Presents an insider's view of the process involved in creating award-winning historical, biographical documentaries. Argues that documentary filmmakers and historians share a common mission in presenting as complete and accurate a picture of the past as possible. Maintains that the central difference between the two is in the selection of…

Criticizes the National History Standards for attempting to cover too much material and burdening teachers with unrealistic objectives and expectations. Recommends a closer coordination of educational objectives with historical material in an attempt to clarify the standards and make them more effective. (MJP)

Outlines a step-by-step process through which students can construct, defend, and test historical arguments. These include to support the claim with facts and analyze their relevance, to oppose the claim with additional facts, to rebut this claim with additional facts, and to ask for new information to test the claim. (MJP)

Explores the use of primary sources when teaching about U.S. slavery. Includes primary sources from the Gilder Lehrman Documents Collection (New York Historical Society) to teach about the role of slaves in the Revolutionary War, such as a proclamation from Lord Dunmore offering freedom to slaves who joined his army. (CMK)

Presents a lesson for teaching students about slavery in the United States by using slavery petitions. Describes a lesson that spans over two class periods, explaining that on the first day students listen to an interview with Professor Loren Schweninger about the "Talking History" program. Includes reproductions of the petitions. (CMK)

Shares four college professors' experiences using new media to change approaches to teaching and learning. In their classes, students conduct archival research on African American history in Web-based sites, then construct collaborative interpretations in PowerPoint; incorporate digital storytelling (within a Latina Life Stories class); construct…

Recommends the adoption of cooperative learning techniques in history courses. Argues that cooperative learning facilitates critical thinking, democratic values, student participation, and improved retention. Illustrates this with examples from European, United States, and African American survey courses. (MJP)

A Mount Holyoke College (Massachusetts) class on computer applications in history and the humanities, entitled "Frankenstein Meets Multimedia," uses topics from the 1818 novel as the basis for students to develop multimedia compact disks about it. The novel is used because its author was heavily influenced by the philosophy of the…

Examined the influence of college students' expertise on use of multiple documents about a historical controversy. Found that strategies did not differ significantly across the groups of expert and non-expert students. However, evaluation of usefulness varied as a function of document type and students' expertise. Furthermore, novices and experts…

Presents a brief but fascinating discussion of a high school junior's use of primary sources for her presentation at History Day in California. She contacted black athletes who gave the black power salute at the 1968 Olympics and conducted several hours of interviews. These interviews were incorporated into a paper. (MJP)

Provides background information on the development of and work performed by the Navajo code talkers during World War II. Includes teaching activities for classroom use as well as examples from the code. Includes the Navajo dictionary and words with the English and Navajo meaning. (CMK)

Judy Bluehorse Skelton is an herbalist of Native American descent who conducts field trips to identify plants and classroom activities to demonstrate their uses. She also works with Portland (Oregon) schools developing culturally appropriate strategies for presenting Native American content. She encourages students to look at events such as the…

Describes a lesson that integrates U.S. history and economics to teach students about hyperinflation in the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War. States that the students analyze primary documents, examine graphs, and participate in a role playing exercise. Includes copies of the primary sources and information on assessment. (CMK)

Finds that the National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools' report, "Charting a Course: Social Studies for the 21st Century," emphasis on multiethnic perspectives is sparse and sporadic. Observes that its chronological approach to history and textbook emphasis discourages understanding of ethnicity. Criticizes teacher education…

Illustrates a method to introduce students to foreign countries and cultures by having students choose a country in which they would like to live and give a class presentation about it. As a result, students become resource persons, research skills are refined, cross-cultural information reservoir is created, and history and geography become real.…