Classroom activities to help children learn about and celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of the United States Constitution are described, including making up a class constitution, teaching about becoming a United States citizen, and researching details of a specific state's ratification of the Constitution. (CB)

This collection of essays offers ideas, observations, maps, photographs, and descriptions of Boston (Massachusetts) and New England. The 13 essays in the collection include: (1) "An Introduction to New England and Boston: Advancing the Revolution in Geographic Education in a Region of Change" (Theodore S. Pikora; Stephen S. Young); (2)…

This book presents a view of teaching and learning that emphasizes meaning and understanding over coverage and facts. Support is given for an integrated approach to teaching social studies and placing social studies at the center of the entire school curriculum is advocated. Chapter titles are: (1) "Integrated Curriculum" (introduces the reader to…

The "Olympic Heritage" year in California provides an excellent opportunity to motivate students to examine their heritage from ancient Greece and to advance cross-curricular coordination. The very successful 1981-82 "Shakespeare Year" program can be used as a model. A proposed Olympic project is described. (RM)

Information about Arizona's history, government, and state capitol is organized into two sections. The first section presents a timeline of Arizona history from the prehistoric era to 1992. Brief descriptions of the state's entrance into the Union and the city of Phoenix as the selection for the State Capitol are discussed. Details are given about…

Discusses the importance of social studies in the social development of young children. Describes a method of give priority to social studies goals. Notes learning activities related to five strategies for priority implementation: sharing, discussion of social values in reading materials, creating problems and problem solutions, acting out, and…

Provides five fully developed library media activities designed to be used in connection with specific curriculum units in art, health, reading/language arts, and social studies. Library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, resources, instructional roles, activity and procedures for completion, evaluation, and followup are described for…

Provides general guidelines for using historical reenactments to teach elementary school social studies, focusing on the French colonization in America. Discusses the use of older student mentors, parent volunteers, and first-person historical presentations. Describes benefits to learners, strategies for reenactment, and evaluation procedures.…

This book, part of the Touchstones to Local History project of Russell Sage College, is designed for social studies teachers seeking to incorporate local history in their social studies curricula by utilizing local history materials. Ten forms of historical materials are reviewed in terms of their classroom use: published resources, personal…

Describes the interdisciplinary approach used by a language arts teacher and a social studies teacher to teach seventh graders about the Great Depression. Discusses how students prepare interviews, radio plays, and newsreels. (SR)

This guide enables teachers to select current children's books incorporating one or more of the 10 thematic strands of social studies (culture; time, continuity, and change; people, places and environments; individual development and identity; individuals, groups, and institutions; power, authority, and governance; production, distribution, and…

Educational research has ascertained that parents who are actively involved in their children's learning at home help these children become more successful learners in and out of school. Learning activities requiring more imagination than equipment are presented for four age levels. These reading, writing, math, science, and social studies home…

Learning activities that introduce new twists to teaching such basic subjects as mathematics, social studies, reading comprehension, music, science, creative writing, and spelling are described. (CB)

Outlines plans for a year-long, integrated, interdisciplinary curriculum, in which Southern California social studies students in grades K-12 study Shakespeare, his works, and the Elizabethan period. Suggestions for activities for all discipline areas, resource materials, and human resources are included. (AM)

Presents a methodology for providing the historical narrative or context statement which must accompany a town's nomination for inclusion on The National Register of Historic Places. States that the same 14-point outline can function as a starting point for any written community history. (GEA)