Provides a fascinating look at the ideological and cultural schisms that developed between the communist party and local trade unions in Schenectady, New York. By the 1950s trade unions had become more conservative while the communist party championed the rights of women and blacks. This split debilitated the communist party. (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…

Profiles an interdisciplinary college course studying the history of Route 66, as well as the material and popular culture associated with the highway. Students studied the history of roads in the United States, traveled the length of Route 66 in Illinois, wrote personal essays, and conducted oral interviews. (MJP)

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…

Six popular high school American history textbooks are examined to address accusations of overcompensation by textbook publishers as a result of the raised ethnic consciousness of the 1970s. The textbooks are: "Our American Heritage" (Silver Burdett); "The Pageant of American History" (Allyn and Bacon); "A History of Our American Republic"…

Approaches to teaching about international politics and avenues to peace should be realistic and pragmatic rather than based on generalities about global education and peace education. This volume contains essays on international economic relations, cultural and linguistic understanding, and the conflict of ideologies and value systems in…

The Atlantic Council, in response to a need expressed by United States teachers for a guide to contemporary resources on Euorpe, commissioned this annotated bibliography limited to works in English which will serve as a stimulus to reflection by educators on how to more adequately present contemporary Europe and its values to United States…

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…

The Palestinian Jewish educational system grew out of urban schools established in the 1800s through the philanthropic efforts of the European Jewish communities and out of rural schools established at Kibbutzim from the turn of the century. Standards were set first by a Teachers' Association, then by the worldwide Zionist Organization, and…

Limitations of interpretations of revisionist historians concerning educational development in the 1930s and 1940s are examined. Revisionists have made uninformed assumptions about educational practice and have ignored significant aspects of educational development. Often their conclusions are too limited in scope. For example, they tend to view…

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…

This lesson plan sets up a scenario that involves lost, declassified military documents concerning a program begun in 1945 that placed 1,000 men and women in stasis (they were called "sleepers") deep within mine shafts in the mountains of Utah. The program was to provide, in the event of an overthrow of the U.S. government, a means to…

Analyzes primary document from German Holocaust period in which German bureaucrats described in euphemistic terms the murder of the Jews. Illustrates how the document can be used as a teaching aid by having students replace the euphemisms using words with their intended meaning, and reading it aloud in class. References include sources of…