This article traces the emergence of nineteenth-century U.S. high schools in the landscape of higher education, attending to the gendered, raced, and classed distinctions at play in this development. Exploring differences in the conceptualization and status of high schools in Louisville, Kentucky, for white male, white female, and mixed-gender…

The dividing line between high school and college has never been entirely clear, explains a historian of American education. In fact, for most of the 19th century, it was difficult to distinguish between high schools and colleges. It wasn't until the early 1900s that high school and university officials drew firm boundaries between the two…

On May 6-7, 2000, the Foreign Policy Research Institute's (FPRI's) sixth History Institute convened with more than 40 high school and college history teachers to seek answers to the question: "How should we teach the history of the Vietnam War to our children today?" Not surprisingly, no simple answers were forthcoming. This conference…

During the last 25 years, there has been a serious effort by scholars and teachers to introduce race, gender and ethnicity into the United States survey. While courses and curriculum have been transformed by the integration of race and gender, how much progress has been made integrating immigration and ethnicity? Considering the current atmosphere…

This article considers the "myths" and negative images of the French Revolution which were fashioned in the United States by examining interpretations found in nineteenth and twentieth-century American school texts. The texts are part of the Floyd Family Collection at Indiana State University, representing books used in Indiana schools,…

In this learning activity, secondary and college students analyze case studies regarding diplomatic privileges and immunities. They evaluate the testimony, criticize or support the outcome of each case, and recommend changes in international laws. The teacher then provides a status report on current diplomatic law. (RM)

One of the most popular courses on college campuses and one of the time periods that still provokes considerable interest among high school students is the 1960s. Drawing on his experience as an author of several documentary collections and as a teacher, the author of this paper suggests ways that teachers and students can use primary sources to…

This 4-day supplementary curriculum unit is designed for use in social studies classes at the upper secondary (9-12) and community college levels. The curriculum unit seeks to explore the roots of contemporary relations between the United State and Soviet Union through an examination of how that relationship evolved from the 18th century to the…

If teachers are to help students develop higher-order reading, thinking, and writing skills, then researchers must begin by articulating the ways of knowing that are central to particular domains. A study was elaborated to provide initial information about the ways in which people talk about "knowing" in academic subjects as they appear…

A survey of 12 leading high school U.S. History textbooks has resulted in the opinion put forth in this book that the textbooks currently used in high schools are an embarrassing amalgam of bland optimism, blind patriotism, and misinformation. In addition to critiquing existing textbooks, the book also suggests how U.S. History should be taught.…

Designed for use by high school and college students who may need to use a law library to research a topic related to U.S. government, history, or law-related education, this pamphlet contains step-by-step instructions for locating and using legal materials. Students are introduced to four methods of legal research: the topic method, which…

Based on the idea that the Vietnam War is highly significant as a vehicle for studying the power of language, engaging in critical thinking, and probing American values in a time of crisis, this book presents a rationale for exploring the literature that emerged from that conflict and offers a framework for exploring it. The book outlines a large…

It is important to relate the biographies of black inventors and the evolution of engineering and technological education for blacks. This historical record is about people coming to grips with society's inadequacies and inequalities and moving beyond these to a participatory role in the nation's technological and engineering community. This book…

Geared to the needs of high school and undergraduate students, this guide presents 500 term paper ideas and print and nonprint sources on 20th-century U.S. history. Entries on 100 of the most important topics, issues, and developments in U.S. history, beginning with the Spanish-American War, are organized in chronological order. Each entry…

For college-level American History, in the high school advanced placement (AP) program and on university campuses, these are the best of times and the worst of times. For the American History AP program, the early 1970's were difficult times, with the examinations under attack as elitist and irrelevant to contemporary problems. The program…