Historiography is often overlooked as a fascinating subject by most contemporary students, whether in the secondary history classroom or undergraduate course. Some sense of the changing historical interpretation of a topic such as Reconstruction may be provided through contrasting passages from a modern history text with earlier editions of books…

The question, "What were the causes of World War I?," has become one of the classic historical debates of which there seem to be endless permutations. In the past 90 years historians, journalists, and politicians have offered many more or less rational explanations for the war. Although at least some of the usual "causes"…

This document addresses the importance of teaching contemporary history. The failure to teach contemporary history leaves students ill equipped to deal with the present and the future, and also ensures that they will have little interest in the history of other times. Because memory is the central organizing principle in peoples minds, the…

Examines the influence of Karl Marx's writings on Adolf Hitler, and asks whether there was a causal nexus between Russian and Nazi atrocities. Uses primary sources as a method for historical comparison. Compares Hitler's writings on antisemitism with those of Marx. (NL)

Contends that the electronic generation of documents in modern offices will transform the nature of archives and, therefore, the techniques of historical research. Discusses advantages and disadvantages for historical researchers. Urges historians to express their concerns about these issues to the wider scholarly community. (CFR)

The problems and rewards of conducting contemporary historical research are related in the light of the author's experiences in preparing an Ed.D. dissertation analyzing Malcolm S. Knowles' contributions to and influence on the field of adult education. Given its contemporaneous nature, the author terms the study accurate but inconclusive. The…

Maintains that accounts of education policy in post-1945 Great Britain may be distorted by the race and ethnic discourses embedded in both the analytical frameworks that historians employ and the primary source materials with which they work. Criticizes a number of key works from the 1960s to the present. (MJP)

Discusses the availability and utility of the various types of documentation that historians and students can use to research the German government's systematic extermination of the Jews, the Gypsies, and the handicapped during the 1930s and 1940s. Available documents include government records, private agency records, trial records, and…

Presents a secondary lesson plan based on primary sources recently released by the Central Intelligence Agency on the Cuban Missile Crisis. Provides a background essay on the event. Includes five maps and three documents, all of which have been declassified from top secret or secret status. (CFR)

Contends that the "historical detective work" of oral history helps students break free of their textbooks and become active collectors of information. Provides five recommendations, six teacher guidelines, and seven student guidelines for implementing oral history in the classroom. (CFR)

Outlines major oral history collections related to media studies and considers how the use of those collections has encouraged traditional conceptions of the social function of the press. Suggests how oral histories can be used to address issues of power and domination in the development of media institutions. (MJP)