December 16, 2023, was the 250th anniversary of an event that has become known as the "Boston Tea Party." This article discusses an upper-level history class about that event that allowed students to take a closer look at what really happened that night. In addition to the traditional approach of having students read large volumes of…

The United States' collective memory focuses on the nation's story as one of progress and freedom, yet the experiences of many citizens, particularly citizens of color, are in contradiction to this collective memory. Today, there is a small yet growing collection of counter-monument installations around the country that tell a counter-story to…

Responding largely to the impact of industrialization and urbanization on American society, educators across the country embraced the "school gardening" and "nature study" movements advocated by Dewey. Promoted in varying degrees as ways to enhance learning, yield food for their schools, build character, and improve…

The aim of this article is to examine the frameworks that educators use, especially how they conclude teaching and learning about genocide, and to suggest readings and other sources for use. The narrative arc that educators establish by choosing where to begin and where to end is a powerful indicator of their course goals and teaching rationales.…

There are few topics more engaging, polarizing, controversial, and relevant than the issue of race relations in the United States. As race and racism are enduring issues of importance and popularity, it seems fitting to explore the topic through one of the more engaging and divisive eras in U.S. history; the Civil War. National and state standards…

If part of the job of history educators is to prepare students to be informed, literate, active, and analytical citizens of their communities, then what better place to start than with encouraging them to really learn and contextualize the history of their own communities? This article explores student responses to a semester-long local history…

As history teachers attempt to bring student thinking processes in line with that of historians, one of the major recommendations that appears in the end notes of nearly every study on the subject, and every set of state curriculum frameworks, is the injunction to partner with historic sites and museums to help students "learn about…

On an April morning in 1775, seventy-seven Lexington farmers took a stand on their town common and started a revolution. Generations of townspeople have honored these yeomen soldiers--the Battle of Lexington is re-enacted at dawn every April 19th--and generations of schoolchildren have learned the story of Lexington and Concord. Perhaps because of…

Using Gettysburg as an example, the author addresses the major components of a successful field trip, such as pre-teaching, memorizing, and the study of primary sources. Includes information on student participation and other factors of a successful field trip. (GEA)

Discusses the variability in quality of historical sites due to differences in the accuracy of their restoration, reconstruction, location, and/or refurnishing. Distinguishes between preservation and restoration/reconstruction of buildings. Provides a checklist of questions which will help teachers evaluate the quality of potential sites. (AEM)

Students from the University of Montevallo, Alabama's public liberal arts university, re-created the Battle of Shiloh (April 6-7, 1862) approximately twenty miles north of Corinth, Mississippi. For ten weeks in a classroom environment, nineteen students studied strategy, operations, and tactics that affected events nearly 143 years prior. Then,…

Public history encompasses many fields of study--historic preservation, archival management, museum work, editing, archaeology, genealogy, public administration of historic resources--and is one of the fastest growing areas of departmental curriculum development on college and university campuses. Programs in public history are designed to produce…

Believes that all students should focus on the interpretation of documents in the secondary history curriculum. Describes a unit where students learn to interpret the events of the "battle" of Fort Pillow (Tennessee) that was the most controversial engagement of the Civil War. Provides background information on the battle of Fort Pillow. (CMK)