Contends that understanding history is more than remembering isolated facts: it involves interpreting, hypothesizing, and evaluating. Provides recommendations for preparing elementary students for the California Learning Assessment System (CLAS). (CFR)

Discusses issues related to the underrepresentation of minority teachers in social studies education. Suggests that many minority college students choose occupations other than teaching. Recommends that secondary history teachers develop student involvement in history through historical research and controversial issues. (CFR)

Presents a program for teaching social studies through a simulated archaeological dig. Describes an integrated lesson in solving real problems through a variety of disciplines making full use of technology. Discusses objectives, project organization, and the necessary materials. Emphasizes student interest in learning through experience. Includes…

Asserts that teaching social studies in the primary grades can be an exhilarating experience for teachers and encourages long-term interest in investigating the world among students. Maintains that cooperative learning, student research activities, integration of children's literature, writing and the arts, and the use of educational technology…

A unit that can be adapted to teach about any culture(s) teachers travel to during their vacations is outlined. The unit is interdisciplinary and includes activities for social studies, language arts, mathematics, art, music, dance, physical education, and home economics. The activities can be used in elementary or secondary classes. (RM)

Expresses concern about how teachers will implement the California Framework for History-Social Science Education. Focuses on the need for staff development based upon four criteria: assessment, articulation, alignment, and allocation. Explaining these criteria, the author assesses how they can be used to implement the Framework. (LS)

Outlines an inservice-teacher workshop, used in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, intended for high school teachers who focus on the modern Middle East. Defines the critical thinking process it recommends: questioning assumptions, gathering information, and evaluating material. Describes small-group sessions that evaluate textbooks and news…

Reports on a middle school project that created a living history environment focused on the Civil War. For three months the students "became" students at the Hopewell Conservatory in Virginia during the 1860s. They corresponded with Civil War soldiers and immersed themselves in the culture of the period. (MJP)

Discusses the origin, development, and current status of a history-geography-English integrated curriculum program for eighth-grade students. Summarizes the "pluses" and "minuses" of the approach. Describes classroom activities and student projects in the program. (CFR)

Describes a high school U.S. history class that combines experiential learning with local history. The class models their historical inquiry after a fictional character in, "The Secret of Gumbo Grove," who uncovers her hometown's secrets. A class trip to the local cemetery provides opportunities for historical research. (MJP)

Discusses a ninth grade, culturally diverse, interdisciplinary social studies class. Students pick a person from the class to study with whom they feel a connection and prepare a presentation about this connection, including a poster. Includes the four major themes of the class and a reading list. (MJP)

Summarizes a research project conducted in the Netherlands that examined the effect studying women's history had on the gender identity of girls. The instruction increased girls' knowledge of equal opportunity issues and of the representation of women in history. Knowledge of the social construction of gender remained limited. (MJP)

Describes an integrated curriculum approach to world history/language arts that employs student filmmaking as its primary instructional approach. Discusses how the production process allows teachers to assess students' content knowledge, writing skills, and research skills. Includes a list of "helpful hints," a model content outline, and…

Describes a middle school program that integrates history/social studies, language, and visual arts. Describes how the program links two different middle schools through electronic mail in their study of world cultures. Includes examples of student writing and descriptions of classroom activities. (CFR)

Maintains that the broad arenas of the social sciences bind multiple areas of study together, giving added breadth and depth to each. Identifies the basic tenets of multicultural, global, and civic education. Includes suggested learning activities on the theme of individual versus community rights and responsibilities in U.S. history. (CFR)