Gives examples of children's trade books which can enhance social studies topics dealing with everyday life in past times, the impact of historical events on the average person's life, historical facts, and sensitive issues in the students' lives. Lists the National Council for the Social Studies' 1986 Notable Children's Trade Books. (KO)

Provides an annotated list of materials dealing with Christopher Columbus. Includes articles, ERIC documents, children's magazines and books, discovery kits, films and videos, and other items. Concludes that educators are only now discovering the innumerable connections between Columbus' era and the present. (SG)

Suggests using primary sources in history and social studies instruction. Offers reasons for teaching with primary sources. Proposes activities for developing students' investigative skills. Includes lessons dealing with detecting source bias, differentiating sources, using conflicting sources, and evaluating sources. Presents varied…

Describes a teacher's use of life-size mannequins donated by a dress shop to teach students about historical figures and periods. Christopher Columbus, Florence Nightingale, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, and Helen Keller, among other historical figures, have been portrayed. (MDM)

Suggests that slave advertisements from old southern newspapers can be used to help teachers convey the nature of slavery. Includes a selection of slave advertisements with analysis and questions for discussion. Recommends the use of such advertisements for units on the causes of the Civil War or the lingering effects of slavery on society today.…

Describes a project that uses childrens' literature to teach social studies and history in elementary classrooms. Reviews research which suggests that students at this level prefer to read narrative literature rather than traditional textbooks. Describes the project's impact on participating students and teachers. (CFR)

Describes a project where students in an Italian elementary school wrote letters about Columbus and his contributions. Finds that these students have not lost their view of Columbus as a great hero. Includes a list of organizations and resources for teaching about Italy and Columbus. (CFR)

Integrates a lesson on medieval European history with a class art project. Describes how students studied heraldry to design their own coat of arms and produce a relief sculpture shield depicting these arms. Lists materials needed and outlines the process of construction. (DSK)

"Differentiating Instruction With Menus Grades 3-5" offers teachers everything they need to create a student-centered learning environment based on choice. Addressing the four main subject areas (language arts, math, science, and social studies) and the major concepts taught within these areas, these books provide a number of different types of…

This document is a collection of supplemental classroom materials on Poland to be photocopied for use in secondary schools in conjunction with the Education for Democracy's Classroom-To-Classroom project. The materials offer an historical framework for considering current events, as well as some insight into the events, ideas, issues, and…

This document is a collection of supplemental classroom materials on Czechoslovakia to be photocopies for use in secondary schools in conjunction with the Education for Democracy Project. After decades of Soviet domination and communist dictatorship, Eastern European countries are demanding democracy, human rights, and an end to the Soviet Union's…

This book, a revision and updating of a work first published under the same title in 1974, presents a detailed chronological history of African Americans in the United States. The description begins with the origins of Homo sapiens in Africa, and traces the African American story from slavery in North America through the U.S. Civil War, the…

This document consists of six lesson plans and primary source materials on the history of black people in the Illinois cities of Bloomington and Normal. The plans were developed for the Bloomington-Normal Black History Project which concentrates on recovering and recording the history of blacks in those two cities. These pilot editions are…

This book, part of the Touchstones to Local History project of Russell Sage College, is designed for social studies teachers seeking to incorporate local history in their social studies curricula by utilizing local history materials. Ten forms of historical materials are reviewed in terms of their classroom use: published resources, personal…

This book provides a road map for renewing knowledge and understanding of the Articles of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Chapter 1, "Blueprint for Freedom," describes the historical background of the Constitutional Convention and the Bill of Rights. Chapter 2 gives a brief description of the four parts of the…