This report is one of a series on how curriculum unit experiences in U.S. history influenced the learning of fifth-grade students. This report focuses on the American Revolution period. Before the unit began, three classes of fifth graders stated what they knew (or thought they knew) about the events leading up to the Revolutionary War, the War…

This study investigates middle graders' understanding of significance in United States history through open-ended interviews with 48 students in grades 5-8. Students were presented with a set of captioned historical pictures and asked to choose the one important enough to include on a timeline of the last five hundred years, and to explain their…

Reports on the results of an experiment testing 58 elementary school students tasked with chronologically ordering a set of nine historical pictures and thinking aloud about their efforts. Provides increased evidence regarding the kind and sources of children's historical knowledge and how they deploy that knowledge. (MJP)

Discusses how to teach a brief version of U.S. History by focusing on key legal documents that have defined the status of women and minority groups in this country. Provides some teaching suggestions for helping students think critically about issues of power and privilege. (MJP)

Maintains that fundamental historical concepts can be imparted to high school students through the use of photography, painting, film, literature, and other forms of popular culture. Provides many examples of students utilizing popular culture to understand conceptions of historical time, locate meaning, and empathize with historical people. (MJP)

An extensive study of humanities education in the nation's public schools, commissioned by the United States Congress, concludes that history, literature, and languages are inadequately taught, and most students fail to learn important knowledge about their shared past and culture. Data from a nation-wide survey reveal gross ignorance of major…