This article explores the ways in which social studies classrooms can explore the history and status of U.S. territories as "unincorporated." We focus on the "Insular Cases" and in particular "Downes v. Bidwell" (1901), examine the construct of colonies as anathema to democracy, and explore the precedents court case…

The American Revolution is central to the identity of citizens of the United States. It is, therefore, rarely critiqued in the U.S. social studies classroom. This article examines how teachers can discuss the American Revolution using both a critical historical approach and the ideas of peace education, particularly the strand that focuses on the…

World history curriculum continues to be plagued by Eurocentric narratives and perspectives eliminating local and community agency in Caribbean history. Textbooks and curriculum standards exclude much of Caribbean history and marginalize the influence and contributions of the African Diaspora. Oftentimes, Caribbean achievements are attributed to…

The 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) has become the basis for nearly every operation against international terrorism since its passage, in the days after the September 11th terrorist attacks. In particular, one 60-word passage has become foundational, both legally and philosophically, to America's "war on terror." An…

Participation in a classroom-based study provided Grade 4 students with multiple opportunities to develop their visual meaning-making skills and competences, as well as their aesthetic understanding of and critical thinking about multimodal ensembles. Intentionally-designed instruction during the multifaceted research included a variety of…

Museums are important venues for engaging history students in the habits of free-choice and lifelong learning. Although these sound like the pedagogical buzzwords du jour, both concepts are ones that educators today--including college professors and lecturers--should be adding to their teaching vocabulary. Unfortunately, while literature on these…

The latter decades of the eighteenth century and first decades of the nineteenth century were full or revolutions and births of new nations, particularly in the Americas. The period has been termed the Age of Revolution. In 2010, Mexico celebrated along with several other countries the two hundred-year celebration of their movement toward…

A classic example of what can occur when a government bases a policy, not on the political, military, and economic considerations of national interest, but on an ideological base like a religious crusade. A contribution to failure in Russia. (Author/SE)

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the nation's largest living history museum, in partnership with the Social Science Education Consortium, scholars, educators, and teachers, has developed engaging learning materials for social studies classrooms. One such program is the Colonial Williamsburg History and Civics Project, which is based on…

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…

This article provides a short history of political events in Argentina and a look at the people, geography, and economy of the country in order to consider current relations between Argentina and the United States. (JH)

The author discusses how high school civics teachers can use the Gallup Poll Web site to teach students about the influence of public opinion in politics. The author describes his firsthand experiences using the Web site with high school students. He emphasizes the need for teachers to structure higher-level thinking questions instead of having…

Historical inevitability, the result that accompanies the juxtaposition of various historical forces, should be recognized by the history teacher attempting to explain the immoral acts of the United States domestic and international policy. (JH)

This bibliographic review of books discussing the events involved in the loss of China to communism in the five years after World War II identifies basic resources on China, works mostly from the American point of view owing to the lack of availability of objective Chinese Scholarship. (JH)

Presents an exercise that can help students understand the concept of national interest and deal better with foreign policy issues. Students use a chart with information about the United States and 10 other countries to answer questions such as what criteria the United States should use to select allies. (SR)