As a result of the U.S. Department of Education's near one-billion-dollar investment in the "Teaching American History" ("TAH") grant program since 2001, almost 1,200 projects have taken place in school districts around the country with the important aim of improving the teaching of American history in K-12 classrooms. The…

Pre-service history teachers are exposed from schooling to a familiar canon: a story of American exceptionalism, linear social progression, and cultural homogeneity--referred to as a "freedom-quest narrative." Myopic and Eurocentric, this story follows students into their teaching careers; perpetuating a lack of critical understanding…

History departments are not generally known as hotbeds of assessment activity. Doctoral programs in history rarely touch the issue of how to assess student learning, while program review as an idea appears to many historians as an invasion of their turf by outsiders. At Eastern Michigan University, members of the faculty in the Department of…

The author began using student assistants when she arrived at the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Eau Claire in the fall of 1996. As a new faculty member, she found herself with a heavy teaching load and no graduate assistant. She observed that some of her colleagues employed undergraduate history majors as tutors for their introductory classes, and…

Describes the development of a history assessment test by Northeast Missouri State University (Kirksville) faculty. Discusses content, problems with design and cooperation, and theories of assessment testing. Includes sample questions demonstrating the cube plan, a technique that involves using a single question to measure three learning…

Discusses the lack of teacher training provided for teaching assistants in history departments. Argues that emphasis on research and publication is misplaced because most new Ph.D.s will be teaching rather than publishing. Urges teacher training to prepare graduate students for their chosen profession and to improve undergraduate education. (DK)

Highlights the benefits of active and student-centered learning. Describes the University of Wisconsin Student History Network that uses an updated model of the literary society and includes a Web site and electronic discussion groups for students in history survey courses. Discusses the problems, changes, and success of the University of…

Contends that college and university faculty must strengthen the ties between teachers in precollegiate and postsecondary institutions. Describes the Marathon County (Wisconsin) History Teaching Alliance, a collaborative professional development program that aims to enhance student learning through improved history instruction. Addresses the roles…

The need to increase the content knowledge of American History teachers is emphasized by the Teaching American History Grant. This focus recognizes the crucial role played by classroom teachers in helping students increase their knowledge and understanding of American History. Oakland Unified School District's Teaching American History project,…