This theme issue contains articles about the importance of learning local history. The lead article includes historical information about three Iowa cities: Council Bluffs, Waterloo, and Jefferson. Other features in this issue are entitled: "Iowa Kids Talk,""Digging Into Local History,""Goldie's Top Ten News Stories";…

When elementary students examine primary sources and local historical sites to gain firsthand information about life in the past, history becomes more relevant, exciting, and enjoyable. To help students understand that history is not just what is in a textbook, this student resource book focuses on making them aware that history exists all around…

Discusses the fact that although Jewish (along with Greek ideas) and Christian ideas make up the roots of Western culture, they are hardly mentioned in recent historical textbooks. This shortchanges students because they fail to learn the religious sources of human rights and democracy. (PS)

This article reports on a pilot study on the development of historical understanding of elementary school children. Historical fiction was shared with second, fourth, and sixth grade children who retold the story and answered questions. Results are evaluated and suggestions for history instruction at the elementary level are discussed. (Author/MT)

Presents the case for including historical fiction as an integral part of elementary social studies. Maintains that such stories are valuable tools for fostering moral understanding and growth. (JDH)

Describes how an elementary school used the celebration of its 75th anniversary to promote social studies instruction. Includes activity ideas and step-by-step instructions for developing a celebration of school heritage. (JDH)

Offers seven activities based on three instructional strategies designed to aid children in learning history. The three strategies are: (1) teaching to the future, (2) interactive time line, and (3) taking on a role. (JDH)

Describes the use of Scott O'Dell's two novels, ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHIN (1960) and ZIA (1976) to enhance the study of local history in a teacher's third and fourth grade class. Provides ideas for activities which extend this use of historical fiction. (JDH)

Describes the content, format, and use of a teacher-made slide tape presentation which is written and produced from the perspective of a child living on a plantation in the southeastern United States in the middle 1800s. Follow-up activities are presented. (JDH)

The history and importance of the Statue of Liberty is developed into a teaching unit. Background information on how and why the statue was built is given. Sample activities for classroom use are included. (DF)

Fourth-grade students, wishing to expand upon what they learned about William Penn in their textbooks, sent in questions to the director of social studies in the Reading (Pennsylvania) schools. The director referred the students to sources (some primary) that would answer their questions. (KC)

Argues that it is both possible and desirable to teach history to children in the elementary grades and that it would be educationally beneficial to substitute a history curriculum for the present elementary social studies curriculum. Contends that those who infer curricula from psychologists' findings are confusing concept and content. (Author/WD)

Describes resources used to teach local history at the third-grade level in El Cajon, California. The content of the resources is described as well as the methods used to develop the resources. (AM)

Examines the Shoah Project, which uses multimedia to document the experiences of Holocaust survivors, and demonstrates the way it makes historical events vivid and compelling in the contemporary moment. Argues that effective use of multimedia in the teaching of history, religion, and multiculturalism requires historical contextualization,…

Presents a series of lessons for a U.S. history class on Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of America. Notes that this approach teaches students to evaluate critically the historical information presented in their textbooks. (MM)