Primary Objective: This study examines student reaction to a unit of instruction teaching war through a more critical lens focusing on anti-war movements and how student sense of civic agency was impacted. Research Design: A design study that centered student voice on activism and experiences of a unit of instruction of the USA at war. Design…

The role of literacy in social studies education has been greatly elevated over the last decade. The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) models through the indicators of its C3 Framework how to strengthen K-12 students' disciplinary thinking, literacy, and argumentation skills in the four core social studies disciplines: civics,…

The Civil War ended in 1865. From 2011-2015, Civil War sesquicentennial events took place around the nation. The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium used the opportunity to feature two exhibits on the critical role that the river played during the Civil War. Both exhibits highlighted contributions to the war effort by the surrounding…

Many scholars have argued that history education during the antebellum period in the United States supported conservative values and sought to produce close-minded citizens. History textbooks of that era, they frequently posit, cast Americans as God's chosen people and present the past in a style that reaffirms established social conventions. Ruth…

For more than a century, high school students in the United States have been required to take at least one course in United States History. Almost every U.S. history textbook used for these courses covers the Texas Revolution in one way or another. Since the Texas Revolution is a significant part of American history, the authors chose to focus…

This manuscript provides a historical and pedagogical framework for American educational and sociopolitical responses after national tragedies (e.g., Pearl Harbor, 9/11). Moreover, this research explores the overt xenophobic and ethnocentric tendencies (exacerbated by media forums) after these events, which triggered resurgence in a sort of…

Describes a role-playing activity designed to show how the United States began its involvement in Vietnam. Provides sample handouts assigning students to support either the French or Vietnamese side of a debate. The teacher assumes the role of President Truman who must decide which side will receive U.S. support. (GEA)

Presents a look at the local culture of Tampa, Florida at the turn of the century and how it responded to a massive influx of troops waiting for action during the Spanish-American War. At that time, Tampa was a multiethnic city that included many Cuban-, Spanish-, and African-Americans. (MJP)

At the First Battle of Manassas (Virginia) in 1861 many Union doctors fled the battlefield in fear. Those who remained found themselves without adequate medical supplies or ambulances for their patients. As the U.S. Civil War progressed and casualties mounted, military surgeons became more adept at caring for the wounded. By the Battle of…

This bibliography cites print materials dealing with the War of 1812. Textbooks, papers, journal articles, primary source materials, and manuscripts are listed. The bibliography is organized by the following 13 sections: General Texts; West and Northwest Frontier; Lake Erie; Niagara Frontier and Lake Ontario; The St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain;…

Highlights five resources for teaching about the rise of U.S. nationalism between 1812 and 1865 available from the Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC). Items included are: (1) the War of 1812; (2) the annexation of Texas; (3) the Kansas-Nebraska Act; and (4) the question of slavery. (BSR)

This teacher's guide accompanies the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) four episode videotape documentary about the U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848). The documentary tells the story of a war that transformed a continent; and a war in which Mexico lost almost half of its national territory to the United States. The guide introduces the documentary's…

Outlines the struggles of German-Americans in Chicago, Illinois during World War I. Contends these German-Americans met conflict, hostility, and pressure to compromise and reevaluate their place in Chicago as a result of the war. (BSR)

In this activity for secondary social studies students both rock and country-western music are used to analyze the different views held about the Vietnam War for nearly a decade. Specific songs are suggested. (RM)

Using primary source documents, this teaching unit focuses on the role monuments and memorials play in the culture. Teacher background materials include a unit overview and unit context, correlation to National Standards for United States History, unit objectives, a lesson plan list, and historical background on commemorative sculpture in the…