Recommends that social studies teachers reexamine basic assumptions related to the discipline of social studies. Factors they should consider when attempting to develop social studies curricula include values, social needs, student needs and interests, global interdependence, and relevance. (Author/DB)

Describes the development and implementation of a unit plan which merged drama and historical discourses. Notes the plan also facilitated an inquiry amongst students into the nature of how history is defined, studied, and remembered and why certain voices are included or excluded. Explains that the focus of the unit was two recent publications of…

Considers those key concepts in geography that contribute to the teaching of history. Outlines strategies that teachers can use to combine and complement the two subjects. Discusses specific examples of these strategies focusing on the Erie Canal and Bunker Hill. Includes maps and illustrations. (MJP)

Before tackling college level courses in U.S. diplomatic history, students shoud be well-grounded in facts about American isolationism, expansionism, the Monroe Doctrine, major wars, relations with the major powers, the Open Door policy, the Cold War, and Vietnam--all national security manifestations. Open-minded instruction is essential. (MLH)

Discusses the problems of teaching about women in history. Suggests that women are presented in basic historical survey courses as helping men do what men wish to do, for shock value, and in the politics of woman suffrage. Recommends developing means of viewing economic and social relationships as socially constructed rather than natural. (DK)

Describes an oral history assignment in a U.S. history class in which limited English proficiency students interview a U.S. immigrant. (SR)

Suggests using primary sources such as diaries and folk songs in history instruction to broaden the textbook portrayal of history. Recommends the establishment of centers throughout the United States with access to library resources. Identifies some existing centers. Includes an appendix on folk songs and history in the classroom. (SG)

Suggests that slave advertisements from old southern newspapers can be used to help teachers convey the nature of slavery. Includes a selection of slave advertisements with analysis and questions for discussion. Recommends the use of such advertisements for units on the causes of the Civil War or the lingering effects of slavery on society today.…

Surveys literature to provide a bibliography for U.S. history teachers to use in integrating sport history into their classes. Emphasizes major topical areas focusing on 1850 to the present. Includes primary sources, general histories, and works focusing on the relationships among sport and the media, individual cities, women, and minority groups.…

Discusses the present ideal of land ownership compared to the views of Jeffersonian democracy. Traces the concept of the American dream and Jeffersonian ideals through Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." Offers suggestions for teaching about the Great Depression and the novel by demonstrating the conflict of Jeffersonian ideals and the…

Describes a project to collect, organize, and analyze petitions to state legislatures and county courts concerning race, slavery, and free blacks in the South between 1776 and 1867. Presents a lesson plan designed to incorporate these, and similar documents, into middle-, and high-school history classes. Includes a sample document. (DSK)

Finds that, by teaching history in conjunction with literature, students grasp historical understanding because they begin to acquire a deeper understanding of their role in constructing the past. States that literature helps create strong images often missing in students' responses to nonfiction material. Gives Alejandro Morales's "The Brick…

Discusses four ways to incorporate the genre of literature into the teaching of 20th-century U.S. history. Uses detective stories because they promote reflective inquiry, foster competent citizenship, and nurture social concern and ethical growth. Suggests different activities, discussions, and reading selections. (CMK)

Presents brief annotations of 61 books of young adult historical fiction and nonfiction that address other time periods (biblical time period, the 1700s, the 1800s, the 20th century, political unrest overseas, and chronicles) that could be used in the classroom as part of a unit of study. Describes possible activities using five of the books. (SR)

Previous studies of the qualifications of elementary and secondary school teachers have focused on whether teachers have educational backgrounds (a postsecondary major/minor or equivalent) and state certification that match the subjects they teach. If not, they are commonly considered "out-of-field." This Issue Brief reports the…