Reviews research on elementary school students' capacity for historical understanding. Suggests Piagetian theory is not applicable to historical thinking. Considers teaching approaches for developing elementary history instruction, including (1) embedding history in meaningful context; (2) use of narrative; (3) linking past and present; and (4)…

Maintains that, as students develop, they can begin to acquire the skills of historians by investigating not only the facts of history but the human motivations the why of history. Provides recommended resources for helping student construct historical meaning, local historical and community resources, and for family history. (CFR)

Presents an annotated bibliography of books about the voyages of Christopher Columbus for children, preschool to grade seven. Notes that the five hundredth anniversary of the Columbus voyages will occur in 1992 and encourages teachers to anticipate the national commentoration and develop appropriate learning activities. (NL)

Retells the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott to reflect more accurately the cultural and historical background of the boycott and the conscious decision made by Mrs. Parks. Accurate examination of the story actually enhances a child's ability to identify with the issues and the protagonists. (SLD)

Maintains that social studies teachers have used the traditions associated with civic and religious holidays to teach about historical events and culture. Asserts that holidays are becoming more culturally diverse. Presents a bibliographic essay including recommended children's literature on both religious and secular holidays. (CFR)

The European dimension in education has been a term increasingly used by the European Union and the Council of Europe to denote some of their educational policies and initiatives. It has also been a contested term in academic writing, as some researchers critique the elitist, exclusionary and Eurocentric educational implications it may have, while…

A description is given of an exemplary program, developed by Claremont Teachers College in West Australia, that involved on-site teacher development to help introduce children in grades 1-4 to historical thinking. The College provided academic staff for the project and assisted teachers by providing advice and materials. The long term objectives…

Provides suggestions for creating thematic units for teaching about the voyages of Columbus. Explains that, to promote critical thinking, the activities are organized into the levels of (1) comprehension and conceptualization; (2) causality; (3) validity; and (4) creative extension. Argues that goals should include understanding European and North…

Describes a two-day activity in which elementary students examine voting rights, the right to assemble, and women's suffrage. Explains the game, "Assemble, Reassemble," and a student-produced talk show with five students playing the roles of leaders of the women's suffrage movement. Profiles Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Susan…

Summarizes consensus points reached by three university professors and three elementary school teachers who examined the Silver Burdett Ginn elementary textbook series. Explains the study's methodology. Finds textbooks constrained by the expanding environments framework, limited in multicultural coverage, and inadequate in developing themes around…

Explores the origin, meaning, and tradition of the title "First Lady." Discusses the evolving responsibilities of the role and how different women expanded the definition of the office. A list of suggested activities and research projects includes sending birthday cards to former First Ladies, and researching foreign women leaders. (MJP)

A workshop supported by the Council of Europe's Project No. 7 for representatives of supervisory staff for the teaching of languages and culture of origin from Algeria, Italy, and Portugal focused on cultural diversity as contributed by migrants' children in day-to-day classroom work and in the curricula and subject-matter of primary teaching as a…

Ideas about the arts and their place in the classroom are elaborated through this series of essays. "Radio Plays: A Close Encounter with Another Medium" (Norton A. Roman) discusses the use of old radio plays in the classroom. "Dynamic Dinosaurs" (Kathy Vajda) describes teaching a unit on dinosaurs to a kindergarten class.…

The ocean affects all of our lives. Therefore, awareness of and information about the interconnections between humans and oceans are prerequisites to making sound decisions for the future. Project ORCA (Ocean Related Curriculum Activities) has developed interdisciplinary curriculum materials designed to meet the needs of students and teachers…

Unit I for grade six deals with the American Indian in a cross cultural approach. Pupils use case studies to examine the Aztecs, who were later conquered by the Spanish, and the Iroquois, who came into contact with the French and English, as total cultures and draw comparisons between the two. The main part of each resource unit is set up in a…