is 20-20. Argues that history teachers must alert students to the complexity of human events and avoid misleading…

Presents a lesson plan dealing with women and sport in U.S. history. Discusses the themes of physical capabilities, propriety, and femininity. Describes exercises and projects that can be used to integrate the lesson into different subjects. Includes a reading list, modified rules for women's basketball, and portions of the social debate on women…

Suggests that research on Congressional history is problematic due to the complexity of the institution. Provides a literature review broken down by the era covered in the works, beginning with the colonial roots of Congress and continuing until the present in 50-year spans. Notes sources for historical materials on Congress. (DSK)

Describes a project titled "A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation: U.S. Congressional Documents and Debates, 1774-1873," by the Law Library of Congress to make the documentary records of Congress available over the World Wide Web. Also, notes other World Wide Web sites related to the Congress. (DSK)

This article describes the modern-day equivalent prices of items Captain John Smith required for colonists traveling from England to Virginia in 1624. Includes information on wages and cost of living in 1624 and today in the United States. Concludes that the colonists paid a high price for traveling to the New World. (JDH)

Maintains that history, as a school subject, cannot be reformed without an understanding of classroom life and the institutional norms of schooling. Identifies three problems in history teaching: trying to cover too much, the related problem of overuse of dull expository instruction, and failure to receive sustained feedback on teaching. Provides…

Traces the development of an interdisciplinary course in eleventh-grade history and literature. Highlights historical and literary content of the course and provides insight into the team teaching relationship and students' learning as the course developed. (JDH)

When used to supplement print materials, explore dimensions of interpretation, and raise questions about bias, films can prove valuable aids for arousing students' curiosity about the past. Films that can be used in secondary classes to teach about the sixties are described. (RM)

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)

Presents a lesson plan exploring social values and historical periods as it is reflected in the sport of baseball. Suggests that teachers start with an overview of the game's history and rules in the nineteenth century. Includes four sets of quotes relating to baseball and race, capitalism, community, and cultural context. (DK)

Recounts the role of Congress in creating much of the New Deal legislation. Argues that the impetus for many pieces of legislation came from Congress, not from President Roosevelt. Suggests that the story of Roosevelt as mastermind was fostered by his assumption of greater executive power during World War II. (DSK)

This special theme issue of the OAH Magazine of History contains articles that present a variety of perspectives on the Columbian Quincentenary--the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyages of discovery. The articles include: "Exploring the Columbian Quincentenary through Historiography" (John Hebert); "Science, Religion,…

Recommends Paul L. Murphy's 25-year-old article "Time to Reclaim: The Current Challenge of American Constitutional History" as a starting place for teachers interested in teaching about the history of the U.S. Constitution. Includes a three-page annotated bibliography of books on constitutional history. (BSR)