"Writings of Healing and Resistance: Empathy and the Imagination-Intellect" is a multi-authored, interdisciplinary journey. It continues the work started in Public Education and the Imagination-Intellect (Peter Lang, 2003) by extending the importance of empathy in developing an action-based social consciousness. Mary E. Weems doesn't argue for a…

This study describes how two 10th grade teachers designed a cross-disciplinary unit, using PBL instruction as a tool for helping students create a valid and convincing argument in their math class. The five week PBL unit focused around American Studies/English and geometry content. In order to measure the rigor and relevance of the unit, multiple…

Interdisciplinary work across the humanities and social sciences is moving beyond analysis of any one nation in isolation and instead placing urgent questions in the larger matrix of the Americas as a hemisphere. But little attention has been given to the overarching methodological, institutional, and pedagogical issues resulting from the growth…

A look at utopian literature, 1888-1900, typifies the problems of approaching literature as a vehicle for American studies. The problems, however, do not excuse the greater fault of omitting literature altogether. (JH)

The field of American Studies explores the cultures and practices of individuals and communities in the United States, as well as their transnational exchanges and impacts. It is an interdisciplinary field that is based on making "connections." Environmental justice, as a social movement, also makes important connections. It integrates…

Five teachers describe the ways they teach consumer education: 1) through the theme of American problems, 2) through a team of teachers representing different disciplines, 3) through tandem teaching with constant representation from business and social sciences, 4) as a unit in an economics course, and 5) by activities integrated into the…

The discipline of American Studies is defined in terms of its theory, methodology and content; and a model course for American Studies is presented which is oriented toward general education studies at the lower division level. (Author/NHM)

Understanding U.S. culture is difficult, because the information explosion creates an increase in the number and complexity of various cultural relationships. American Studies is a valuable and unique discipline because it directly addresses this problem, the basic purposes of education, and the relationships that shape students' culture. This…

A pedagogy appropriate to college level courses and comprised of interdisciplinary content, multidisciplinary faculty, and students from diverse academic backgrounds and with varying levels of skills merits development. A taxonomy of some of the difficulties in the construction of such a course in Mexican American studies, for example, focuses on…

A study unit for social studies or language arts credit in secondary grades is developed for a problem centered in-depth analysis of contemporary America. An interdisciplinary approach focusing on an analysis of art, literature, music, and philosophy is suggested to help the student assess personal values and beliefs concerning contemporary…

This, the sixth and last Report on Teaching of "Change Magazine's" National Teaching Project, reviews the state of interdisciplinary studies in U.S. undergraduate study. Articles and authors included are: "An Integration of Knowledge and Experience" (Earl J. McGrath); "Interdisciplinary Studies: A MAtter of…

Describes an interdisciplinary high school course that used contemporary films to illustrate overarching themes in the U.S. experience. Themes included individualism/social responsibility, isolation/internationalism, and liberal/conservative. Emphasis was on conceptual rather than historic relationships (e.g. "Norma Rae" illustrated…

This interdisciplinary American studies curriculum guide for grades 7 through 12 provides a people-oriented approach to American history. Intended to give a sense of history to motivated and nonmotivated students, the guide describes six units which can be used singly as minicourses or together as an in-depth course on American life. Each unit…

Six student syllabi in outline form for United States history, art, and literature represent a year's work in this interdisciplinary high school course. The teaching techniques and materials include individualized learning and case study approaches keyed to ten historical themes; primary source material in the form of historical newspapers;…

The booklet describes the local history component of an interdisciplinary high school course on American Studies. The program involves students over a three-year period in collecting, recording, organizing, interpreting, and disseminating the history, culture, and tradition of Scituate, Rhode Island. The booklet is presented in six chapters.…