Describes how 4 historical, popular, culture mediums may be used to help stimulate student curiosity about the past and provide practice in using and understanding the historical method. Highlighting the slave experience, the mediums are: (1) the antislave almanac; (2) the dime novel; (3) the moving panorama; and (4) the propaganda play.…

Film documentaries can be a valuable addition to introductory American history courses. Using "The Adams Chronicles" as an example, the author identifies flaws in the film and then explains how careful planning and analysis of the video and printed programs enabled him to incorporate it effectively into a freshman-level survey course at Ohio State…

Tests the validity of a teaching strategy designed to help students learn to think historically. The method offers a rationale for understanding why historians may arrive at differing conclusions. Results of the study (n = 39) indicate a significant improvement in the experimental group concept of history. (TRS)

Describes how a role playing exercise can be used to teach students in a college level history course about the use of the atomic bomb in World War II. Information is presented on general use of role playing in history courses, objectives, questions to consider about use of the atomic bomb, and course evaluation. For journal availability, see so…

Describes the teacher education workshops and instructional materials available from the National Archives of the United States. Contends that using primary sources will help students see history as historians did. Concludes that the National Archives seeks more collaborative activities with history teachers. (CFR)

Contends that, during the past generation, a new social history that concerns itself with the lives of ordinary people has changed history research and teaching. Describes an eight-unit college course in the history of United States sports. Includes a selected bibliography of books for students and teachers. (CFR)

Asserts that simulations are considered a highly effective pedagogical tool because they involve students in problem-solving and inquiry-based activities. Presents a model simulation designed to prepare secondary or college students for civic discourse about reparations as an important public policy issue. (CFR)

Asserts that people of all ages love a story that involves heroes and villains and that a teacher can bridge the gap between political and social history through dramatization. Describes procedures for identifying appropriate topics for dramatization and encouraging student involvement. (CFR)

Contends that end of Cold War increases need for students to understand causes and aftermath of World War II. Recommends spending less time on military aspects of the war and more time on the economic, social, and cultural impact of total war. Provides a selected list of resources to be used in a college level course on the war. (CFR)

Asserts that students have difficulty visualizing the physical conditions of the event or period under study. Recommends the resources found in military museums to reproduce landscapes, images, and sounds that stimulate the learning process. Describes the First Division Museum at Cantigny near Wheaton, IL. (CFR)

Asserts that educational research supports the use of databases in problem-solving activities. Contends that students, developing their own databases, can acquire significant social studies and history skills. Includes four tables of information about U.S. presidents to illustrate the use of databases and statistical analysis. (CFR)

Maintains that teaching history can be far more than dry lectures and reading long books. Maintains that the "historical staff ride" program in the U.S. Army can serve as an example of how to teach history outside the classroom. Describes the program and provides guidelines for selecting and visiting historic sites with classes. (CFR)

Contends that most high school graduates have not taken any courses that examine the experiences of minority groups. Summarizes the results of a college classroom experiment that involved the integration of oral history into the curriculum. Concludes that oral history is a viable teaching tool. (CFR)