Is it actually certain that our students are changing during our social studies classes? This paper aims to reveal structural development and evaluation in social studies education which is related to national curriculum requirements and focused on particular students in order to test the effectiveness of the lesson. In order to increase students'…

Traced is the history of the Muncie (Indiana) police department from the "gas boom" days of the 1890's through the pre-World War I "dry" years, the Klan-haunted twenties, and the depression years. Events in the community that played a major role in charting the development of the police department are chronicled. (RM)

Describes high school social studies student projects involving a study of local cemeteries. Projects include charting life expectancies, creating slide shows of community grave sites, and collecting tombstone rubbings. (KC)

Attempts to develop a "baseline understanding" of the nature of female criminality and its control during the first two decades of the twentieth century, using data from the court system of Muncie. The analysis of such historical data, though not necessarily representative of contemporary times or more urban settings, provide essential…

This article outlines a conceptual framework for a high school or college level unit on local history and demonstrates use of the framework through a case study of Whitehall, Georgia. Information is presented on planning the unit, selecting a community, teaching methods, collecting data, and identifying likely sources of information on community…

Provides suggestions for turning the search for local history materials into a coherent package for the classroom. Teachers should choose a project that teaches skills and helps shape student values. A thematic approach (for example, transportation) contributes to selectivity and is useful for producing a sourcebook. (KC)

The history of Muncie's religious life in the 1920's and 1930's is examined as an illustration of what happened regarding churches and religion in the "typical" U.S. town. The ethnic and denominational mix and the changes in each are discussed. (RM)

Suggests that observing, photographing, and discussing local buildings and places can help students form opinions about the built environment, the art form they experience most of the time. Presents some teaching ideas from existing photography-in-the-built-environment projects in Britain and the United States. (Author/SJL)

In 1920 Robert S. and Helen M. Lynd published the results of their exhaustive study of everyday life in Muncie, Indiana, dubbing the city "Middletown" as a symbol of the typical American community. Salient conclusions of the study are summarized, and significant recent literature on Middletown is assessed. (RM)

Describes a local history project in which high school students located valuable historic photographs on the local community and reproduced them on 35mm slides. An historic photo archive consisting of the slides accompanied by documentary materials was created. Procedures for creating and suggestions for using a photo archive are included. (KC)

Briefly discusses projects in local history from elementary to graduate level. Suggests that projects can serve as a springboard for broader study and a building block for an appreciation of United States History and western civilization. (Author/KC)

Presents a methodology for providing the historical narrative or context statement which must accompany a town's nomination for inclusion on The National Register of Historic Places. States that the same 14-point outline can function as a starting point for any written community history. (GEA)

Trip maps and trip boards are described, as are suggested destinations for class trips. The maps are used as multipurpose tools that any teacher can tailor to the needs of his or her own community and environmental studies and to the skills of children of any age. (Author/KC)

Traces the history of Arthurdale, West Virginia, a homestead community established by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Division of Subsistence Homesteads in 1933. Includes Arthurdale's community projects, activities, and schools. (RW)

Described is a community experience activity, utilizing independent study, which was implemented in a secondary alternative school in Canada. As a result of an initial visit to the local community, students had to come up with a product (e.g., an essay, arrange for a guest speaker to come to class). (RM)