Significant research has documented the benefits of using primary materials in the classroom, and for a long time, textbook authors and scholars have collected such materials for in-class student use. Teachers and researchers regularly engage with physical and digital archives as resources for their own research and for classroom materials. At the…

Given the recent and ongoing debates about race and inclusion, history classes can turn to the study of local groups that have been marginalized in an effort to increase students' cultural awareness. One such local history project took place in Evansville, Indiana from 2011 to 2013 through collaboration between the University of Southern Indiana…

Suggests primary sources for studying local ethnic groups when conventional textbooks omit or distort information. Primary sources include church and census records, city directories, oral tradition, pictorial records, programs, and artifacts such as statues and plaques. (AV)

This primary source kit supports the study of history in the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each primary source selected for the kit, whether it be a photograph, a broadside, a map, or a private letter, reflects a meaningful part of the state of Maryland and U.S. history. The kit provides educators with an opportunity to use primary…

Cemeteries dot the U.S. urban and rural landscape. They hold genealogical information and more. This guide suggests using cemeteries as an informative resource for classroom study. The guide outlines research strategies, provides additional information for interpreting and understanding cemeteries in rural and urban South Carolina, and contains…

Community college history instructors can overcome their reliance upon secondary sources as instructional materials and can provide students with an introducation to historical method and primary research by adding a course in local history to the curriculum. Such a course would enhance the regional focus of the college and provide a context for…

This primary source kit supports the study of history in the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each primary source selected for the kit, whether it be a photograph, a broadside, a map, or a private letter, reflects a meaningful part of Maryland and U.S. history. The kit provides educators with an opportunity to use primary documents from…

This teacher's guide complements the primary source kits that support the study of history in the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Each primary source selected for the kits, whether it be a photograph, a broadside, a map, or a private letter, reflects a meaningful part of Maryland and U.S. history. The kit may be used to: introduce new…

Discusses how students research and publish self-guided walking tours under the guidance of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Assesses the educational value of the experience and suggests resources for creating a tour. Recommends strategies for researching ethnic neighborhoods, including the use of religious and secular institutions for…

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,…

Every person's home has a story to tell and a place in history. Whether a person owns their house, rents it, or lives in an apartment, they can become a house detective and discover the history of the home. This brochure enumerates the following nine steps for investigation: (1) "Start at Home"; (2) "Go to the Courthouse"; (3)…

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…

Written for a 12th grade English program at Wayne Central High School, this curriculum project is designed to take into account the affective dynamics/processes as well as the cognitive processes integral to writing research reports. There are two alternatives for this paper which is required of all 12th graders: The Future, a library based…

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…

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)