The reinterpretation of past events has been a natural phenomenon of twentieth century historiography. Historical revisionism--the reshaping by contemporary scholars of traditional views of the past--has been an inevitable and necessary trait of the profession and has contributed to the growth of humankind's perception of previous generations.…

This paper focuses on the current trends and issues in social studies education based on the literature that passes through the ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education (Indiana). Four trends pertaining to teaching content in history, geography, civics, and science in society have emerged from a review of the literature.…

Designed to accompany an audiovisual filmstrip series devoted to presenting a visual history of life in America, this guide contains an elementary social studies (grades 2-6) unit on the American city over the last century. Using authentic visuals including paintings, posters, advertising, documentary photography, and cartoons, the guide offers…

Designed to accompany an audiovisual filmstrip series devoted to presenting a visual history of life in America, this guide contains an elementary school (grades 2-6) unit on American food over the last century. Using authentic visuals including paintings, advertising, label art, documentary photography, and a movie still, the guide offers…

This guide is designed to help teachers develop comprehensive lesson plans to enhance student understanding of why nations compete, why they cooperate, and why they sometimes go to war. Written to accompany a student text of the same title, the guide should help students to: (1) understand the behavior of nations by defining national interest and…

This paper summarizes the suggestions offered by investigative committees of U.S. historians from the 1880s to the present concerning the importance of studying history in public schools, what should be included, and how it should be taught. An integrative approach to learning, combining history with English and geography, as suggested in reports…

A state by state profile of requirements and course offerings compiled by the Council of State Social Studies Specialists and the Social Science Education Consortium, listing curriculum changes and requirements for teachers and students, shows that there are very different practices and situations among the 50 states and the District and Columbia,…

This practicum addressed the problem of eighth-grade U.S. history students who did not acquire nor retain the necessary course core vocabulary. This lack of vocabulary acquisition resulted in reduced student performance, lack of understanding, and a poor attitude. The goals were: (1) to increase the student's U.S. history core vocabulary level;…

These curriculum materials about various aspects of the United States Constitution are designed as supplements to high school courses in history, civics, and government. They include 60 original lessons for students, accompanied by lesson plans for teachers, and are divided into five chapters. Chapter I, "Documents of Freedom" includes…

Designed to be used by secondary school students, this booklet makes use of Rochester (New York) related materials to teach about the popular taste of middle-class Americans living in the northeastern region of the United States in the latter part of the 19th century during the period known as the "gilded age." This was the period when…

Schools are too often places in which answers are conveyed to questions students are rarely, if ever, asked. This article offers, therefore, some examples of content--animating and throughline questions--and assessment practices that centralize questions rather than answers. While animating questions return teachers to the mysteries that excite us…

We are often reminded that we remember little of what we hear and read but much of what we teach. The very act of teaching forces us to clarify our understanding and to process it so that it can be communicated in a structured, clear and accessible way. Here, Heather Scott describes how she got an initially reluctant Year 12 group at Challenge…

Helping students to understand how and why people in the present interpret the past differently is a challenge. It is also vital if we are to develop an understanding of why the meanings we ascribe to the past are not fixed, but rather are subject to our own prejudices or goals. A number of articles in previous editions have explored how students…

One of the challenges facing pupils in the history classroom is conceptual understanding. Pupils also find it difficult to recognise themes or patterns across different parts of time and space. Ian Myson has recognised the importance of analogy as a way to facilitate pupils' understanding. He is quick to recognise, however, that poor use of…

This unit on Wyoming's early settlement and ethnic groups provides concepts, activities, stories, charts, and graphs for elementary school students. Concepts include the attraction Wyoming held for trappers; the major social, economic, and religious event called "The Rendezvous"; the different ethnic and religious groups that presently…