The Korean War is often given a cursory glance, if that, in U.S. foreign relations today. This article provides all the information necessary to conduct a role-play in one class period to help students understand the events of the war. Introductory and follow-up questions are also included to stimulate discussion and to connect the events of a war…

Learning about local government seems boring and irrelevant to most young people, particularly to students from high-poverty backgrounds. The authors explore a promising approach for solving this problem, Storypath, which engages students in authentic learning and active citizenship. The Storypath approach is based on a narrative in which students…

Children in two first-grade classes and their teachers decided to take an imaginary trip to Washington D.C. For three weeks, the first graders spent their afternoons on the project, and their simulated flight was the culminating activity of a unit on Washington, D.C. In this article, the author discusses several details of the activity,…

Focuses on the use of economic reasoning in the social studies classroom. Presents an activity to help teachers incorporate economics into social studies. Explores how the issue of slavery can be taught by focusing on the economic importance of slavery and its impact on present-day society. (CMK)

Contends that active learning allows students to become involved in learning by exploring issues and ideas under the guidance of the instructor. Describes the Market Game as an example of active learning that is an interactive game that simulates the behavior of a competitive market. Explores the students' reactions to the game. (CMK)

In this article, the author introduces Birka, a strategic trading game for high school economics students in either regular or advanced placement classes. For the game, students assume the role of Vikings who have returned to the medieval outpost of Birka to trade the loot from villages they have plundered. Playing cards represent the loot:…