It is vital for young students to see how the lives of the veterans connect to their own lives. In this article, the author describes a project of making history come alive. The project started with a visit to the Otterbein Cemetery mausoleum to learn about the U.S. military veterans interred there. These veterans represented a century of U.S.…

Describes the way in which a social studies chairman has used document-based lessons to encourage the use of primary sources in high school U.S. history classes. Lessons are designed to enable students to examine how national events are played out locally. (RW)

Describes an oral history project to help students understand the narrative nature of history. Explains that the project focuses on "the Big Muskie" earth-moving machine and strip mining in southeastern Ohio. Explores the different stages of the classroom project. (CMK)

Provides ways teachers can make U.S. history more meaningful for students. Suggests using family photographs; making family trees; planning activities that focus on commemorative celebrations; creating a time line; reading biographies; and collecting stamps. (GG)

Describes 12 German-American projects designed for high school students of German, including a biography of a German-American; video presentation on German immigration; oral report on German ancestors; Amish, Pennsylvania Dutch, and Mennonites; German inscriptions on cemetery headstones; interview with a German-speaking immigrant; immigration…

Traces history of urbanization and problems created by growth of cities. Describes process of homogenization achieved by land-use regulations, income and education differentiation, and racial/ethnic characteristics. Focuses on the sociopolitical-economic challenges of the 1990s. Includes format for three lessons with a case study project and…

This lesson plan is designed to help students understand urban poverty by studying Cleveland, Ohio's social welfare services. Includes learning objectives, class activities, five scenarios of family and area conditions, and a case study of the "K" family. Describes actions taken by the social agency, The Associated Charities. (NL)

Describes an instructional activity in which fifth graders identified geographic and economic factors that caused a town to become a ghost town. Discusses instructional procedures and materials used in the activity. Includes extension activities, maps, and suggestions for adapting the activity to other geographic regions. (CFR)

Over the last several decades, undergraduate history instruction has increasingly emphasized efforts to engage students in hands-on historical research. Texts that present students with sets of primary sources for analysis are now widely available. These texts strive to build students' research and analytical skills, and engage them in the…

As this nation's settlers and immigrants built homes, railroads, and plowed the fields, they told their story through songs and ballads. Transmitting this cultural heritage is the goal of this volume containing songs, bibliographies, teaching ideas, and record and book reviews. These three issues focus on the songs of the railroads, the farmers,…

Describes how a walking tour of New York City gives students firsthand exposure to urban history. Suggests that history can be recreated with walking tours through areas of historical significance, combining them with classroom lectures. Gives tips for planning successful tours and suggestions for making historical periods come alive. (NL)

Describes a reading series to personalize classroom study of immigration. Includes two readings about Ellis Island and German immigrants in Colonial America. Appropriate questions accompany each reading with a list of classroom activities and additional resources, including films, for secondary level classroom use. (NL)

Provides lessons plans for teaching urban history through folk rhymes written by Chinese immigrants describing their early experiences in the United States. Includes eight folk rhymes from the early 1900s. Provides suggestions for teaching objectives, class activities, and classroom questions to enrich students' understanding of ethnic cultures…

Describes a high school U.S. history class that combines experiential learning with local history. The class models their historical inquiry after a fictional character in, "The Secret of Gumbo Grove," who uncovers her hometown's secrets. A class trip to the local cemetery provides opportunities for historical research. (MJP)

Celebrating the strength of the land is the goal of this volume containing songs, bibliographies, teaching ideas, book and song reviews, and indexes for free materials. The first issue containing songs about the U.S. Constitution illuminates the vision of freedom, and the struggle for it. Visualizing the spirit of the Constitution and explaining…