Encourages visual notetaking to help students improve learning. Emphasizes that when students use verbal and visual cues, the entire brain is called to action. Specific examples of notetaking such as "T-line,""Stickperson," and "Star models" are illustrated. (BR)

The teaching technique described provides students practice in developing the skills necessary for good social studies essay writing. (DB)

Focuses on the way Oliver Stone's "JFK" was incorporated into a 20th century U.S. history course and examines the film's effect on student learning and critical thinking. Explains that the comments on the film result from a study on student learning that involved 46 students who agreed to participate in questionnaires and interviews.…

Presents a five-step method to develop the critical numeracy knowledge of numerically intimidated students. Examines the method in detail, discussing Piagetian diagnostic tools and how to adapt the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy to teach critical numeracy. (CMK)

Discusses Question networks as a strategy to assist students in understanding cause and effect text structures in their social studies textbooks. Describes the strategy in detail and offers a procedure for using it. Includes an example of how middle school students can create a Question network. (CMK)

Addresses teaching about the Vietnam War. Focuses on selecting literature and how to implement the "mines and booby traps simulation," which demonstrates the experience of an infantry soldier. Describes follow-up activities to the simulation, the connections students made between the simulation and literature, and the importance of simulation…

Presents a case study of 29 students who were all academic underachievers. Uses only oral assessment to determine the students' progress in a unit of work on physical and human resources. Provides the rationale, procedure, and the initial and final student evaluations. Discusses four limitations of oral assessment. (CMK)

Describes a unit for third-grade students on China, focusing on the first class session and the key elements that were used in the unit (artifacts, literature, and artwork). Discusses how the students' attitudes and understandings about China changed and explores the students' reflections on the class activities. (CMK)

Discusses the problems related to cultural pluralism, differences among the groups living in Israel, and social studies education within Israel. Focuses on the sociology curriculum, offering a rationale, description, and information about intercultural education. Addresses how this curriculum format has affected students in terms of their…

Describes a seventh and eighth grade social studies unit on the Civil War that incorporates language arts. The unit addresses the four levels of perspective development. Aims to provide students with a better understanding of the Civil War and develop students' personal perspectives. (CMK)

Builds a case for a careful reexamination of what it means to teach students to think critically. Briefly summarizes three noteworthy studies of higher-order thinking programs and discusses some of their fallacious assumptions. Proposes a more realistic and attainable approach to higher order thinking titled "reflective judgment." (MJP)

Explores how historical empathy can give students a richer understanding of the past, focusing on the development of the students' historical understanding through an analysis of 18 documents on President Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan. (CMK)

Defines the Scaffolding Reading Experience as a reading improvement technique that incorporates prereading, reading, and postreading activities. Discusses how this can be used in social studies classes and provides specific examples from an 11th-grade U.S. history class. Includes a list of optional activities and teaching suggestions. (MJP)

Reviews a survey of graduating high school seniors concerning their knowledge of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency. The results revealed that very few students had even the most rudimentary understanding of Roosevelt's accomplishments or positions. Argues that history instruction should emphasize a thorough understanding of the subject. (MJP)

Describes a fourth grade teacher's interdisciplinary efforts at imparting the joys of archaeology to her students. The students read fiction and non-fiction materials about the physical environments and participated in a series of hands-on learning activities. These involved simulated archaeological digs, personal artifacts, and realia. (MJP)