Cisgender women were not permitted to join the armed forces until the Women's Armed Service Integration Act passed in 1984. During the Civil War, some people assigned female at birth enlisted as men. They used "male" names and wore short haircuts, pants, and other traditional "male clothing." Many stories of these soldiers have…

Background/Context: Across the nation, people living in the United States are embroiled in conflict over the meaning of its past. Many of the most fervent conflicts relate to acts of historical violence: war, enslavement, conquest, and colonization among them. Elementary school students commonly study the early colonization of the land now known…

Can you name several well-known military personnel throughout U.S. history? When hearing this question, most people may begin reciting names like George Washington, Ulysses Grant, George Patten, or Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., who all happen to be men. When thinking about the U.S. military historically, we tend to imagine that it is a man's world.…

This article describes a lesson plan that encouraged the usage of digital tools to enhance inquiry as a key tool in teaching elementary social studies. The lesson revolved around a field trip to the home of Civil War Governor Oliver P. Morton (Centerville, Indiana). The active, investigative, and questioning nature of inquiry in social studies…

Many scholars have argued that history education during the antebellum period in the United States supported conservative values and sought to produce close-minded citizens. History textbooks of that era, they frequently posit, cast Americans as God's chosen people and present the past in a style that reaffirms established social conventions. Ruth…

The advent and vast extent of immigration to the Great Plains states during the years 1865 to 1914 is perhaps best understood in light of the new international context that emerged during the 1860s in the aftermath of six large wars whose consequences included the enlargement of civil liberties, an acceleration of economic growth and technological…

This theme journal issue is devoted to an exploration of peace and its history in Iowa. The features and activities include: Iowa's Peace Tradition; A Global View; World Map; A Mesquakie Tale; Swords into Plowshares; Make a Peace Crane; Student Protest; Goldfinch Patriotism Debate; Peace Meal; A Short Story; and Work It Out. (DB)

This issue of the children's quarterly magazine, "The Goldfinch," focuses on World War I. A brief discussion of how the United States came to enter the War is followed by a discussion of propaganda. An article on the use of posters to encourage citizens to participate in the war effort is illustrated with reproductions of several of…

This theme issue of the "Social Studies Journal" focuses on the worldwide conflict known in the United States as the French and Indian War (1754-1763). The volume is dedicated to examining the conflict in Pennsylvania. Western Pennsylvania became a battle-scarred landscape as the British and French, with their Native American allies,…

The goal of this handbook is to introduce a way of teaching history that will stimulate student interest and facilitate learning. Trade books, which include both fiction and nonfiction, provide a way to supplement the use of the textbook and allow the teacher to design a program that provides both structure and the freedom to meet the child's…

This unit on the role of the military in Wyoming history provides activities which focus on the system of forts which began in 1849, Indian conflicts, World War II, and the Army and Air National Guard. Student activities include illustrating various battles, locating major Wyoming forts on a map, field trips to F.E. Warren Air Force Base and Fort…

Born in 1767, Black Hawk was the last great war leader of the Sauk Indians, who lived in the Rock River valley in Illinois. By age 25, he was a famed warrior and leader of his people who raided neighboring tribes until a period of peace and prosperity began about 1800. Various treaties of which the Sauk knew and understood very little deprived the…

Reports on a study of 16 elementary students' personal narratives on their historical memories about the Gulf War. Maintains that much can be learned about students' historical understanding when they tell about an event in story form. Suggests further research into the reasons student narratives were thin and abbreviated. (CFR)

Asserts that World War II through its consequences still touches lives today. Presents suggested curriculum approaches and topics for teaching about the war to elementary school students. Includes recommended teaching resources and children's literature. (CFR)

Tecumseh, famed for his skills as an orator, warrior, military strategist, and leader of his Shawnee people, has been called one of the great American leaders. In 1812 he assembled 3,000 warriors from 32 American Indian tribes in an effort to save the Indian lands from the onslaught of the white soldiers and settlers. It was the largest Indian…