Middle school students learned about their community when they created documentaries as part of a state bicentennial celebration. Students gathered multiple primary and secondary resources and worked with community members to interview them for their perspectives through video presentations as part of the inquiry process. Students work with local…

When multicultural educators and archivists collaborate to design projects that engage students with multicultural history through archival research, students can learn in-depth research skills with primary source documents, creatively share their knowledge, and, on a broader level, engage with their local community history. The projects shared in…

Every day everyone drives by local burying grounds and cemeteries, glancing at history while everyone passes. All over America valuable information is being washed away by acid rain, destroyed by vandalism, or simply forgotten and neglected. Students can help stop this destruction and loss of data with a cemetery project-based experience. For many…

This publication contains 44 suggestions for projects which actively involve elementary and secondary students in an individual quest for a personal heritage within the topical frameworks of community, ethnic, and family history. The projects are intended to awaken students to the realization that history is all around them. The projects utilize…

The history of Amityville, New York, compiled by 11th and 12th grade advance placement history students, is presented in journal form. Six papers focus on: (1) South Oaks: The Long Island Home; (2) A History of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Amityville; (3) Amityville: A Vacationland; (4) Amityville School System from 1904 to Present;…

This document presents an oral history project in which 34 residents of Munice, Indiana were interviewed about their experiences and memories of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. The project was conducted by the members of an Honors United States History class at Munice Southside High School. The students designed the…

Describes a year-long community research project used for the last seven years with the author's senior English class, part of the web-based student research collaboration project called "The Kansas Collaborative Research Network" (KanCRN). Describes teaching students how to research their community; four on-line research tutorials; structure of…

This is the first issue of a newsletter for educators interested in new approaches to history teaching and learning, elementary school through graduate school. The purpose is to provide information about significant new ideas in history study, present a forum for analysis and criticism, and encourage similar analysis in existing professional…

Describes an oral history project in which students at an inner city school in Boston produced a book about the history of their school and its neighborhood, thereby recreating a sense of community in an institution that has undergone profound changes during recent years. (GC)

A syllabus and teaching methods for a community college local history course which focuses on primary sources about southern New Jersey are provided. Emphasis of the course is on how national issues affect local actions. Primary sources dating back to the 17th century are found in documentary collections of local and state archives. The course,…

The Pupils' Competition for the Federal President's German History Prize is one of the many youth competitions held every year in West Germany and sponsored by government offices, industries, common interest groups, and foundations. In this competition, which draws over 1,000 entries from all age groups, participants are expected to make an…

Advocates conducting oral history projects as part of elementary school social studies programs. Outlines key steps for incorporating oral history projects including determine a focus; identify local residents to interview; practice interviewing techniques; exchange information; and create booklets. Lists research resources. Stresses the…

This booklet describes how students and other researchers can use historical resources in their community to explore the history of their school and to determine how that history relates to community-wide and statewide developments. Although the manual is written primarily from the perspective of the public schools, the underlying theme of the…

Topics and guidelines for stimulating interest in the study of local history at the elementary and secondary levels are described. The paper lists roles and responsibilities of teachers and students engaged in historical research, suggests projects for elementary and secondary teachers, and lists five basic reference books for teachers who are…

Describes a project in which a group of students wrote and published a history of their high school. Lists objectives of the project, such as developing research, analytic, interpersonal, and communication skills and self-esteem. Includes preparing a blueprint of ideas, researching, writing, marketing, and distributing the school's history. (DK)