I intend to identify some of the important propositions which issue from fourteen empirical studies on political socialization, and to point to implications for schools and especially civic education programs. I define political socialization as the process of acquiring and changing the culture of one's own political environment. Among the…

Unit I for grade six deals with the American Indian in a cross cultural approach. Pupils use case studies to examine the Aztecs, who were later conquered by the Spanish, and the Iroquois, who came into contact with the French and English, as total cultures and draw comparisons between the two. The main part of each resource unit is set up in a…

Classroom activities for directing student inquiry into the role of the individual in the future are provided in this text. Activities are presented within a framework of respect for and understanding of the past and the present. A matrix for the study of the individual as a whole person is presented. The matrix is devised along the present, past,…

Four modules of classroom strategies provide suggestions for examining U.S. history in light of contemporary issues. "The Right to Life" uses the Karen Anne Quinlan case as a model for exploring moral, legal, and medical issues related to euthanasia. Students discuss the reasoning and viewpoints of various groups associated with the…

Middle and high school American history teachers in Lake County, Illinois, use an innovative model of professional development created through collaboration between higher education institutions and public school districts. Goals of McRAH (Model Collaboration: Rethinking American History) are to (1) raise student achievement and engagement by…

Recommends organizing U.S. history courses around central ideas rather than chronological periods. Argues that this method affords a better grasp of the principal developments in the nation's history by treating issues in depth. Lists eight broad themes around which a U.S. history course can be constructed. (MJP)

Analyzes the challenges to implementation of the California Framework for History-Social Science Education. Compares the Framework's prescriptions with current practices and concludes that there are discrepancies. Suggests methods for preparing current practitioners and future teachers to carry out the Framework. (LS)

Presents a high school lesson plan on the Casco Bay Treaty, an agreement between Native Americans and colonial governments in the pre-Revolutionary War era. Includes student objectives, historical background, and instructional strategies. Provides two primary source documents related to the treaty. (CFR)

Maintains that much of the high school curriculum, particularly in social studies, contains innumerable facts that have no use except to pass school tests. Reviews research on effective instruction as applied to social studies. Includes 17 characteristics of highly engaging social studies teaching and learning. (ACM)

Discusses the development of a project-based approach to history instruction as a result of student dissatisfaction with a more traditional curriculum. Maintains that interested and motivated students take more responsibility for their learning. Presents project descriptions and provides recommendations for implementing the approach. (CFR)

Describes an integrated curriculum approach to world history using a "medieval" newspaper as a primary student project. Presents technical requirements, a newspaper outline, and recommendations for research and writing. Includes recommendations for student evaluation and teacher resources. (CFR)

Contends that, in the past few years, historians have shown increasing interest in the utilization of databases and database software for both teaching and research. Focuses on the value of historical databases and illustrates the approach with examples drawn from financial and industrial databases. (CFR)

Asserts that two forgotten facts in educational reform are that the student is the primary client of all assessment and that testing should be designed to improve performance, not just monitor it. Includes sample portfolio performance tasks on a variety of social studies topics. (CFR)

Contends that artifacts found during archaeological research can open up alternative ways to explore, reexamine, and even rewrite history. Maintains that material culture explores three aspects of Revolutionary American life: (1) the nature of day-to-day life; (2) the fluctuating circumstances of enslaved African-Americans; and (3) how…

Discusses the importance of architecture in Thomas Jefferson's life. Presents a lesson plan based on Jefferson's Monticello and designed to encourage students to identify and understand elements of classical architecture in their local area. Includes a photograph of Monticello and six architectural illustrations. (CFR)