A typical U.S. high school student today might be able to recite some milestones of civil rights history--the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955-56; the Freedom Rides of 1961; and (some would add) the election of the first African American president in 2008. But how many students understand that these events, which historians call out as milestones,…

In Paxton, Nebraska, Charlotte Hogg discovers her grandmother and other community women contributed memoirs to the town library, wrote for the newspaper, and wrote histories of the town, churches, and school. These women were responsible for the rhetorical education of the community through their literacy practices.St

In 1868, Africatown was established in Mobile and Prichard, Alabama, by members of the last cargo of slaves brought to the United States. The community deserves recognition as a National Historic District because it is one of the few places in America where most residents can collectively trace their lineage to a group of pure Africans. In its…

Relying on Daniel Boorstin's argument that the newspaper was at least one of the first institutions in a frontier community, a study examined the 1880 United States Census of eight western territories to determine the number of newspapers and the ratio of newspapers to population in frontier counties. Three groups were examined: counties that had…

This lesson provides a case study about a U.S. immigrant community of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and offers a contrast to the typical textbook coverage which emphasizes immigration from eastern and southern Europe to the big cities of the northern United States. The lesson focuses on Ybor City (now part of Tampa, Florida); it was a…

This directory lists by county 135 collections of local history to be found in libraries, museums, historical societies, schools, colleges, and private collections in Colorado. The directory includes only collections available in Colorado which contain bibliographic holdings such as books, newspaper files or clippings, letters, manuscripts,…

A guide to the assembly of local, oral history information for future historical research is provided. Since the relatively new field of oral history is the tape recording of reminiscences about which a narrator can speak from firsthand knowledge, it is necessary for the interviewer to have background knowledge of the subject matter and…

Identifies the importance of studying those western frontier communities which survived several boom bust cycles. Describes several South Pass Wyoming mining towns and urges that studies such as these be used by teachers to investigate the dynamic forces which shaped their towns and cities. (KO)

Designed primarily for use in the intermediate grades, the teaching unit provides 11 lessons and related activities for teaching students to look at colonial architectural elements as a means of learning about 18th century lifestyles. Although the unit relies upon resources available in Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia, other 18th century cities…

Designed for use in Iowa elementary schools, this unit introduces students to Iowa's Amana Colonies. Four lessons cover the history and cultural heritage of the colonies, daily life in historical times, daily life in modern times, and the colonies as a corporate museum. Throughout the lessons, emphasis is placed on the values and organization of…

A local history course offered as a semester elective to seniors has as its purpose the study of the local community as a microcosm of the United States. The basic principle is to reinforce what the student has already learned in previous history courses. The course proceeds through a chronological sequence of units about various periods of the…

Designed for 7th- and 8th-grade students, five lessons using a block of houses in an urban neighborhood help students learn about the history of a neighborhood, the owners of the houses, and the style and architectural features of the homes. Although this unit has been developed for a specific neighborhood, a similar block study could be conducted…

Presents a lesson plan that requires students to use their research and analytical skills in studying the social and economic importance of small business. Activities include interviewing local business owners and producing a written summary, developing a survey showing and explaining area land use, and researching opposition to Wal-Mart stores.…

A history of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, from 1655 to 1970 is presented. Written as an historiography exercise by students at Chelmsford High School, the study is intended to acquaint residents and students of Chelmsford with the town's past and its relationship with surrounding communities and the United States. Chapter one, "A Colonial…

The booklet describes the local history component of an interdisciplinary high school course on American Studies. The program involves students over a three-year period in collecting, recording, organizing, interpreting, and disseminating the history, culture, and tradition of Scituate, Rhode Island. The booklet is presented in six chapters.…