Proposes enhancing the critical thinking skills of secondary school students with learning activities centered on predicting U.S.-Philippines military bases negotiations. Explains objectives and suggests several teaching-learning activities. Lists start-up resources to support objectives and activities. (NL)

This paper presents a unit for government and economics and one for world history on the dramatic regional changes which have occurred in Central and Eastern Europe since the late 1980s. The units can be taught cohesively covering 2-3 weeks or as modules integrated into relevant themes in the curriculum. The "case studies" approach…

"Muncie Remembers That Day in Dallas" is an oral history project report of a study conducted by two academic U.S. history classes of 21 students at Muncie Southside High School (Indiana) during the 1993-94 school year. The occasion of the 30th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy, along with the movie "JFK,"…

Results of a textbook study to determine what U.S. secondary school students are learning about contemporary Europe are presented, and highlights of the "Conference on Improving the Teaching of Contemporary Europe" at which the study was presented are summarized. A sampling of secondary school geography, world history, and U.S. history textbooks…

This 1-year elective seminar for high school students is to be taught in five units--Introduction, the Ancient World, the Medieval World, the Renaissance, and the Modern World--with emphasis on four basic themes expressed creatively throughout western history: (1) the common man, (2) the individual, (3) religion, and (4) conflict. Instruction on a…

An essay, study guide, and model instructional unit focus on the experiences of the Nazi holocaust in an endeavor to remind all men that they are survivors of the Nazi attempted extermination of the Jews and must deal with the knowledge that such an event could occur. Examined in the essay are both fictional treatments of the event and the…

Maintains that learning about the Holocaust (and other historical incidents) from the literature of survivors provides students with empathy and understanding not found in traditional historical texts. Recommends using this material prior to objective historical study and includes suggestions for teaching. Discusses the use of other Holocaust…

This resource represents a virtual library of still and moving images, documents, maps, sound clips and text which make up the history of Western Civilization from prehistoric times to the early 1990s. The interdisciplinary range of materials included is compatible with standard textbooks in middle and high school social science, social studies,…

This unit focuses on the classic problem of the place of military power in a democratic society. Early sections examine the relationship between civil and military authority as developed in colonial America and written into the Constitution. The second half of the unit invites consideration of the relevance and workability of the earlier tradition…

Providing a basic framework for a one year American history course for secondary students, this curriculum guide offers help for teachers in planning, organizing, and teaching social studies. Designed to cover the whole panorama of history (1450 through 1969) in sequence, the course aims to help students understand early events and how they are…

Explicates a rationale for, and several approaches to, teaching about the Holocaust. Some insights to be gained include the value and necessity of democratic institutions; understanding the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping; and the responsibilities of individuals and organizations when faced with abuses of power. (MJP)

Criticizes the current historical interpretation (promoted by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. and Oliver Stone) that President John F. Kennedy intended to withdraw from Vietnam if elected to a second term. Maintains that the preponderance of historical evidence suggests that Kennedy intended to exit Vietnam only after a military victory. (MJP)

Addresses the relationship between cities and technology. Reviews various interpretations of scholars writing about consequences of urban technology and infrastructures. Notes current scholarship concentrates on segments. Contends the past can shape urban future and historians need a sense of the whole. (NL)

Outlines activities designed to help students understand the conflicting and complementary relationships between a democratic government and individual rights. Topics include majority rule and minority rights conflicts; limitations placed on majority rule; the U.S. Bill of Rights; and whether protection of individual rights is necessary to good…

The Atlantic Council, in response to a need expressed by United States teachers for a guide to contemporary resources on Euorpe, commissioned this annotated bibliography limited to works in English which will serve as a stimulus to reflection by educators on how to more adequately present contemporary Europe and its values to United States…