In this article, the authors examine one approach to teaching hard history using an Inquiry Design Model (IDM) curricular loop. A curricular loop allows students to build a deeper understanding of a complex idea and develop a greater facility with the tools of inquiry over a course of study by regularly engaging in an inquiry. The curricular loop…

When projects are the spine of a course, they are systematically sequenced one after the other, and they do the heavy lifting of the course. They teach its core content and skills. The author has been testing this model of course design for several years, aiming for experiential learning that is tied to deep rather than superficial learning of…

In this article, the author talks about the updated National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards that are directed toward those meaningful units and engaging lessons. The revised standards set guiding questions and provide strategies and "Snapshots of Practice" which can be used to combine extensive use of content with suggestions for…

Teachers who have tried problem-based historical inquiry have often found its demands overwhelming. Both teachers and students need a support structure to assist them with the inquiry process. The Persistent Issues in History (PIH) Network seeks to nurture and support a national community of teachers who engage their students in problem-based…

Addresses three commonly cited justifications for historical study in considering the value of local history. Speaks to the idea that ignorance of the past condemns persons to the same mistakes, that history offers moral guidance, and that history should be studied for its own essence. Discusses the intrinsic and practical values of history. (KO)

Argues that the high public interest in contemporary international issues has opened a window of opportunity for effecting change in the national global-studies curriculum. Develops guidelines that summarize what concerned scholars and educators recommend as the international dimension of education for K-12 students. Includes an extensive topical…

Contends that the freedom to discover and debate the past is essential to a democratic society. Presents a high school lesson in historical methodology to illustrate how historians search for what happened in the past. Includes seven classroom activities to help students examine historical evidence. (CFR)

Contends that instruction in schools from elementary through university levels is a seamless web in which numerous elements of subjects converge with elements from other subjects. Asserts that a variety of disciplines can be taught through a study of Christopher Columbus and the Columbus voyages. (CFR)

Presents an instructional unit designed for use in a secondary-level United States history course. Provides educational objectives and instructional procedures. Includes charts, maps, photographs, and student readings. (CFR)

Addresses the problems of the U.S. history course structure from two vantage points: (1) agreement with instructional goals; and (2) agreement between current issues and the content of the established curriculum. Outlines an approach for structuring historical content around current problems and issues. Suggests several curricular models for an…

Maintains that U.S. history did not begin with the colonization of North America by Europeans but with the Native American tribes that flourished prior to colonization. Discusses economic issues that determined the history and culture of various tribes. Provides a lesson plan based on economic decisions made by the Choctaw tribe. (CFR)

Asserts that U. S. history instruction is too often characterized by a narrow focus on national events and leaders viewed through a monocultural lens. Proposes an approach that replaces this narrow view of the past with one that regards the contemporary United States as the result of both internal struggle and global interaction. (CFR)

Describes an instructional unit using graphic organizers to teach about federalism in a U.S. government course. Includes models of charts and lists of appropriate student responses. (CFR)

Asserts that changing demographic patterns indicate that the fastest growing sector of school-age children is the language minority group. Contends that, although social studies might seem to be the ideal curriculum area for mainstreaming students, the need for literacy skills often makes it difficult for limited English proficient students. (CFR)