Relates the creation of the "Tarheel Museum," created by fourth-grade students in a North Carolina school. Used the creation of a museum to engage students in studying about state history; to incorporate art, music, and physical education into social studies; and to engage special education students. (DSK)

Reflecting on the current debate on how to teach about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, this article examines Thomas B. Fordham Institute's Terrorists, Despots, and Democracy: What Our Children Need to Know, one of the several publications produced by the Fordham Institute that…

This minicourse can be used in secondary U.S. history courses to teach about the social, economic, industrial, and technological changes that can be triggered by a single technological innovation. The lesson contains sequenced activities that alternatively stress right and left brain modes of learning. (RM)

Reviews the origin, implementation, and principles of the Amherst Project, a teacher education workshop that was one of the leading examples of the "new social studies" in the 1960s. Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the project and briefly notes similar programs still in existence. (MJP)

Argues that in an attempt to avoid presenting religion in a manner that might be considered controversial or offensive many textbook publishers have watered down their coverage to the point of misrepresentation. Examines several texts' treatment of significant religious subjects. (MJP)

Argues that, although social studies classes should be exciting and interesting, students frequently rate them as among the most boring and irrelevant. Asserts that living history programs, including history theater, history immersion, and living history museums can improve history instruction and student attitudes. (CFR)

Asserts that increasing numbers of history teachers design courses to have students use historical research and processing skills. Reports on a study of 120 middle school students about their perceptions of what historians do. Concludes that the study provided teachers a means of assessing student understanding of historians. (CFR)

Presents a program for making oral history real to elementary children by sponsoring a senior citizens' tea. Describes the experiences of the children in preparing and giving the tea. Discusses the program's benefits of enhancing the store of information about community history and oral history and promoting student use of language in many forms.…

Asserts that most teachers would like to teach about religion, especially in history, but hesitate because they are uncertain about what they can teach legally. Recommends using children's literature to point out how religions affect the way families throughout the world live in their homes and communities. (CFR)

Local history can help prepare students for standardized tests by helping them enhance their memories and possess solid understanding of the concepts that are fundamental to a particular discipline or field of study. Although it can effectively be argued that the study of local history may aid in the mastery of U.S. history topics, another often…

Describes a year-and-a-half-long history project that involved elementary students in exploring their community's past. Students took field trips, interviewed community persons, taped oral histories, painted murals, and produced a dramatic musical based on their community's history. (RM)

Describes 20 trade books to aid teachers in the development of social studies concepts. Suggests ways to use these books to extend lesson units by emphasizing formation of concepts and generalizations, integrating social sciences, clarifying values, achieving objectives, and maintaining of objectivity in discussing societal conflict. (KO)

Maintains that storytelling is one of the world's oldest teaching tools and belongs in every social studies classroom. Recommends the use of Korean folk tales to help students understand Korean culture and gain insight into their own lives. Includes a list of classroom techniques, teacher's resources, and recommendations for folk tales. (CFR)

Reports on the research and development of a history textbook on Puerto Rico. Discusses the issues of historical synthesis and the special problems associated with writing a book about an island that is neither an independent nation nor a colonial possession. (CFR)

Reviews the legal history of including religion in the curriculum and maintains that religion may have been the most important determinant of human behavior throughout history. Outlines an instructional model based on California and Illinois state histories and includes four themes that structure the model. (CFR)