Describes and analyzes a college level course taught on the Vietnam War. Evaluates the success of the course and notes some limitations. (RKM)

Profiles an interdisciplinary college course studying the history of Route 66, as well as the material and popular culture associated with the highway. Students studied the history of roads in the United States, traveled the length of Route 66 in Illinois, wrote personal essays, and conducted oral interviews. (MJP)

Focuses on an interdisciplinary teaching model called the linked course, in which "linked" courses are modified to give more emphasis to logical connections among the disciplines. Describes how history courses can be linked with other disciplines, such as economics or anthropology. (CMK)

Contends that fiction can help students understand historical periods and events. Presents and discusses four criteria for selecting novels to be used in college courses on World War I and World War II. Includes a bibliographic essay on recommended novels for each war. (CFR)

Provides some useful guidelines, activities, and a few warnings concerning using documentary movies in a U. S. history course. Although documentaries can pique student interest, they need to be previewed first and presented in historical context with supporting materials. Includes an overview of a course content and accompanying films. (MJP)

Recommends using Chinua Achebe's novel of the 19th-century conflict between African tribal culture and English colonists in a world history class. Achebe's rich narrative, written in a graceful prose, is easily accessible to high school students. The novel replaces simplistic and abstract concepts with those more complex and concrete. (MJP)

Explores the native artwork of the Benin people and discusses how it can be used to document an African perspective to the "Age of Discovery." Portugal established trade with Benin (a small country on the west coast of Africa) in 1486. Includes illustrations and suggested student activities. (MJP)

Discusses the use of historical research in a theater classroom. Describes a variation of this exercise in which students in a college history course study a play about U.S. History, write diary entries, research the era and place of the play, and give a group presentation. (CMK)

Discusses how to use music when teaching U.S. History. Provides examples such as teaching about the Civil War, the Great Depression, and the Vietnam War and showing the contributions of African Americans. Includes a discography. (CMK)

Recommends including geography in history instruction. Suggests that the theme of time is implicit in the five fundamental geographical themes of location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions. Observes that maps enable students to visualize historic events. Concludes that geography can help students connect past and present.…

Describes an introductory undergraduate survey course on European history that incorporates three interrelated sections: constitutional government in Europe, the American revolution, and the French Revolution. The instruction emphasizes the interconnectedness among the events and includes repetition of key ideas and information. Discusses the…

Reviews the Henry Louis Gates Jr. memoir, "Colored People," and Julius Lester's novel of the civil rights movement, "And All Our Wounds Forgiven." Discovers a number of salient points concerning the black experience of integration in both books. Considers some of the interesting questions raised and their possible use in class…

Profiles an undergraduate course that combined historical research on U.S. foreign relations with writing assignments designed to develop and improve writing skills. Students begin with short papers summarizing key points of instruction and move on to more detailed analyses of academic articles, films, and memoirs. (MJP)

Describes a novel approach to comprehensive questions in world history examinations. Recommends using current events as illustrative reference points for complex subjects such as nationalism, liberalism, and international trade. Students receive information packets on the events for several weeks and must relate the subjects to these events. (MJP)