From a sociocultural perspective, historical empathy emphasizes the reconstruction of perspectives and experiences needed to understand historical figures' actions and lived experiences. Yet, historical evidence that informs pluralistic lived experiences may often be lacking. Arts integration, which simultaneously draws upon artistic and…

The Delaware social studies standards articulate challenging goals for students. History Standard Three asks students to evaluate competing historical interpretations and determine the factors that lead to differing conclusions. This standard reflects the constructed and contested nature of the discipline of history. Historical interpretation can…

There is debate internationally about the production of curriculum texts and the epistemologies underpinning the knowledge legitimated in national curricula. National History curricula in particular are a source of contention bounded by calls for coherent and unifying national narratives that are inclusive and reflect the complexity of the…

This study examines the year-to-year development of militaristic discourse in Indonesian secondary education history textbooks since 1975. Historical descriptions written since the fall of Soeharto's military regime and its replacement by a civilian government in 1998 tend to emphasize Indonesia's military history and pay little attention to its…

Most history teachers will, at some point, recognise the tension between teaching an engaging history course while at the same time meeting the requirements of an exam specification. Mark Fowle and Ben Egelnick reflect here on how they approached teaching a formal requirement of an exam specification. Rather than see "controlled…

Alexander James Inglis's transformation from an academic traditionalist devoted to Latin pedagogy to an influential progressive-experimentalist and advocate of the comprehensive high school during the early twentieth century has received insufficient attention from educational and curriculum historians. A reconstruction of Inglis's career leads to…

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…

This lesson plan provides background on six significant historical documents: (1) "Meeting at Runnymede--The Story of King John and the Magna Carta"; (2) "The Mayflower Compact"; (3) "The Declaration of Independence and Natural Rights"; (4) "The Federalist Papers"; (5) "Aristotle: In Search of the Best…

Let's stop saying sorry for the Empire! Thus Mastin and Wallace introduce one of their lessons on interpretations of the British Empire. They develop Gary Howells's ideas from the previous edition of "Teaching History" to demonstrate exactly what we might get our students to do with interpretations of the past. They produce an enquiry…

Developed through a broad-based national consensus building process, the National History Standards project has involved working toward agreement both on the larger purposes of history in the school curriculum and on the more specific history understandings and thinking processes that all students should have equal opportunity to acquire over 12…

The distinction between fiction and nonfiction focuses on the aspect of literature teachers usually emphasize when teaching it to students: content. It is equally important, however, for students to understand the "mechanics" of literature, including how a writer crafts his or her material and how the text establishes expectations in a…

Discusses two recent novels that employ techniques more familiar to science fiction than to historical fiction to probe questions of history and authenticity. Considers how these novels expose the way that those who attempt to bear witness to the history of slavery are ostracized, pathologized, and even institutionalized. (SG)

Developed through a broad based national consensus building process, the National History Standards project has involved working toward agreement both on the larger purposes of history in the school curriculum and on the more specific history understandings and thinking processes that all students should have equal opportunity to acquire over 12…

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…

In light of on-going strife in the Middle East, particularly in Palestinian-Israeli relations, it is intriguing to note how relatively unaware many Americans are of the historical and religious framework from which much of the conflict derives. In addition, the perception of many Americans of current Palestinian-Israeli relations has been tainted…