Discusses general problems of educational pluralism in the nations of central and eastern Europe. Asserts that, contrary to many western Europeans, the nations of central and eastern Europe are very different from one another in politics, economics, and education. Reviews developments in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. (CFR)

Describes a classroom study of 20 self-selected, college-bound, U.S. history students in which the students created a story, poem, painting, or other art form after studying a unit on immigration. Includes several examples and descriptions of students' poetry, writing, and other creative projects. (CFR)

Contends that all genuine learning is active, not passive. Asserts that three educational principles are the foundation of effective social studies instruction: (1) active learning; (2) integration of language arts; and (3) appeal to multiple intelligences. Provides a history lesson plan based on these principles. (CFR)

Includes three brief essays responding to the current controversy over the National Standards for United States History. James F. Adomanis defends the standards and decries the media circus. Brian Boland casts a skeptical eye towards trendy educational reforms. Philip Reed Rulon finds the standards arbitrary and restrictive. (MJP)

Describes the activities of a high school class that discovered the joy of history through experiential learning. Students learned traditional military tactics for their unit on the French and Indian Wars, and tried to apply them to a nearby woods. Includes similar activities for other historic periods. (MJP)

Investigates the situations surrounding, and events involved in, the United States's massive western land acquisition from Mexico in 1845 and 1848. Presents a challenging, thorough, and insightful lesson plan that includes numerous background materials, learning activities, maps, and handouts. (MJP)

The personal aspect of knowledge--the everyday concepts--is located in the life setting of a person. These personal concepts are the foundation for the child's appropriation of subject matter concepts that qualify the child's personal concept so they can function as theoretical concepts. However, subject matter concepts are not universal, they are…

If history teachers' aim is to teach students how to think, why not ask: What forms of thought do historians use, and what specific techniques will inculcate these forms? In this article, the author proposes a fundamental shift, from courses with a focus on the mastery of data to courses with a priority on learning the historian's craft. The…

This article tells the story of the author's discovery of thinking skills, how this has affected her teaching, and how these ideas have now spread to other curriculum areas in her school. In November 2001 the author began to carry out a research project on thinking skills, introducing new activities into lessons to encourage pupils to think and…

This article is about a small-scale research project which investigated changing the authors' classroom practice at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level and how that change impacts on both teachers and students. This project emerged out of earlier classroom research funded and supported by the National Union of Teachers and…

This study aimed to find out how and on what level the students of two separate secondary schools shared and constructed knowledge on imperialism by interacting through historical role characters in a Web-based environment. Furthermore, the study aimed to find out how social and contextual features affected the nature of knowledge sharing and…

To promote and facilitate family involvement in children's education, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement has consolidated its "Learning Partners" series into one booklet. This booklet consists of several two-page activity guides in a variety of learning areas. Each guide lists general things parents…

This report surveys the steps taken by the Council of Europe's Council for Cultural Cooperation (CDCC) to combat the increasing problem of intolerance and xenophobia in Western Europe. The outbreak of xenophobic sentiment is attributed to two facts: large immigrant communities from outside Europe have settled permanently in Europe, and there has…

This guide was compiled of instructional materials designed by teachers of Spanish at the elementary and secondary levels. The materials consist of lesson plans and readings, each with a slightly different perspective, which collectively give a comprehensive view of the history and culture of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Many lessons…

The collection of essays on use of languages across the curriculum (LAC, LxC) at the State University of New York at Binghamton includes: "Language Resource Specialists as Agents of Curricular Internationalization (An Overview and Evaluation of Binghamton University's LxC Program)" (H. Stephen Straight); "'But Do They Learn French?'…