Examines data collected for a book on human accomplishment to investigate whether Western accomplishments in the arts and sciences has been too much at center stage. Data include inventories of people and events assembled from major histories and encyclopedic sources, covering the period from 800 BC to 1950. Concludes that since 1400, Europe has…

During the post war years the League of Nations Union Movement in Britain worked through the schools and converted pro-league sentiment into specific government policies. The history classroom was the focal point of the L.N.U.'s educational effort so that new generations would grow up ready to support enlightened foreign policies and the work of…

Discusses opposing tendencies in the interpretation of Western Civilization. Describes the expanded definition that includes Byzantine and Islamic cultures as heirs of the Greco-Roman cultures. Suggests that a limited definition of Western culture will facilitate a problems approach, emphasize diversity among cultures, and integrate the classical…

Discusses how the concept of the west developed, circumstances leading to western civilization courses, and how the western European self-conception was received in America around the turn of the century and embodied in high school and college curricula. Limiting studies to the west excludes the rest of humanity. Suggests that situating the west…

This instructional resource, for grades 7-10, includes a collection of 10 plays with related learning activities. Units of study include: (1) "Alexander the Great and the Greeks"; (2) "The Black Death and the End of the Middle Ages"; (3) "Robert Clive and Imperialism"; (4) "Christopher Columbus and the Age of…

Describes one professor's attempt to improve his college's introductory history course by offering an alternative which stresses a biographical approach to twentieth century individuals who have shaped the contemporary world. (JDH)

This set of lessons accompanies a series of 30-minute films for teaching about Germany. Available to educators throughout the United States upon request, the 17 films and accompanying instructional activities focus on culture, politics, economics, society, and sports and are appropriate for middle and high school students. Permission is granted to…

This handbook provides background materials and teaching suggestions for studying the Renaissance at the middle school level. The 16 chapters include: (1) "The Renaissance in Europe: 1400-1600"; (2) "Education"; (3) "Important People"; (4) "Women of the Renaissance"; (5) "How People Lived"; (6)…

World history textbooks currently used in U.S. high schools adopt Western civilization as the integrating element of world history. The high school world history approach with Western civilization as the essence was a product of the late 19th century and early 20th century. The historical consciousness of this period continues to influence…

Urges the frank examination of painful episodes in Western and other open societies' recent history to achieve glasnost and historical honesty. Cites the Klaus Barbie trial and the accompanying embarrassment for both France and the United States. Points out distortion in Japanese textbooks on the pre- and World War II years and in U.S. textbooks…

Urges a reassessment of Columbus's discovery of America to understand its importance, dispel myths, and determine from today's perspective its benefit or harm to humanity. Discusses the dispersion and dominance of European culture financed by American treasure. Considers the exchange of plant and animal species and resulting extinction of many.…

Discusses the origins and impact of the Piri Reis map, an early world map based on the voyages of Columbus and 20 other source maps. Maintains that evidence exists that Christopher Columbus may have drawn part of the map. Includes lengthy quotes from the map's legend written by Reis. (CFR)

Between 1988 and 1991, the Center for Faculty Development undertook a project to evaluate the teaching of the Introductory Course in History at American community colleges. Based upon a survey of over 100 introductory history teachers and conference discussions, it was determined that two sets of course guidelines for faculty were required, one…

Contends that the commonly held notion that non-European peoples have had no experience with democratic practices is not supported by the evidence. Maintains that aspects of self-government have appeared in many non-European societies throughout history. Urges historians to recognize these examples and include them in their teaching. (CFR)

Prior to World War Two, Slavic studies in America treated history, literature, and language as isolated disciplines and often neglected the study of Russian literature written after 1917. The pragmatic necessities of the war questioned the relevance of this traditional approach and specialists appeared, concentrating their efforts on the recent…