Offers suggestions on finding sources on the historiography of local history. Examines books useful to the local historian, including books on local social history and studies on immigrants, minorities, and women. Suggests the use of visual versions of local history. Discusses architectural histories, landmarks, and the use of primary sources. (RW)

Neatly summarizes both Latino history and the movement to develop a historical identity and consciousness. Briefly examines the contributions of labor, political, and social organizations especially in the Southwest and the urban Northeast. Discusses the emergence and rapid growth of academic work involving Hispanic culture, history, and…

Presents a brief study of the Spanish Borderlands (the southern tier of the United States from California to the Carolinas) and their hold on various cultural and historical imaginations. Discusses the groundbreaking work of historian Herbert E. Bolton and those historians who have continued and/or criticized his interpretation. (MJP)

Summarizes the experience of Mexican and Hispanic women in the United States from the 1540 Coronado expedition to the present. Fascinating historical details (for example, the Spanish government subsidized petticoats and stockings for 16th- century women settlers) help to dispel many simplistic stereotypes. Includes brief profiles of Hispanic…

Documents and examines the Puerto Rican experience in New York City. Outlines a lesson plan that includes background material, major ideas, and discussion questions. Includes three long excerpts from Puerto Rican women immigrants reminiscing about their early experiences in New York. (MJP)

Considers the controversies surrounding the traditional approach to teaching American History (focusing on a series of shared experiences and institutions) and the subsequent criticism that it excludes "other" experiences. Warns against the simplistic presentation of a single celebratory past while concluding that Americans share common…

Offers a lesson plan in which students examine the concerns expressed by Progressive Era reformers about working-class leisure activities. Uses dance hall reform as a case study of the problems that interested reformers and provides an example of the types of solutions they proposed. Includes three handouts. (CMK)

Describes how a walking tour of New York City gives students firsthand exposure to urban history. Suggests that history can be recreated with walking tours through areas of historical significance, combining them with classroom lectures. Gives tips for planning successful tours and suggestions for making historical periods come alive. (NL)

Presents a series of learning activities using artifact analysis. Artifact analysis consists of extracting historical information from the use and construction of material objects. Outlines procedures for turning a classroom into an artifacts history lab for analysis of any variety of objects. Discusses assessment and follow-up procedures. (MJP)

Reveals an interesting and overlooked chapter in Hispanic cultural history. The Claremont, California, Padua Hills Theater presented Spanish-language, Mexican-theme musicals to a mostly white audience from 1931 to 1974. Although it presented romantic, and occasionally stereotypical views of Mexican American life, the theater deserves recognition.…

Investigates the situations surrounding, and events involved in, the United States's massive western land acquisition from Mexico in 1845 and 1848. Presents a challenging, thorough, and insightful lesson plan that includes numerous background materials, learning activities, maps, and handouts. (MJP)

Recommends integrating urban history curricular concepts into walking tours. Uses an ecosystem model, combining factors of population, environment, and technology to teach these concepts. Suggests study questions be prepared for tours such as the South End Walking Tour in Boston to teach concepts by experiencing them in the urban environment.…