An effective unit on the presidency must clarify the balance between the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. Two activities for use with secondary students are presented. (RM)

Techniques for planning an effective field trip, that is, one that uses structured learning, are provided. Sample questions that were used on a Boston Massacre field trip are provided. (RM)

Harold Herber's self-paced, self-teaching book, "Teaching Reading in the Content Area," can be used by social studies teachers to develop lessons that help students read, write, and think. A sample U.S. history lesson which uses techniques from Herber's book to help students learn about the Declaration of Independence is presented. (RM)

Education about nuclear arms should be balanced. Most of the supplementary materials dealing with nuclear war that are available to teachers are published by anti-war groups. Basic problems with these materials are discussed and information which can be used to present the other side of the story is provided. (RM)

Maintains that U. S. history has produced a vast literature of books and journals covering political, social, and economic history. Presents a bibliographic listing of what the author considers the most authoritative and accessible thematic treatments of U.S. History and scholarship. (CFR)

Contends that contemporary historians are redesigning U.S. history and its boundaries by including traditionally ignored groups. Asserts that history education that redefines boundaries in intellectually exciting ways should be valued. Provides a bibliographic essay on new historical scholarship and interpretations. (CFR)

Describes a sixth grade class in which students examined World War II throughout a school year. Identifies curiosity as the factor that helped children most in learning about the war. Reviews teaching strategies used and kinds of questions students asked. Discusses student problems with the vocabulary of the subject matter. Includes student…

Asserts that public policy analysis has a time-honored tradition in civics education. Provides a four-part teachers' rationale for including the study of child-labor legislation in social studies courses. Includes a five-part classroom format for teaching public policy analysis. (CFR)

Maintains that, if Richard Nixon is to be considered as a significant historical figure, his personality and complexity must be studied. Asserts that Nixon viewed the world as an unremitting struggle and unceasing competition in which an individual could only succeed by his own efforts. (CFR)

Reports on a review of nine elementary social studies textbooks for their treatment of African-American history and culture. Finds that the West African origins and culture of African Americans is largely ignored. Determines that textbooks present a biased and incomplete picture of slavery in early U.S. history. (CFR)

Maintains that the expansion of voting rights to African Americans and women is an appropriate topic for Social Studies courses. Discusses suffrage in New York state between 1848 and 1920. Includes a table depicting the women's suffrage campaign in New York state and a list of other resources on the topic. (CFR)

Contends that oral history is a way to involve students in thinking about and understanding history and the contemporary world. Includes a family history chart, recommendations for creating an oral history questionnaire, sample interview questions, and four student oral history writing models. (CFR)

Reports on a study of instructional strategies and beliefs among 18 middle-school U.S. history teachers and 60 middle-school students. Finds the most widely used strategies involve active learning, group projects, and student participation. Includes a table of the 10 most used strategies and 4 recommendations for instructional design. (CFR)

Reports on efforts to develop "Crossroads," a K-16 articulated, content-based, spiral curriculum in United States history. Discusses the historical framework underlying the curriculum. Presents the curriculum's 12-era chronology and 8 substantive themes. (CFR)

Presents seven exemplar lessons on Native American cultures from a spiral curriculum on United States history. Includes lessons from the kindergarten, middle school, and secondary levels. Describes teacher rationale statements and a grading rubric for middle school essays. (CFR)