Biographies can be used for the enrichment of secondary education social studies classes. Two strategies are presented for helping students to understand the nature, appeal, limitations, and applications of biographies in the social studies. (CJ)

Prosopography is the investigation of the common background characteristics of a group of people in history by means of a collective study of lives. How the discipline of prosopography can be used to help secondary and college level students understand the nuances of power is examined. (RM)

This document discusses the movement to bring original historical sources into the classroom. Because students of history need access to sources of information that provide direct or primary evidence about reality, teachers must show that realistic alternatives to the traditional history text exist. In the first section of this paper, efforts to…

Focuses on the career of Ken Burns, creator of historical documentaries for television and a popular historian. Examines his technique in creating documentaries, such as his use of style and the incorporation of biography. Discusses the differences between professional and popular history. (CMK)

A junior high level social studies unit designed to determine the characteristics of a real and fictionalized "great" person is described. (DE)

Suggests that character and personality profiles can heighten student interest in history. Provides an outline for writing a report on an historical personality and recommends activities which involve students in simulation and creative writing. (Author/DB)

Examines how U.S. junior high school and high school students view success. Includes classroom activities that help set realistic models for success and how people achieve it. Suggests several books that provide examples of success attributions. (LS)

To the explorer or colonist of the 16th and 17th centuries, North America was a vast and uncharted land. The continent appealed to European eyes--blind to the claims of the Native Americans who, to varying degrees of density, inhabited the entire continent--as an open field to claim, to exploit, and to settle. Once permanent settlements were…

Presents information related to the attempts on discovering the true identity of Tituba. Focuses on theories presented about her identity and her role in the Salem (Massachusetts) witchcraft trials. Discusses the images of Tituba portrayed in literature and U.S. history. (CMK)

Examines the truth behind commonly-accepted myths related to Jimmy Carter presidency. Looks at belief that Carter was not a politician; at contradictory misconception that he was a liberal democratic politician; and at the belief that Carter presided over a decline in U.S. diplomatic prestige and military strength. Concludes that these myths…

Describes the significance of the election of 1800 in the development of political parties in the United States. Contends that Alexander Hamilton's view of the United States Constitution was dangerous for the new nation and led to a permanent split in the Federalist Party. Includes a resource bibliography for teachers wishing to incorporate this…

In this lesson plan, students in grades 6-8 explore the role and impact of recent First Ladies through research and family interviews, then work in groups to present a documentary portrait to the class. Through these 7 lessons, students will: (1) learn about the political and non-political careers of recent First Ladies; (2) explore the…

This teaching guide consists of a biography of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Onassis), the wife of President John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States and questions for students to answer after reading the biography. The guide contains activities, such as playing the role of an inquiring camera girl (Mrs. Kennedy's first job in…

Information to help educators develop a program of study about Africa south of the Sahara is presented in this guide for use with secondary school students. Appropriate objectives for a study of this region and its people are stated: the acquisition of sufficient information to make contemporary Africa intelligible, the formulation of concepts…

Outlines a grandparent biography project for individual research by high school students. Authors state that the purpose of the project is to compare changes in the ways the students' family has lived over several generations with changes in other cultures. (DB)