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…

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)

Presents a lesson using photographs and descriptive readings about roadside attractions that have been nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. Includes student objectives, teaching procedures, photographs, and primary source readings. (CFR)

Describes a secondary level lesson based on the Johnstown Flood in 1889. Includes maps, photographs, and readings designed as student resources. (CFR)

Presents a classroom lesson on the only land battle between U.S. and Japanese forces during World War II. Utilizes information from the National Register of Historic Places. Includes photographs, maps, and student readings. (CFR)

Presents background information and learning activities about Camp Hoover, the presidential retreat built by President Hoover and later renamed Camp David. Includes three readings, three maps, two photographs, two drawings, and four student activities. (CFR)

Describes a variety of computer software programs and student activities utilizing the computer to help teach secondary social studies. Suggests using word processors, painting programs, and computer simulations for history and government courses. Concludes that successful use of computers in social studies instruction depends on the design of…

Describes a week-long instructional unit on late-nineteenth-century immigration to United States. Uses simulated diaries as the core of the lesson. Includes a bibliography of print, photographic, and video resources. (CFR)

Presents a high school unit about the U.S. Industrial Revolution featuring the Boott Cotton Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts. Includes student objectives, step-by-step instructional procedures, and discussion questions. Provides two maps, five illustrations, one photograph, and three student readings. (ACM)

Contends that the D-Day assault on Normandy's beaches in 1944 was critically important to the Allied war effort and ultimately to the security of all nations. Presents a lesson plan based on a message drafted in the early hours of D-Day by General Dwight D. Eisenhower and sent to his superior, General George C. Marshall. (CFR)

Describes an interactive problem-solving videodisc program designed for the middle schools. Explains the interdisciplinary nature of the program that includes information from astronomy, geology, history, and meteorology. Contends that the product is an excellent example of well-designed educational software. (CFR)

Presents an instructional unit designed for use in a secondary-level United States history course. Provides educational objectives and instructional procedures. Includes charts, maps, photographs, and student readings. (CFR)

Asserts that the story of Amelia Earhart holds an ongoing fascination for students. Presents an instructional unit using a spreadsheet to create a database about Earhart's final flight. Includes student objectives, step-by-step instructional procedures, and eight graphics of student information or teacher examples. (CFR)

Presents resource materials on the Caribbean for teachers and students. Lists works in the following areas: nonfiction for secondary students; background information and teacher guides; fiction by Caribbean writers; fiction anthologies; and poetry. Also identifies sources for books, films, and school district publications. (CH)

Presents a lesson plan on the early settlement of California by Spanish and Mexican colonists. Discusses the physical and cultural changes in the region from Spanish colonial days to modern times. Includes two primary source readings, two maps, and diagrams of a colonial ranch site, now on the National Register of Historic Places. (CFR)