In this article, Robin Conway and Amy Scott show how they made use of online source archives to replicate the experience of an academic historian in the classroom. By changing the way that students approach sources, moving away from both 'fun activities' and formulaic exam preparation towards a more authentic experience, they show how students'…

This study aims at determining perceptions and experiences of prospective social studies teachers who create learning and teaching activities using historical evidence. We used the case study methodology in our study and collected data from activities created by prospective teachers, research stories, focus group interviews, and observations. We…

The main goal of this study was to analyze the development of historical thinking abilities in two groups of fourth graders in Colombian schools. The study consisted of the design, implementation, and evaluation of a three-month pedagogical intervention. After an initial assessment, nine learning activities were implemented. An Intervention Group…

As historians, we are dependent on evidence, which comes in many varieties. Rosalind Stirzaker here introduces a project which she ran two years ago to encourage her students to think about artefacts in a different way. They have examined randomly preserved artefacts such as those of Pompeii, and sets of artefacts which were deliberately chosen,…

Born-digital sources are, in fact, already old enough to fall into the domain of traditional, albeit recent, history. Bulletin Board Systems date from the 1980s. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) launched the first website and server in 1990. Websites and the new digital media are cultural artefacts. Archivists and librarians…

That primary source documents have the power to bring the past alive is no news to social studies teachers. What is new in the last 10 years is the number of digitized documents available online that teachers can download and use in their classrooms. Encouraging teachers to utilize this ever-increasing treasure trove of resources was the goal of…

In this learning activity senior high social studies students examine and discuss specific parts of the Soviet Constitution and learn that there is often a big difference between theory and reality. (RM)

In this learning activity, which is used in an 11th-grade ancient history course in Canada, students are asked to assume that they are archaeologists of the far-distant future. They are given a box of artifacts that they must analyze to determine what the future society is like. (RM)

States that two primary sources of historical information about the Great Irish Famine are newspaper articles and diaries. Provides six newspaper accounts about the Irish Famine from 1845 to 1848 and journal entries by Elizabeth Smith (a landowner's wife in Ireland) describing the conditions in Ireland in 1847. Includes questions. (CMK)

"The Old Man and the Sea" remains one of Ernest Hemingway's most beloved works. This casebook helps readers interpret and appreciate the thematic concerns of the novel, as well as the contextual issues it explores. Topic chapters provide information on Cuba, including its natural geography, sociopolitical history, and the ethnic…

This unit for U.S. history classes provides students with the chance to learn about the historical roots of U.S. policy toward the Soviet Union in a lively, informative manner and from a variety of different perspectives. The unit enables students to use their own judgement in selecting, evaluating, and reflecting on the significance of U.S.…

One of the key episodes in the history of the region of Australia called Tasmania is an incident known as the Risdon Massacre. In 1804 near the Risdon Settlement, a large number of aborigines were killed by settlement officials. This document invites students to investigate what really happened on the day of the Risdon massacre and in so doing,…

A strategy used to make a secondary Canadian civics course come alive is described. Students were given copies of "Hansard," each copy covering one day in the life of Canada's House of Commons. Each student selected four issues and explained how the federal government works with regard to the issues. (RM)

Utilizes a letter by J. Dewey Soper as an example of how archival documents can be used in the social studies classroom and explains that in the letter Soper reported on his exploration of Baffin Land (Canada) to the acting director of the Geological Survey. Addresses possible activities and discussion questions. (CMK)

The pedagogic value of using archival holdings for the teaching of history has long been appreciated. Using primary sources in the teaching of history transcends the rote learning of facts and figures. It encourages critical thinking skills, introducing students to issues of context, selection and bias, to the nature of collective memory and to…