We employed qualitative research methods to examine student learning in context during a teacher's unit on 1920s-Great Depression in an 11th grade United States & Virginia History class in a standards-based setting with a high-stakes end-of-course test. We focused on four focal students (all of whom were classified as English learners at some…

A typical U.S. high school student today might be able to recite some milestones of civil rights history--the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955-56; the Freedom Rides of 1961; and (some would add) the election of the first African American president in 2008. But how many students understand that these events, which historians call out as milestones,…

Much of what has been written about local, state, and national approaches related to the desegregation of public schools focuses on administrative concerns, policy debates, and other issues faced by schools, yet there are still many stories of initiatives designed to facilitate school integration in the twentieth century to be told. The lives, the…

In north central Virginia there is a local tale--The Legend of Jump Mountain, which purports to explain the origins of the Hayes Creek Indian Burial Mound. A highly romantic legend, it immortalizes post colonial intertribal warfare during the early nineteenth century while ignoring the antiquity of the mound and the local descendants of its…

At the time the author began working as an English instructor at Germanna Community College (GCC)'s Locust Grove Campus in the fall of 1993, like almost all the faculty, staff, and students, he had no idea of the rich and fascinating local history of their campus--or that it would soon become his overriding passion, lead to many student…

Armed with digital cameras, voice recorders, and movie cameras, students from Thomas Dale High School in Chester, Virginia, have been exploring neighborhoods, interviewing residents, and collecting memories of their hometown. In this article, the author describes "Digital History of Chester", a project for creating a commemorative DVD.…

This bibliography can be used to study the history of Virginia. The subject categories covered are the following: (1) "General"; (2) "Native Americans"; (3) "Colonial"; (4) "Revolution"; (5) "Early National"; (6) "Civil War"; (7) "More Famous Personalities"; and (8)…

This paper narrates the life of Philip Vickers Fithian, a northern tutor on a southern plantation prior to the American Revolution. Fithian's life is described from the time he was born in 1747, through his years at the College of New Jersey, renamed Princeton College in 1896 and later Princeton University, until he graduated in 1772, and until…

An oral history project on the coal mining heritage of southwest Virginia's New River Valley developed from a partnership between Radford University and a grassroots community group interested in cultural preservation. Publication products, benefits to participating college students, and reasons for the project's success are discussed. Contains 26…

The building that once housed the only primary school for blacks in Lee County, Virginia, is now the Appalachian African-American Cultural Center. Besides preserving Appalachian black history, it hosts an annual Race Unity Day; houses a library of black literature; and sponsors workshops on racism, where blacks and whites can discuss racial issues…

In the early 1920s, the small Appalachian community of Damascus, Virginia, used private subscriptions and volunteer labor to build a 15-classroom school made of rocks from a nearby river and chestnut wood from nearby forests. The school building's history, uses for various community activities, and current condition are described. (SV)

This resource packet provides information and activities for teaching abut the historical significance of Yorktown, Virginia in the American Revolution. Teachers' materials include brief background essays on: (1) "Summary of the American Revolution in Virginia"; (2) "Life in the Army"; (3) "Life in Revolutionary…

Describes a project in which high school students wrote up interviews with local residents and articles on local history for English and history classes, then collaborated on their publication in a community newspaper. (SV)

The William King Regional Arts Center (Abingdon, Virginia) shares Appalachian and world cultures with thousands of visitors each year, runs a comprehensive school program staffed by certified instructors and studio artists, and takes art to 93 rural elementary schools in surrounding counties. In 18 months of field work, the center documented the…

This study of the present and future library needs of residents of Stafford County, Virginia, with emphasis on the North Stafford areas, includes a review of demographic statistics and recommendations for library services. The currently increasing population is highly dependent on the automobile for transportation, and recommendations for library…