This volume consists of an annotated bibliography of children's literature about the states bordering on the Great Lakes. The items are grouped by state, and each listing includes suggested learning activities. The states included are Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The 95 literature selections about Illinois focus on…

Background readings and project ideas to involve elementary and secondary school students in fundraising for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty are provided. Materials can be divided into two sections. The first section, background readings, contains President Ronald Reagan's opening remarks at the ceremony introducing the Statue of…

This book provides a historical perspective on the changing nature of the United States Constitution and the society it has shaped. Part I focuses on the eighteenth century with chapters on the origins, writing, and ratification of the Constitution. Activities are designed to help students think about the difficulties associated with the creation…

The activities and discussion questions in this unit can be used in secondary social studies classes to teach students about world trade and its role in their personal lives. Although designed for Tennessee classrooms, the unit can be easily adapted for use elsewhere. Many of the activities are self-contained. However, some require the use of…

Although the directory to Denver's historic sites has been compiled particularly for the use of teachers and their classes, it will be useful to all individuals and groups of any age who are interested in exploring the history of the Denver area. Seventy historic sites are listed alphabetically. Information for each provides address, phone, price…

Describes how 4 historical, popular, culture mediums may be used to help stimulate student curiosity about the past and provide practice in using and understanding the historical method. Highlighting the slave experience, the mediums are: (1) the antislave almanac; (2) the dime novel; (3) the moving panorama; and (4) the propaganda play.…

Provides a lesson plan, complete with readings and teaching procedures, for teaching students about the revisionist interpretations of Cold War history. Students are challenged to think critically about the differences in the traditional and revisionist interpretations. (JDH)

History Teacher Institutes of New York (HTI), designed to revitalize individual teachers and provide an institutional basis for the informal networks and collaboration integral to lasting educational reform, are described. Benefits of the program are described and two lessons are provided. (LP)

A US history activity which generated excitement and enhanced class discussion involved students in writing each other letters as imaginary correspondents living through the period under study. Follow-up activities included displaying letters on bulletin boards, reading correspondence aloud in class, a debate, and a class-written history play. (RM)

Readers Theater is a presentation by two or more participants who read from scripts and interpret a literary work in such a way that the audience imaginatively sense characterization, setting, and action. Traditionally, the primary focus of readers theater is on an effective reading of the script, not on a dramatic presentation. The scripts in…

This lesson focuses on the power of the U.S. Congress to pass laws related to issuing patents. Using Eli Whitney's 1812 Congressional petition to extend the patent on his cotton gin as an example, the lesson correlates to the National History Standards and the National Standards for Civics and Government. It contains two primary source documents,…

This teaching unit, "Creek Indian War," is the first of a series of 10 units about Alabama state history, part of a project designed to help teachers integrate the use of primary source materials into their classrooms. Although the units are designed to augment the study of Alabama, they are useful in the study of U.S. history, world…

In this unit, students learn what a symbol is, and how this particular symbol--the American flag--is an important part of people's everyday lives. Learning the history of the flag will help instill in students respect for this national symbol and help them learn appropriate etiquette regarding the flag. Students will learn that other symbols of…

This teaching unit represents a specific "dramatic moment" in history that can allow students to delve into the deeper meanings of selected landmark events and explore their wider context in the great historical narrative. Studying a crucial turning point in history helps students realize that history is an ongoing, open-ended process,…

Discusses the methodology and benefits of using a city as an instrument for examining American history and social dynamics. (JB)