The authors of this article examine several controversial U.S. monuments and offer teachers a rationale, resources, and suggested activities for incorporating these historical monuments into classroom instruction. The authors discuss why controversial issues should be discussed in the social studies classroom through the critical examination of…

Since 2007, the Lessons from Auschwitz Project organised by the Holocaust Education Trust, has taken groups of Scottish senior school students (between 16 and 18 years) and where possible an accompanying teacher from their school, to Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum as part of a process of increasing young people's knowledge and…

Settlers who pushed west over the Great Divide to the shores of the Pacific Ocean found the American West to be an expanse of extreme differences in time, topography, and ways of life. This paper elaborates on several historic sites in the American West. The purpose of the paper is to introduce a series of places to the students and teachers of…

Lullingstone, in Kent, England, is a Roman villa which was in use for almost the whole period of the Roman occupation of Britain during the fourth century A.D. Throughout this teacher's handbook, emphasis is placed on the archaeological evidence for conclusions about the use of the site, and there are suggested activities to help students…

By 1860 much of the beauty of St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis (Minnesota) had been destroyed, as mills on both sides of the river used the power of the falls to turn millions of bushels of wheat into flour. Steel rails linked bonanza farms hundreds of miles to the west to the mills. The mills, the farms, and the railroads depended on each other…

These learning activities can help students get the most out of a visit to the Tennessee World War II Memorial, a group of ten pylons located in Nashville (Tennessee). Each pylon contains informational text about the events of World War II. The ten pylons are listed as: (1) "Pylon E-1--Terror: America Enters the War against Fascism, June…

When friends and family visited the Douglas family at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, they had the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and grace of the mansion's public places. On its 33 acres, Brucemore had a duck pond, swimming pool, tennis courts, and large formal gardens, besides its 21 extravagant rooms and furnishings. Domestic servants were…

By the beginning of the 20th century, most of the hills near the Hunting Creek water gap in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains had been stripped of their trees and bore only scars of erosion caused by successive groups of settlers. Starting in the 1930s, people began to reclaim the land. The story of how the area regained its forest is the story of…

Although the Underground Railroad has been an integral part of U.S. history and folklore for well over 150 years, the recent past has seen an increased public interest in the identification of historic sites associated with the experiences of fugitive slaves. This booklet is part of a National Park Service initiative to design research methods…

Discusses a project in which students visit the town of Madrid, New Mexico, to create a photographic record of Madrid, accompanied by stories. Explains that a video documentary was created about this experience. Includes background information on the village of Madrid to be shared with students. (CMK)

By 1890 the legendary outlaws of the 1870s and 1880s were mostly dead or in prison. When Luther Perkins erected his new bank building in Coffeyville, Kansas, a bank robbery was the farthest thing from his mind. But the Dalton cousins, former Coffeyville residents, were interested in the bank because they wanted to outdo the James gang by using the…

This teacher's guide contains activities to use in conjunction with a site visit to the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (Elverson, Pennsylvania). The guide provides diagrams of the furnace, a cold-blast smelting operation, and the furnace operation. It presents a timeline of iron production from ancient times through contemporary times.…

This booklet provides information so that teachers can prepare their grade 5 and above students for a visit to the Cape Cod National Seashore historic site. Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed here in 1620. The booklet contains pre-visit, on site, and post-visit activities, along with a list of educational objectives and materials needed. It also…

This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, "Manassas National Battlefield Park" and other sources. The lesson could be used in units on the Civil War. Students strengthen their skills of observation and interpretation in the study of history and geography and gain practice in analyzing primary…

Fort Huachuca (Arizona) is a National Historic Landmark that, like few other places, evokes a feeling for the part. In the heart of Apacheria, Camp Huachuca was founded in March 1877 as one in a network of 70 U.S. Army outposts stretching across the U.S. southwest frontier. The museum is housed in one of the historical buildings built between 1880…