The United States and Brazil were the two largest slave societies in the history of New World slavery, and the legacies of that history remain salient in both nations. Slavery and the slave trade are important topics to be taught in history courses, and future generations need to be given accurate information about the history and legacies of…

"Engaging the African Diaspora in K-12 Education" provides in-service and pre-service teachers with valuable information and resources related to African diaspora communities in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. This unique anthology fills an important gap in current pedagogical and curricular publications by combining the…

Highlights five resources for teaching about the rise of U.S. nationalism between 1812 and 1865 available from the Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC). Items included are: (1) the War of 1812; (2) the annexation of Texas; (3) the Kansas-Nebraska Act; and (4) the question of slavery. (BSR)

Although Thomas Jefferson's view of freedom was the cornerstone of the Declaration of Independence, this founding father owned 170 slaves to run his 5,000 acre plantation. This article describes a unit developed by the Monticello (Virginia) Education Department that teaches secondary students about slave Isaac Jefferson while exposing them to…

Presents an essay dealing with two nineteenth-century incidents of religious intolerance. Recounts the story of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, who was murdered by opponents of the new religion. Explains how the writings of Presbyterian minister and newspaper publisher, Elijah Lovejoy, set off a response that led to his death. (SG)

This unit for teaching U.S. history was designed to help students understand, appreciate, and analyze the magnitude of the Founders' creation. It permits them to understand issues confronting the Founders in 1787, to become involved in the process of resolving these issues, to comprehend the actual solutions developed by the Founders, and to…

Described are the planning and production of a television docudrama based on the classic slave narrative, "Twelve Years a Slave," in which Solomon Northup tells the story of his experiences. The program shown on PBS television was produced with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. (RM)

Contains three case studies designed to encourage students to evaluate the concept of the American dream. The student materials focus on the issue of slavery, early twentieth-century immigrants to the United States, and a successful Mexican American in 1982. (RM)

This article describes a simulation activity in which students with deafness were "sold" and treated as slaves for half a day. Evaluation indicated that the "slaves" developed deeply negative feelings about slavery as they experienced the physical labor and personal humiliation involved in slavery, and "masters" felt uncomfortable treating…

Claims drama in the classroom offers teachers an opportunity to "bring to life" the challenges and triumphs of African Americans. Describes a drama workshop based on the story of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. (NH)

Many historians call the Civil War the central event in U.S. history. The formation of the U.S. Constitution corrected the autonomy of individual states that the Articles of Confederation did not harness. The young country struggled for 75 years to find a graceful balance between the power of the federal government and that of the states. The…

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)

By furnishing cultural and historical research, this study provides teachers with background information on West Indian immigrants, thereby helping teachers to better understand and assist such newcomers, who comprise over five percent of the total yearly Canadian immigration, in the Toronto schools. Seven sections comprise the booklet. The first…

Warns against reinforcing what is called the "sacred mythology" of the "miracle at Philadelphia," and urges teachers to tell the full story of the flaws, fights, and decades of legal and political work required to bring the original constitution in line with the U. S. Declaration of Independence. Supports this argument with a…

This simulation for secondary students takes place in 1858 in Jackson, Mississippi. Harriet Beecher Stowe, the American abolitionist, has been apprehended. A street trial is convened to hear charges against her. Students role-play accusors and witnesses for the defense. (RM)