Presents two activities from an "Idea Bank for Teaching Germany and Europe U.S. Classrooms K-12." Includes a role playing exercise involving significant individuals from European history and a student project involving cooperative learning about individual European nations. Provides an address for obtaining a free copy of the "Idea…

Uses the "Westside Community Schools" case that involved religious freedom to illustrate using mediation as a form of conflict resolution. Provides instructions to the teacher and a sketch of participants' roles in simulation role-play exercise. Lists additional resources on religious freedom and conflict resolution. (DB)

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)

Profiles the activities of a third-grade class that used role playing to understand the functions and components of the federal government. Describes learning activities simulating (1) representatives of the people, (2) the legislative branch, (3) the judicial branch, (4) the executive branch, (5) political parties, and (6) political campaigns.…

Offers three activities for middle school classrooms. Activity 1 uses a newspaper reporter exercise to demonstrate two viewpoints of the U.S. Civil War. Activity 2 develops geographic awareness of direction and distance on a sphere through study of the great circle route. Activity 3 provides associative learning clues and mnemonic devices for…

Describes a classroom activity in which students develop recruitment materials designed to encourage eighteenth-century Europeans to become colonists in North America. Includes instructions for developing assignment sheets and suggests student resources. Contends that this activity always enhances student motivation and enthusiasm. (CFR)

Asserts that U. S. history instruction is too often characterized by a narrow focus on national events and leaders viewed through a monocultural lens. Proposes an approach that replaces this narrow view of the past with one that regards the contemporary United States as the result of both internal struggle and global interaction. (CFR)

Presents a simulation that focuses on Kurdish nationalism and the struggle for autonomy and independence from the states that rule over Kurdish lands. Students assume the roles of either one of the countries directly involved or the governing body of the United Nations. Includes extensive background material. (MJP)

Reports on a study tour of China and argues that, although China has bright, highly motivated students, the country has serious problems. Discusses the impact of the Cultural Revolution and presents four case studies exemplifying issues in Chinese education. Includes two teaching activities based on the report. (CFR)

Outlines a series of simulation activities using historical incidents to illustrate the importance of the decision-making process. Students act out historical roles as the leaders of Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia in the days leading up to World War I and as the Tsar of Russia after the Bloody Sunday massacre. (MJP)

Asserts that the most effective use of schema theory in history instruction requires placing students in the decision- making roles of historical figures. A more detailed discussion of the same historical event follows this initial exercise. Students then compare their decisions with their historical counterparts. (MJP)

Discusses student projects and learning activities used in an Australian elementary school to teach about the United Nations. Asserts that the students viewed the UN General Assembly as a parliament during a role-playing activity. Describes the role that the school's student council played during the schoolwide project. (CFR)

Presents a role-playing activity based on political and legal issues surrounding a mutiny on a Spanish slave ship that landed on U.S. soil in 1839. Includes learning objectives, background information, and role descriptions. Suggests student writing assignments and further research projects. (CFR)

Discusses four major approaches to teaching about controversial issues frequently cited in educational literature: problem solving, public issues, decision making, and moral reasoning. Provides guidelines for structuring large-group discussions, small-group discussions, and debates within these approaches. Includes a list of instructional…

Delineates four compelling reasons for placing bioethical issues, including abortion, in a curricular context. These include linking ethics and civics, preparing informed decision makers, public debate, and studying the future today. Includes activities and questions designed to provide students with a conceptual focus. (MJP)