Argues that a rich and controversial chapter in the history of the history of education has been forgotten in the zeal to get on with the "new" history. Contends that historians need to come to terms with the struggles, primarily in the 1930s and 1940s, between those who would make the field purely functional and those who would make it an…

Contends that teaching students to read is the same as teaching historical interpretation. Provides a framework for teaching historical interpretation through a case study of books concerning Thomas Jefferson and his alleged illegitimate children. Identifies motives governing academic writing. Provides an analytical framework for historical…

The annual meeting of the American Historical Association is reported, including the "history in crisis" vs "history being revitalized" debate. In the 1960s, a younger generation of scholars pioneered the "new social history"; in the 1980s, political divisions have contributed to the debate. (MLW)

Discusses opposing tendencies in the interpretation of Western Civilization. Describes the expanded definition that includes Byzantine and Islamic cultures as heirs of the Greco-Roman cultures. Suggests that a limited definition of Western culture will facilitate a problems approach, emphasize diversity among cultures, and integrate the classical…

Discusses whether history was taught in U.S. schools when they began around 1820. Reports that what was labelled history dealt with the founding of the republic, the Constitution, and government. Includes information on U.S. historians. Suggests that a society does not teach its history until it reaches a certain level of stability or maturity.…

Argues that historians have often neglected ideological forces that have shaped their work. Offers a meta-analysis of the ideological dimensions of historical scholarship. Proposes a social psychoanalytical approach to history. Argues that a recognition of the connection between past and present would expose the ties between history and politics.…

This paper describes a review of recent literature about teaching history to address what history is (or purports to be), why educators should teach history, and what new teaching methods are now being used. Methods discussed in the paper include: (1) active learning situations, such as debate, demonstration, and simulation; (2) specialized topics…

The author discusses the current state of Chicano history in the United States. A list and brief discussions of thematic and monographic works, and several general histories are provided. (DE)

A course designed to acquaint undergraduates with the problems of interpreting historical evidence is described. (DE)

An excellent method for teaching elementary and secondary history is to have students study historical decisions and decision-making processes and become involved in making some historical decisions as well. This approach is described. (RM)

Historians are responsible for the decline of interest in historical studies. They have emphasized the trivial, written for special interest groups, failied to incorporate an analytical dimension, and have not struck a balance between elements of change and continuity. A Canadian history course which responded to these points is discussed. (RM)

Argues that the idea of school history as learning the best version of the past, or even learning one or more versions, is inadequate practice. Contends that history education not only must teach about passages of the past, but also develop students' understanding of the nature and status of historical claims. (DSK)

This special theme issue of the OAH Magazine of History contains articles that present a variety of perspectives on the Columbian Quincentenary--the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyages of discovery. The articles include: "Exploring the Columbian Quincentenary through Historiography" (John Hebert); "Science, Religion,…

This volume of essays is collected and reconfigured from more than 150 original speeches and papers of Milton Meltzer. Throughout the book, Meltzer makes a case for the value of good writing and the importance and utility of literacy instruction using nonfiction. Meltzer addresses the need for better-written history texts and encourages students…

This document discusses the movement to bring original historical sources into the classroom. Because students of history need access to sources of information that provide direct or primary evidence about reality, teachers must show that realistic alternatives to the traditional history text exist. In the first section of this paper, efforts to…