Biography is a popular approach to history education in the younger grades, especially when teaching units of study during Women's History Month, which is March. A biography-centered approach, however, can be problematic when such lessons are not tied to any context, promoting the misconception that individuals create social change in isolation.…

This theme issue is devoted to the three men named Henry Wallace and the history they made for Iowa and for the United States. All of the Henrys were deeply involved in farming and all of them wrote in a magazine called "Wallaces' Farmer." All three of these men also did special work for the U.S. government. The most famous Henry, Henry…

Most of the material for this issue of the "Goldfinch," which explores the life of Carrie Chapman Catt, came from the archives of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) was an Iowan who advocated woman suffrage and spent 26 years actively working for that cause. The issue contains a biography of Catt, and…

Prepared for middle school students, this magazine issue covers presidential campaigns, the election process, and Herbert Hoover, an Iowan native. The articles include: (1) "Meet Clara Bell, 1848"; (2) "On the Campaign Trail"; (3) "Caucus Spotlight" (K. B. Brosseau); (4) "Kids Ask the Candidates"; (5)…