This article identifies six problems that teachers routinely encounter in teaching about the U.S. Constitution and suggests practical ways to overcome them. Among the problems covered are the heavy concept load and difficult reading level. (Author/BSR)

Discusses the U.S. Constitution's endurance throughout the years and states that it must be taught so that all citizens will know the value of their participation in a democratic society. Advocates a "Celebration of the Constitution," teaching it with the respect and vigor it deserves on its 200th birthday. (GEA)

Provides guidelines for selecting primary source documents in high school history classes. Recommends that teachers: (1) clearly establish the purpose for reading, (2) provide background information on the document, (3) modify or shorten documents sparingly, and (4) include questions to focus student reading. (Author/JDH)

Describes the equipment and classroom procedures used for conducting teleconferences. Provides examples of high school students' teleconferences with historians and political representatives. (JDH)

A computer program has been developed in which students explore problems, invent solutions, and search for supporting data. The nine units of "Historian" are each built around a major historical problem or question related to United States history. The structure of the program and its use by students are described. (JN)

Described is a unit that is an example of how a traditional subject in Canadian history, the Rebellions of 1837, can meet the social and emotional needs, as well as the intellectual needs, of students. In the unit, adolescent students are compared to "adolescent Canada" of the 1830s. (RM)

Cognitive studies researcher, Samuel Wineburg, has conducted empirical studies over the past decade to compare the way historians think about primary and secondary sources with the thinking processes of high school students and teachers. Wineburg's research demonstrates the importance of domain-based or subject-specific thinking in the teaching…

"How Students Learn: History in the Classroom" builds on the discoveries detailed in the best-selling "How People Learn." Now these findings are presented in a way that teachers can use immediately, to revitalize their work in the classroom for even greater effectiveness. The book explores the importance of balancing students' knowledge of…

Methods that one junior high teacher uses in his history classes to encourage students to view more critically the history-based commercial films they encounter at the movies and on television away from school are discussed. (SM)

Curriculum innovation in Kansas high school social studies departments replaces the traditional history courses with mini-courses which provide more varied elective experiences for students. This approach to individualization is suggested as a viable organizational innovation with important future educational implications. (SM)

The author shows how teachers can relate a period in American history which has been filled with conflicts over values and actions of a political, economic, or social nature to contemporary issues. The period chosen to illustrate this method is the ante bellum era between Jackson's incumbency and the Civil War. (SM)

The roles and procedures for holding a mock trial based on actual events that took place during the Canadian Cariboo gold rush are described. Intended for use with secondary history students, the trial can be conducted in one classroom period. (RM)

One trend for social studies education in the 1980s is closing the gap between sociohistorical research and teaching. A sample social history lesson for secondary students on the "Nineteenth Century Concept of the 'Criminal"' is included. (AM)

Describes a history unit in which secondary students use the mysteriously carved Champlain's Rock (near Renfreu, Ontario) as a starting point for inquiry into the evidence of the French exploration of Eastern Canada. Students learn about hypothesis formation and testing, frames of reference, bias and prejudice, and they write two essays. (AM)

Describes development and implementation of a British history curriculum for students 13 to 16 years of age. Although built around examination, it also stresses the teaching of feelings, attitudes, and values. (KC)