Three areas are addressed in this paper: the family-in-crisis motif; the family as educator; and parent education. (1) The family in crisis: The family-in-crisis motif pervades both professional and popular commentary on the contemporary American family. There are powerful continuities in our perception of the American family crisis in every…

A rationale is presented for a new direction in educational historiography which reevaluates the treatment of the working class as active creators of history. Presently the impact of the working class on the public school history curriculum is not fully assessed or explained in light of other social and economic circumstances in the twentieth…

This resource guide is intended for use as a general guide for teachers who are designing elementary and secondary Bicentennial social studies units. The unit stresses three main topics in both an historical and contemporary framework: family life, transportation, and social conflict for the periods of 1776, 1876, and 1976. Emphasis is on the…

The purposes of this essay are (1) to categorize briefly current approaches to the study of ethnicity in the social sciences, and (2) to suggest for discussion a distinctive perspective on ethnicity. Perspectives of accomodation and assimilation, minorities, cultural contact, social problems, conflict, and power can be used, it is asserted, to…

The role of working women in American labor history from colonial times to the present is the topic of this learning module. Intended predominantly as a course outline, the module can also be used to supplement courses in social, labor, or American history. Information is presented on economic and political influences, employment of women,…

This book surveys different aspects of childhood in the United States during its first 200 years. The first chapter surveys trends in immigration, mortality and health, education, and income. Chapter 2 is an historical review of family behavior. In Chapter 3, child health services over the last 200 years are reviewed including early policy and…

Explores how the post-bellum U.S. code of contract denied married women the right to own their labor and their wages. Maps the legal symmetry between slavery and marriage, contradicting contemporary ideologies that placed the right to work for wages as a cardinal freedom. Discusses "earnings" laws passed by state legislatures that…

This curriculum resource guide allows students to interpret key historical events and trends from the perspectives of a variety of cultural, linguistic, and ethnic groups. The 20 learning activities represent suggested approaches for teaching Units 11 and 12 of the New York State Grades 7 and 8 syllabus. Each unit is comprehensive, divided into…

Popular music and films can become vehicles in the study of racial prejudices and stereotypes and provide a framework for understanding the popular opinions of a particular era. At the College of Staten Island, City University of New York, a course incorporates popular music and videos into the study of historical accounts of the 20th century…

The "Goldfinch" is a magazine that introduces children to different aspects of Iowa History. Each issue contains articles to provide in-depth knowledge of a topic about Iowa. The focus of this issue is homes and family life in Iowa history. Selections address what has been important to Iowa's families over time and what homes were like…

This instructional unit was built upon the idea that most of the children from a second and a sixth grade classroom already had some knowledge about the social history of their community in Loveland, Colorado. The teachers implementing the unit helped these students make connections between the past and present and thereby develop an understanding…

Casting their eyes toward the rich, arable lands of Pennsylvania, members of the Moravian religious community purchased a 500-acre tract of land north of Philadelphia in 1741. There, along the Lehigh River, they organized and built the communal society of Bethlehem, which became the base location for all Moravian missionary activity in North…

Provides a history of youthful offenders and society's efforts at rehabilitation and punishment. Traces the development of correctional institutions from their early days in England to the current efforts involving intervention and prevention. Includes photographs, historical and contemporary statistics, and tabular data. (MJP)

Investigates the negative and hostile public opinion towards the oil industry, in general, and Standard Oil, in particular. Discovers that those most responsible for criticizing Standard Oil had an economic interest in doing so. Defends the company's record and refutes its critics' charges. (MJP)

Presents a lesson plan designed to sharpen students' research and analytical skills while giving them a better understanding of how the rise of large bureaucratic institutions redefined both the process and meaning of economic and social mobility. Students conduct research contrasting early U.S. apprenticeships with modern business people. (MJP)