Over the last 20 years, independent filmmakers have produced insightful documentaries of high profile political campaigns with behind-the-scenes footage. These documentaries offer inside looks and unique perspectives on electoral politics. This campaign season, consider "The War Room"; "A Perfect Candidate"; "Journeys With George;" "Chisholm '72";…

The Keys to the White House is a historically-based system for predicting the result of the popular vote in American presidential elections. The Keys system tracks the big picture of how well the party holding the White House has governed and does not shift with events of the campaign. This model gives specificity to the idea that it is…

A visitor to a random sampling of Modern World History classes in the United States will find that the subject of "revolution" is a favorite for many students. Reading about and researching individuals and topics such as Tsar Nicholas II, Rasputin, Marie Antoinette and guillotines is never boring. Unfortunately, in too many classrooms,…

Social studies teachers are tasked with aiding their students' abilities to engage in public debate and make politically sound decisions. One way the authors have found to help facilitate this is to draw connections between content knowledge and current political conversations through the use of clips from "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." While…

Since education reform efforts have long focused on reading and mathematics, the social studies classroom has been a target of remedial services--with children being removed from social studies to gain additional support in reading and math. As a result, many children spend years in school with little to no exposure to the social studies, despite…

The winds of political change are blowing through America in 2008 and will sweep the party in power from the White House next November. That is the verdict of the Keys to the White House, a prediction system that the author developed in collaboration with Vladimir Keilis-Borok, founder of the International Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory…

History or social studies teachers are constantly striving to make the past come alive for their students and to help them see that not only does the past relate to the present, but it can also give insights into the future. The recent passing of former President Gerald R. Ford provides social studies teachers with just such an opportunity. Ford's…

In political science the scientific and humanistic approaches are not competitive but supportive, and both are ultimately necessary. The social sciences are where the sciences and humanities meet. (RM)

Reviews changes that have occurred in the study of international relations during the past 10 to 15 years. Among the eight major changes noted are: an increasing amount of research, issues of deterrence and arms control are more prevalent, Third World development and modernization are less prevalent, and research involves more systematic empirical…

Describes the equipment and classroom procedures used for conducting teleconferences. Provides examples of high school students' teleconferences with historians and political representatives. (JDH)

Presents an activities package designed for teachers to use in teaching elementary or secondary students about political processes in an election year. Includes topics such as voting procedures, political parties, political campaigns, issues, and rating the candidates. (CK)

Reviews the political conditions surrounding the Red Scare following World War I. Features a June, 1920 letter from a prominent newspaper editor which supported Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer's anti-Communist policies. Includes teaching suggestions along with a two-page reprint of the original letter. (JDH)

Provides an annotated list of 106 recent (1987) children's trade books useful in the field of social studies. The categories and number of books are American History, Culture, and Life (31); World History and Culture (14); Biography (5); Folktales, Legends, and Storytelling (19); Contemporary Interests and Controversies (6); Careers (4); and…

Describes the use of a modified congressional constituent questionnaire to illustrate to secondary social studies students the range of political attitudes (conservative to liberal) on current issues. A sample questionnaire is included. (AM)