Teaching the Vietnam War in high school history courses is a challenge to the instructor, and study that relies only on textbooks may neglect the controversy surrounding the War and the issues that faced the nation. This paper discusses how to use songs about the Vietnam War as an instructional tool to investigate the role of songs during the War…

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 document describes what reading should be in a Holocaust library for children. Considering the graphic and violent events of the Holocaust, this list of books for children presents the Holocaust in a way that satisfies the need for some gentleness of treatment, while still engaging interest and presenting facts accurately, to provide a list…

Ten lessons on the evolution of the nuclear arms race, the nature and consequences of using nuclear weapons, and new ways that conflicts among nations might be resolved are presented for the junior high school level. The unit contains age-appropriate materials to equip students with skills and knowledge to understand what choices can be made to…

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…

Using primary documents, maps, and visual data, this lesson packet describes how President Dwight Eisenhower working at his Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, farm, which is on the Historic Register of Historic Places, used personal diplomacy to help ease the tensions of the Cold War. The lesson materials can be used in U.S. history units on the Cold War,…

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 Holocaust Human Rights Center of Maine is dedicated to providing assistance and support to Maine's teachers on the study and participation of human rights and on teaching the Holocaust. This guide was created to reinforce the purpose and objectives of "Maine's Common Core of Learning," relating to citizenship, human rights, and…

Developed to enhance the quality of secondary school U.S. history instruction, this curriculum guide provides implementation suggestions and includes the Louisiana social studies: (1) program rationale; (2) curriculum goals; and (3) program scope and sequence. The guide is divided into sections that feature the following themes: (1) toward a new…

By focusing on the question of whether it was right or wrong to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, this social studies unit seeks to illuminate the political, military, scientific, and moral complexities involved in making far-reaching decisions today. Sections of the unit use primary materials from American, Japanese, and English sources to…

Emphasizing Europe's role in the growth of Western institutions and ideals, this guide stresses the development of skills necessary for active participation in democratic processes. An introductory unit on the Renaissance and the Reformation is followed by units on (1) the political events fostering the growth of the modern national state and the…