Deliberation and inquiry can go hand-in-hand. Inquiry-based learning calls on teachers to facilitate student-led discovery, something that can only happen when students ask questions and weigh possible answers before settling on a plausible and evidentiary answer. Teaching through inquiry is about setting students up to wrestle with the issue at…

For many of the students in the author's American history class, early twentieth-century American history seems far removed from their daily lives. Being first and second-generation American citizens, many of the students do not have the luxury of hearing grandparents and great-grandparents telling stories about FDR and Henry Ford. More…

In this article, the author takes a different approach in teaching U.S. history to young people. His approach is derived from economics but not economics as a long list of concepts embalmed in huge textbooks written for use in Econ 101 and 102. Instead, he suggests, history teachers can do much to improve their instruction by drawing upon a…

The author decided to minimize the stressful emphasis on assessments in learning in his 11th grade American History and Government classes and put the fun back into teaching. Tired of the repetitive aspects of teaching the required state standards related to the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court cases, the author switched gears from simply…

Eleventh grade inquiry oriented history units which require students to deal with primary source materials are evaluated in this article. (SM)

Explores the world of textbook preparation, focusing on the revision of "A History of the United States" by Daniel Boorstin and Brooks Kelley. Describes the process of revising each paragraph in a selected section of the book. Surveys the concerns of teachers regarding textbooks and the interests of the students who use them. (GEA)

Contends that research confirms that too many names, dates, and facts can make social studies boring and irrelevant. Proposes a four-step approach to help students examine issues rather than merely learn facts. Describes a lesson on ethnic discrimination and presents a composite teacher-student dialog. (ACM)