This paper reports on a research study which attempted to determine whether competition could generate the same enthusiasm in the classroom (for learning) as it does on the playing field (in sports). Ninth grade world cultures students at Concord-Carlisle High School, Concord, Massachusetts were led to believe that they were competing in an…

Toward the improvement of teaching history and to provide student insights into the study of history, a course involving structure, relevancy, an interdisciplinary approach, and innovation is suggested which advocates analyzing what has happened in the past as a whole, as revealed by the various sciences of archaeology, anthropology, paleontology,…

In history classes, each student should (1) be encouraged to learn about his or her own past, and (2) be actively involved in the process of learning. For example, students can be asked to find out every thing they can that was going on the day they were born. (RM)

The state of California has developed model curriculum standards for required high school social studies courses. Included here are the "Introduction" and "Organization and Format" from the history-social science section of the "Model Curriculum Standards: Grades Nine through Twelve," and the standards for the world…

The purpose of this report is: (1) To point out the features of a number of manipulative supplemental resources for history and social studies teachers; and (2) to show how similarly manipulative professional development workshops propagate the distorted content and recommended teaching practices of such materials to teachers and their…

This two-semester course emphasizes key events and developments in the past that influenced peoples and places in subsequent eras. Students are expected to practice skills and processes of historical thinking and inquiry that involve chronological thinking, comprehension, analysis and interpretation, research, issues-analysis, and decision-making.…

Social studies teachers should consider ways in which personal experiences can enhance their teaching of world events. As more and varied travel opportunities are made available to educators through work-study tours and educational organizations, so too are the possibilities for making the travel experience a resource that can be a…

The distinguished teachers and historians on the Bradley Commission on History in Schools suggested the basic themes, narratives, topics, and questions essential to the study of United States history, of Western civilization, and of world history. This guide provides teachers, administrators, and parents with principles of selection and…

Presents an annotated bibliography of Web sites about World War I. Includes: (1) general Web sites; (2) Web sites with information during the war; (3) Web sites with information about post-World War I; (4) Web sites that provide photos, sound files of speeches, and propaganda posters; and (5) Web sites with lesson plans. (CMK)

Consists of a reading assignment and questions for students about Christopher Columbus' voyages. Provides details on how Columbus brought the potato to Europe from the Americas and how sugar, new diseases, and the horse got to the Americas. Argues that Europe would have been different, and poorer, without Columbus. (SG)

Presents a policy statement from the National Council for the Social Studies for the quincentenary of Columbus's first new world voyage. Recommends that teachers help students comprehend the contemporary relevance of 1492 and provide basic, accurate knowledge about Columbus's voyages, their historical setting, and unfolding effects. Suggests areas…

Critiques the California History Social Science Framework's structuring of world history. Suggests some ideas for developing conceptual and organizational course models that can effectively accommodate the framework's subject matter recommendations while presenting a more holistic view of world history. (DB)

Presents a classroom lesson based on the walls of old Jerusalem. Maintains that cooperative-learning techniques used to build a model of the wall helped students understand the meaning of the original wall and the division of modern-day Jerusalem. (CFR)

Recommends four strategies to reduce problems in developing history curricula: (1) segment U.S. and world history into era-limited courses across the grades; (2) focus on vital episodes, ideas, and personalities; (3) collaborate with colleagues across grades to address common key questions; and (4) stress matters important for civic and personal…

States that the lack of vision in world history teaching at the U.S. Air Force Academy is due to several factors including textbook selection, faculty resistance to teaching world history, the debate between teaching Western Civilization versus world history, and the educational background of the faculty. (CMK)