This article, the first of a two-part series, introduces the living history program. This yearly, weeklong program features living portrayals of famous people, which becomes a catalyst for teaching curricular standards, as well as providing the spark for inquiry. Here, the authors describe how the yearly living history program was implemented and…

Much recent sociological work on education makes reference to gender, sexual, ethnic, local and political "project" identities, yet there remains a need to bring the nation, and the state, back in; to also question the way in which "national" identities are constructed in a context of globalisation and localisation. Through an…

A study examined the relationship between writing activities and historical learning by elementary school students. Subjects in schools in the San Francisco Bay area were drawn from third-grade classrooms from a predominantly working class neighborhood, a mixed fourth-grade class of mostly limited-English-proficient children of immigrants from…

The use of literature in the history-social science curriculum has been found to be an effective means of generating students' interest, enhancing their understanding, and enriching the curriculum. This annotated guide contains listings of books to be used in teaching students in grades K-8 that have been selected as particularly helpful in the…

Designed for elementary school students, this unit on the coming of the railroad in Wyoming provides concepts, activities, resource lists, and maps. Concepts stress the coming of the railroad in 1867-69, routes which were considered, towns owing their origin to the railroad, the railroad ownership of southern Wyoming, and the relationship between…

The philosophy and techniques of using local history to make the world more interesting, realistic, and understandable to K-12 students are provided in this third How to Do It Series. Objectives of using local history as a teaching technique are to promote: critical thinking and other cognitive skills; orientation of the present community to the…

Describes an experimental computer-assisted history tutoring system that uses augmented transitional networks to allow computer interaction in natural language. (IRT)

This article provides an overview of how oral language and writing activities may be integrated into a typical kindergarten through sixth-grade social studies curriculum. (JDH)

Strategies to strengthen elementary students' perceptions of the past are discussed. These include conducting a personal home furnishings inventory, creating a "then" and "now" class museum, planning an "old objects" with "new uses" survey, organizing a grandpa's garage and granny's attic day, and conducting a neighborhood architectural treasure…

Describes a project, developed for elementary children, which compares childhood in 19th and 20th century New England. Study begins with patterns and characteristics of contemporary childhood, and proceeds to children taking roles as members of real families from the 1820s in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Use of the living museum, Old Sturbridge…

These Proceedings contain 14 chapters (or papers) from a colloquium on learning to live together in peaceful co-existence thanks to the teaching of history and geography. All the papers in the Proceedings are in French, but each paper has both an English summary and a Spanish summary. The 14 papers are, as follows: (1) "Introduction"…

The ESL Title I Coordinator (K-8) for the Hackensack Public Schools in New Jersey discusses History for English as a Second Language (HESL) and Math for English as a Second Language (MESL). (JM)

A primary objective of the utilization of historical research in teaching American History is to develop the students' ability to locate needed information when he wants it and in relation to the issue that has motivated the search. (Author)

Describes a variety of fourth-grade student projects on Pennsylvania history which could be used in a schoolwide Tercentenary Fair. Individuals or small groups of students become experts on particular subjects (historical figures, state products, or important historical events) and serve as resource people at their booths during the fair. (AM)

Posits that historical details can lend credibility, spark interest, and establish context for elementary history instruction. Argues, however, that teachers must distinguish between factual details and major historical developments. Suggests textbooks, mastery learning pressures, and test construction practices contribute to the inappropriate use…