When selecting a trade book for use in the social studies classroom, teachers must ensure that it represents high quality literature that will be interesting to students. This process involves examining such literary elements as characterization, plot, theme, setting, author's style, and point of view. The book must also match the theme or goal in…

In 1917, after much agitation for alcohol prohibition by many temperance societies and organizations, the House of Representatives wanted to make Prohibition the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and sent the amendment to the states for ratification. Thirteen months later enough states said yes to the amendment. It was now against the law to…

This document is intended to be used: (1) By institutions that prepare teachers to assess the quality of their teacher preparation programs for licensure (or certification) in comprehensive social studies and/or the individual disciplines of history, geography, civics and government, economics, and psychology; and (2) By National Council for the…

Economics can be the most relevant and stimulating class students take in high school. One way to make this happen is to actively involve students in lessons that demonstrate important economic concepts and economic reasoning. This book contains a compilation of 14 popular lessons (all-time favorites from earlier publications by the National…

This guide helps teachers and students gain knowledge about the "Air Transportation" gallery at the National Air and Space Museum (Washington, DC). The guide is divided into six sections: (1) "The 'Air Transportation' Gallery"; (2) "How to Use This Guide"; (3) "Activity 1: Take Off: An Air Travel Matching…

Intended to make the issue of landmines pertinent and accessible to classroom teachers, this curriculum unit helps high school students learn how to undertake an analysis of the anti-personnel landmine crisis in some of the world's most severely affected countries and consider potential programs for landmine removal, recovery, and reconstruction.…

This paper examines the standards and principles recently proposed for teaching both history and archeology. By comparing the goals each discipline has set for good teaching, areas of difference and commonality can be discerned and questions concerning historical thinking and what may be called "archeological" thinking can then be…

This economics unit of study consists of 10 lessons. Each lesson sets out key terms (such as demand, scarcity, monetary costs, property rights, and cost/benefit analysis); outlines the national content standards addressed; lists objectives; provides teaching and discussion ideas; suggests sample interactive discussion problems and sample small…

Addresses the use of the Internet for telecollaboration, or communicating and working with others in different locations, in the elementary social studies classroom. Focuses on a set of activity structures to help teachers design curriculum-based, telecollaborative activities. Provides examples of telecollaborative activities. (CMK)

These guidelines are designed to help teachers and school districts answer questions related to the national history standards as they develop their own local curriculum. The work is built upon the original guidelines from the Bradley Commission on History in the Schools. This booklet is divided into two parts: (1) "Introduction"; and…

This lesson plan introduces students to the concept of supply and demand by appealing to bodily/kinesthetic intelligences. Students participate in a fitness class and then analyze the economic motives behind making an individual feel better after a fitness activity; i.e., analyzing how much an individual would pay for a drink and snack after a…

This lesson focuses on the American Revolution, which encouraged the founding fathers' desire to create a government that would, as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution, issue domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense. The lesson correlates to the National History Standards and the National Standards for Civics and Government…

This brief booklet provides a shorthand key to the national geography standards and related geography themes. The themes represent an instructional approach to give focus to a lesson. The standards comprise the geographic subject matter, skills, and perspectives of geography K-12. The five themes flow through the 18 geography standards and can be…

Describes a simulation called, "Classroom City," used by elementary students to learn about communities. Focuses on the students' own simulated city named Bat Town, U.S.A. Discusses the project in detail. Describes the activities children participated in and the roles they assumed during the simulation. (CMK)

Discusses social studies and its critics; the struggle for the soul of social studies; fragmentation and national standards; proliferation of standards; and assessment in the national standards. Suggests that administrators and teachers responsible for curriculum development should carefully examine all standards documents as they plan for…