United States history classrooms have the potential to simultaneously foster an understanding of students' cultures and experiences today in relation to the nation's history and develop critical thinking and technology literacy. Yet classroom materials and instructors tend to avoid, ignore, or misrepresent controversial topics such as race and…

Focuses on how to utilize films and television documents and incorporate analysis of these materials within the history classroom. Describes an approach that is applied to traditional historical documents. Explains that teachers must provide background materials to encourage critical analysis. (CMK)

Describes the six habits of mind fundamental to the study of history. Argues that a world history course must introduce students to the processes by which historians study the past. Provides suggestions for teaching the habits of mind through the proposed Advanced Placement (AP) world history course. (CMK)

Describes an assignment in an undergraduate course on Roman history for junior and senior history majors in which students create their own 15-page textbook using primary sources. Explains how each class session developed student analysis of primary sources. (CMK)

Describes an Advanced Placement (AP) European history course in a multiethnic, urban school. Provides information on the course and a discussion on teaching strategies, materials, and testing methods. Includes student comments on AP European history versus AP world history. (CMK)

College students reacted very positively to an introductory U.S. history survey course which required them to analyze what happened and why and to communicate cogently the results of the analyses in essays. The four major themes for structuring the course are discussed. (RM)