Historical novels, films, and other media can disrupt or reinforce dominant narratives about the past. Educators must be careful that when they attempt to select material from a range of seemingly diverse perspectives, they do not choose content that nevertheless maintains problematic depictions of people, places, and events. Time travel stories…

Teachers learned knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions through spending significant amounts of time working with heritage sites as they learned more about social studies. Elementary social studies teachers engaged in teacher in-service to increase their abilities to meet geography standards. Teacher professional development that caused…

Describes a school project in which children learn about their state's geography by visiting Virginia's historical sites. The project's culminating activity was an individual presentation by each student about the history of the area they visited. (BSR)

A survey shows that short-term international travel has a positive effect on elementary and secondary teachers. It improves their teaching about the places they visited, engenders responsibility for passing on the experience, and encourages them to try more cross-cultural encounters. (RM)

Reflects on the experience of visiting Cuba through the People to People Ambassador Program, founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote international understanding and cooperation. Includes a list of suggested readings for social studies teachers and a list of organizations focusing on Cuba. (CMK)

Describes how to design "Journey in a Box" that is literally a box containing a themed set of photographs, selected artifacts, literature, informational texts, travel-journal entries, and maps that combine to tell a first-hand story of time, place, and culture. Provides a framework and an example illustrating the attributes of the…

Presents an annotated bibliography of Web sites that can be useful for geography classroom teachers and of interest to students. Includes Web sites for the United States Geological Survey, the Central Intelligence Agency, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and GlobeXplorer. (CMK)

Reports on experiences and events during an educators' study tour to Vietnam. Maintains that teaching about the Tet holiday can help explain Vietnamese culture and art. Includes an annotated bibliography of 10 recommended teacher resources. (CFR)

Reports on a Vietnam veteran teacher's experiences and reactions upon visiting Vietnam during a 1993 study tour. Discusses social changes that have occurred in Vietnam since 1972. Compares the departure from Vietnam in 1972 with the study tour's departure in 1993. (CFR)

Asserts that examining cultural artifacts brings important learning opportunities to the classroom. Describes the planning process for a trip to Japan and the collection of cultural artifacts for a social studies curriculum kit. Includes suggested classroom activities using the kit. (CFR)

Reports on a 1993 study tour of Vietnam by educators. Discusses the role of a secondary school during the struggle against French colonialism and the U.S.-Vietnam War. Argues that educators must acknowledge the humanity of the Vietnamese as the first step in designing Vietnam-related social studies curriculum. (CFR)