Local literacy could be defined as a process of gaining skills for the recognition of local assets, historical sites, places and literary works, which are important for countries in a national and spiritual sense (historical, cultural, touristic, economic, etc.) in the areas where citizens live, being aware of the basic characteristics of the…

This article discusses how museum settings can provide opportunities for sensory and aesthetic encounters and learning. It draws on research into museum education programmes that included examinations of curatorial construction and display, observations of teaching and open-ended interviews with museum educators. The examples selected here focus…

Two articles are presented in this column. "Life in an Auto Factory: Simulating how Labor and Management Interact" by Eric B. Freedman describes a classroom simulation of management and labor relations in an auto factory. Classroom handouts are included. The next article, "Women of Action and County Names: Mary Musgrove County--Why…

This article, by Lynda Abbott and Richard Grayson, offers a fascinating example of collaboration between school and university, focused on the development of a community archive. The project--run as an extra-curricular activity--was originally inspired by a concern to preserve the personal stories of those whose lives were affected by the Second…

History frequently is taught as a set of facts that must be memorized to either pass a test or become culturally literate (Whelan 1997). Such an approach to history instruction reduces content to a consumable, socially irrelevant product and strips meaning from the classroom. To alleviate the drudgery of typical history instruction, teachers can…

Two aspects of Suffolk's Local History Classroom Project are outlined: (1) some procedures used for the construction and use of case study and (2) possible roles for computerized banks of standardized historical data. (Author/SJL)

Describes a historical approach to English that concentrates on early American literature and historical fiction culminating in a writing project based on incidents taken from local history. (Author/RK)

A Local History Program (LHP) was implemented at the majority of community colleges in North Carolina to assist lay involvement in research and enhance the preservation, preparation, dissemination, and use of local and family history materials in the state. The four major components of the LHP were the community colleges that volunteered to host…

Describes a curriculum development project developed in the United Kingdom to help students write histories based on local case studies. Topics discussed include reasons for writing local history, gathering historical evidence, primary source materials, procedures, and advantages of a local history project. (Author/DB)

Profiles some of the efforts of Appalachian educators to connect area children with their heritage while combating the trends toward school dropout and poverty. Teaching students the history behind their own dialect and customs helps them accept the customs and speech of others and helps them overcome stereotypes. (SLD)

The high school journalism teacher who initiated the Foxfire Project discusses the memorable learning experiences and community studies in which students are involved as they develop and publish the Foxfire magazines. The author describes the project objectives and the successfully implemented teaching techniques and learning activities so that…

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.…