Years ago, it became established that the severity and length of the Great Depression were due largely to misguided Federal Reserve monetary policy and the resulting catastrophic bank failures. This result is confirmed by surveys of scholars in the area and books specifically written on economic history. Yet the leading textbooks used in high…

The topic of this study is how Swedish students aged 15-16 use causal reasoning in history when given a high-stakes task about explaining a historically significant event, the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany. The study is based on student texts from the Swedish national test in history. The student texts are mainly analysed with regards to how…

On March 1-2, 2008, FPRI's Wachman Center presented a weekend of discussion on "China's Encounter with the West" for 45 teachers from 21 states across the country, held at and co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Asia Program. Sessions included: (1) China's Early Encounters with the West: A History in Reverse…

Reviews and questions various theories devised to explain America's entry into World War II. Concludes that revisionism is a continual process, many histories of World War II written since the 1960s show a detachment and moderation lacking in earlier accounts, and historians should examine the ideological and social conflicts within all Western…

For whatever reasons, whether state and local curriculum requirements, mandated assessments, or other political forces, textbook authors have elected to include Christianity and the Religious Right in their presentations of U.S. history. Therefore, a major concern is the impressions authors create that shape the way students understand and view…

Background information and resources to help K-12 social studies teachers prepare today's youth to cope with the problems that conquering space is sure to bring are provided in this guide. The first part of the guide focuses on political, social, and economic issues that may arise as humans attempt to conquer space. Discussed are the international…