Over the last couple of years, White nationalist groups have been at the forefront of American political life, especially with the events in Charlottesville, Virginia. The historical roots of White nationalist movements run deep in the United States and are most closely associated with the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). In this article the authors explore…

The article examines a mainstream curricular unit on the Haitian Revolution, centered on a culminating role-play activity. Cultural studies, subaltern studies, and hermeneutics are applied as theoretical frameworks to read the curriculum unit and its activities. These theoretical lenses sharpen an understanding of what it means to experience…

The authors of this article examine several controversial U.S. monuments and offer teachers a rationale, resources, and suggested activities for incorporating these historical monuments into classroom instruction. The authors discuss why controversial issues should be discussed in the social studies classroom through the critical examination of…

The author presents five classroom activities that involve students in the settlement at Jamestown. Activity 1 simulates the problems encountered on the "Godspeed," a fifty-two-foot foot boat with fifty-two passengers traveling across the Atlantic in 1607 for three slow months. In Activity 2, students plot their route, ocean currents,…

Everybody accepts that Americans celebrate the independence of the United States on the Fourth of July, in remembrance of that famous date in 1776. In this article, the author features a simple lesson designed for students to check the accuracy of this most basic of American historical facts. During the lesson, the students examine nine pieces of…

Describes how the history of flight can be used to encourage elementary school children to read, discuss, and do research on an aviation topic. Outlines several activities that can be used to encourage student interest. (GEA)

In Chile, teaching is in a period of transition between occupation and profession. To examine teachers' perceptions of their profession, the author conducted a qualitative, phenomenological investigation. He interviewed twenty-seven history and social science teachers employed at urban secondary schools in Chile. He found that teachers believe…

The author presents a social studies lesson that uses a commemorative coin to encourage understanding of the Monroe Doctrine. The international factors surrounding the formation of the Monroe Doctrine are discussed along with the implications and limitations of the document. The lesson provides quotations from the Monroe Doctrine, discusses how…

Elementary students can learn how to take an interpretive approach to learning history so that they can construct knowledge about collective past experience in ways that provide a meaningful context for understanding present experience. Like historians, children communicate their interpretations to others by telling or writing stories in which…

Teaching students about the former Yugoslavia can be difficult--so much diversity, so much conflict, so much culture. Yet, teaching students about the country matters for two reasons: (1) because the former Yugoslavia is an essential part of understanding World War I and the reemergence of nationalism in a postwar era, and (2) because a study of…

In 1960, Shirley Engle published an article in "Social Education," entitled "Decision Making: The Heart of Social Studies Instruction," that he hoped would end the conflict over a definition of social studies. He argued that social studies instruction should emphasize decision making in two senses: first, as a decision about the meaning of data…

A project is described in which American history students analyze comic books to determine their appeal and structure, and then create their own comic books entitled "Causes of the American Revolution". Concludes that, despite some problems, the project was fun and rewarding. (DB)

Describes the experiences of a sixth grade history class in learning about archaeology by planning and executing a small local dig. Offers advice on class preparation, excavation procedures, follow-up work, and the display of artifacts. Includes eight photographs of classroom and field work activities. (AEM)

Discusses two resources for helping students understand the Old West in U.S. history. Presents information from a primary source concerning Wild Bill Hickok and a more recent interpretative essay about myths of the Old West. Includes suggestions for classroom activities and topics for student discussion. (CFR)

Discusses the educational benefits of using visual materials as historical sources. Outlines steps for analyzing historical photographs. Applies these steps to two sample lessons about sugar-cane syrup making in Florida and dealing with migrant workers in Florida during the Depression. (RW)