When Americans from the eastern part of the United States began moving west in large numbers in the mid-nineteenth century, tensions escalated and conflicts erupted between and among settlers, railroad workers, ranchers, the United States military, and numerous Native American tribes. Incorporating balanced consideration of these diverse and…

Historicalthinkingmatters.org, a collaboration between the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, pioneers of online historical resources, and Stanford University's History Education group, a research center that investigates the teaching and learning of history, addresses the problem of an abundance of historical texts and a…

For many of the students in the author's American history class, early twentieth-century American history seems far removed from their daily lives. Being first and second-generation American citizens, many of the students do not have the luxury of hearing grandparents and great-grandparents telling stories about FDR and Henry Ford. More…

During the Viet Nam war, U.S. military helicopters dropped "Chieu Hoi" (safe conduct) passes over suspected enemy locations to encourage enemy soldiers to surrender. This article presents a classroom activity that encourages students to examine a "Chieu Hoi" pass as a primary historical document, identify its various elements,…

Offers a first grade mini-unit on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (JDH)

U.S. history is an ideal subject in which to inculcate skepticism and to teach critical thinking skills. High school students who read and analyze rival interpretations of history come to expect that there is more than one viewpoint to most historical topics. Sample lessons are presented. (RM)

Discusses how social history lessons fit with relative ease into secondary U.S. and European history courses. A sample lesson shows teachers how to use data on the history of childhood when teaching about the Enlightenment. (RM)

Traces the development of "The Lessons of the Vietnam War," a set of units which cover legal, cultural, and historical questions of the war in greater depth than do survey textbooks. Examples of the 12 topics are "Introduction to Vietnam: Land, Culture, and History" and "Taking Sides: The War at Home." (GEA)

An instrument was designed for student evaluation of presidential greatness. (VW)

In this unit of study secondary students learn about Raoul Wallenberg, the human rights crusader who protected thousands of Hungarian Jews from Nazi persecution. A primary source document from the National Archives--a letter written to President Truman by Guy von Dardel concerning the disappearance of his brother--is provided. (RM)

Presents a lesson on the reaction of people in the United States to immigrants as expressed in political cartoons from the turn-of-the-century and the early decades of the 20th century. Includes cartoons, teaching ideas, and suggested discussion questions about the cartoons. (DSK)

Examines how student demographics, student engagement, and teacher instruction influenced student performance on one authentic assessment task. Based on a four-week unit on immigration by five U.S. history teachers. Describes Fred Newman's work on authentic intellectual achievement, the assessment task, methodology, procedures, and variables.…

Questions and activities using still pictures, audio materials, simulations and games, popular arts, literature in the new social studies projects are given. Combinations of the right kind of media around fundamental human issues may help students get meaningful answers to the questions posed in the history classroom. (VW)

Describes the use of a unit on immigration implemented at two high schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to help students from different backgrounds relate to one another. Explains the authentic assessment task in which students charted data about the immigration of their families and analyzed the data for trends. (CMK)

Discusses instances of departure from the rights guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the Bill of Rights. Describes the internment of Japanese-Americans during the Second World War and other incidents in which the government denied individual rights. Details teaching activities intended to increase student understanding of such events. Proposes student…