Offers a comparative analysis of the development of the history curricula within England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, exploring the relationship between history teaching and national identity. Suggests that these histories share commonalities while exhibiting differences. Considers implications for future perceptions of the British…

Discusses how postage stamps can be used to teach social studies, including ideas for units on national culture, the history of technology, and peace education. Explains how teachers can obtain stamps and discusses stamp terminology. Considers classroom strategies and includes an appendix of Internet resources about postage stamps. (CMK)

Describes a unit for elementary students on the history and technology of writing from ancient to medieval times. Includes a contemporary writing and print exercise, an ancient and medieval writing exercise, a research activity on the evolution of writing, a biography study, a fine arts exercise, and a community survey. Addresses the unit…

Discusses the debates concerning (1) content and process in social studies and history and (2) testing and standards in California, noting that Advanced Placement (AP) courses demand a high scholarly standard. Focuses on the AP European history course and examination, addressing history as interpretation, teaching analytical essay writing, and AP…

Examines the Organization of American Historians' (OAH) "Magazine of History," a specialized journal devoted to the teaching of history. Praises the magazine's interesting, colorful, and accessible treatment of historical subjects, methods, and controversies. Summarizes several innovative articles from recent theme issues. (MJP)

Provides background information on India's educational system. Focuses on history teaching in India after independence from British rule. Addresses the role of textbooks in the curriculum and types of instructional strategies. Considers some critical issues in the teaching of history in Indian schools. (CMK)

Explains that web sites associated with television stations dedicated to the study of history provide resources for both history teachers and students. Describes some television station web sites: (1) the History Channel; (2) Arts and Entertainment (A&E) and Cable in the Classroom; and (3) the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). (CMK)

Provides two teaching activities to help students analyze political debates from a curriculum for middle and high schools called "Presidential Debates: A Teacher's Guide". Designed by the Commission on Presidential Debates and Kids Voting USA, it includes : (1) "The Techniques of Persuasion"; and (2) "It's Your Turn to be a Political Reporter."…

Discusses the introduction of Cosmic Education to Montessori elementary school children, focusing on the way the curriculum is structured around five "great stories": Creation, The Coming of Life, The Coming of Humans, and the stories of the development of Language and Mathematics. (JPB)

Discusses the use of student journals when teaching with primary sources. Focuses on an early U.S. history course for sophomore and junior college students. States that the students read a series of primary sources and analyzed them in their journals. Addresses the benefits of using primary sources. (CMK)

Provides a lesson plan that focuses on the 1932, 1936, and 1940 presidential election campaigns. Illustrates the use of the left and right brain 4MAT teaching model that considers individual learning styles associated with right and left hemisphere dominance. Includes a bibliography and eight handouts. (CMK)

Focuses on the importance of teaching critical thinking in history at the college level. Discusses how the author promoted historical thinking in his survey courses through the use of assignments based on a series of paperback books called the Bedford Series in History and Culture. Includes exercises in the appendix. (CMK)

Provides a basic framework for the design and delivery of a U.S. history course that consists of eight topics for the upper middle or secondary school level. Explains that teachers can develop each of the topics thematically in an in-depth manner. Discusses how project-based learning can support this type of thematic instruction. (CMK)

Examines the immigration patterns during the Gilded Age in order to discard the "old-new" dichotomy associated with immigration and prove that continuity and change both prevailed during this period. Provides the "immigrant paradigm" as a list of discussion questions that enables students to organize information about…

Maintains that students will learn history better if it is presented as a historic narrative. Presents an example where the students first are given an advanced organizer on Reconstruction and then two primary documents by David Golightly Harris and Henry Adams. Describes the process of sourcing the document, corroborating evidence, and…