Background: Rapid changes brought on by generative artificial intelligence (AI) have emphasized the need to teach students to work with this technology while also developing the "robot proof" human skills future workers will need, such as creativity, communication, and critical thinking. Objective: The study objective was to explore…

This article shares a critical content analysis of 36 highly rated curricular units found on the website TeachersPayTeachers.com (TpT) focused on the teaching of American symbols. Lessons and curricular resources focused on American symbols, such as the United States Flag, Statue of Liberty, and Liberty Bell, remain prominent in the elementary…

In this article, the authors discuss how to explore the agency of ordinary citizens using local institutions to combat Jim Crow segregation laws during Freedom Summer. Primary sources from Miami (OH) University website about Freedom Summer and Susan Goldman Rubin's trade book ground the inquiry. Through the series of activities discussed, middle…

This article introduces the fifty states project, a year-long study of the United States that uses crowd sourcing to bring authentic materials into the social studies classroom. The project started five years ago, when author Kelly McPherson decided that she wanted to have a care package sent from all 50 states to help students learn about the…

Engaging in student-centered learning with primary sources has become a priority in the teaching of history in classrooms throughout the educational spectrum. Approaching photographic evidence in the history classroom through a contextualized and systematic method of analysis is one way of involving students actively in their own education while…

"Enlivening Secondary History" is the ideal handbook for busy history teachers who want to do something different in their classrooms, but have little time to plan and organise their lessons. Featuring tried-and-tested practical ideas complete with relevant exemplars and step-by-step advice, this best-selling book is a compendium of creative…

Assessing students' historical understanding has been a long-standing challenge in history education. One of the widely used tools for accomplishing this task is the large-scale standardized test, the results of which are used as an indicator of student knowledge and skills in the social sciences/history. At the national level, the National…

Scholars have long recognized that the Great War produced a remarkable amount of artistic and cultural expression ranging from poetry to painting to novels to architecture. This cultural production, both during and after the war, reflected a deep need to define and understand the tremendous destruction caused by a war that demanded a level of…

Students of history are expected to be able to interpret visual images as a source of primary evidence for historical inquiry, yet history teachers may not always place sufficient emphasis on pedagogies that consistently and specifically target the skills of visual interpretation. Developing understanding of visual evidence is sometimes left to…

Reports on the use of magazine advertisements in an elementary French class to give insights into aspects of traditional and contemporary French civilization. Included are techniques for presentation, use of students' native language, what the ads reflect, outline of possible themes, and reproductions of several advertisements. (AMH)

It's tough to teach social studies and history to students who have trouble reading and understanding textbooks and other resources. But you can overcome those obstacles and motivate students to excel in social studies classes by using the concepts and research-based techniques in this guide. Renowned reading expert Donna Ogle teams up with two…

This handbook of historical sources for use in the school includes suggestions, leads, and examples, which serve as springboards to other sources, encouraging the teacher to consider various ways in which original source materials might be used in an instructional setting. The following categories are used as one way of looking at primary sources:…

Contends that posters can be a powerful teaching tool in history courses. Discusses the definition, history, and development of posters. Provides approaches to using posters in the classroom, criteria for assessing effective and ineffective posters, and reprints of five exemplar posters. (CFR)

Contends that, despite increasingly sophisticated means of communication, posters remain a powerful cornerstone of many government advertising campaigns. Describes the beginnings and evolution of Smokey Bear from a World War II homefront poster to an ongoing advertising success. (CFR)

Presents an instructional unit designed for use in a secondary-level United States history course. Provides educational objectives and instructional procedures. Includes charts, maps, photographs, and student readings. (CFR)