Today, as people gaze across the narrow waters of Stones River (near Murfreesboro, Tennessee), it is difficult to imagine the carnage of a U.S. Civil War battle. The battle at Stones River claimed 23,000 casualties. It was the second bloodiest battle fought west of the Appalachian Mountains during the Civil War. This lesson plan is based on the…

For hundreds of years, central and western New York had been inhabited by the six member nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. During the colonial period, the French, Dutch, and British coveted its strategic location along an important fur trade route. The Mohawk Valley's rich farmland also yielded great quantities of food, and the land attracted…

Waterford, Virginia, preserves the ambiance and many of the structures that characterized it during its heyday as a flour milling town in the 19th century. The village has changed so little in shape and size that founder Amos Janney would find it recognizable. He could stroll from his 1733 home to the area of his original mill and then on to the…

Encountering the U.S. Civil War on a smaller, human scale makes the conflict more approachable, vivid, and real. Rivers Bridge State Historic Site (South Carolina) offers a glimpse of the Civil War on such a scale. The small area allows visitors to comprehend the entire battlefield, its tactics, and to see how veteran troops near the end of the…

In 1777, out of the confusion, fear, and chaos of battle, soldiers of the Continental Army forged a victory over professional British and German soldiers near Saratoga (New York). The two battles fought there changed the course of the American Revolution and insured the independence of the former British colonies that became the United States of…

This guide and its accompanying videotape are designed to provide students with an overview of the nations of the Pacific region. Three activities emphasize a different aspect of East-West contact: geography, history, and economics. Each activity uses student handouts and can be completed in one to three class periods. Activities include: (1)…

This guide and its accompanying videotape are designed to provide students with an overview of how Japan has become the second richest nation on earth, despite its small size and limited natural resources. Three activities emphasize key issues in the U.S.-Japanese relations, especially issues related to trade. Each activity uses student handouts…

This book presents three models for teaching social studies to young children, each of which is based on use of the senses, concrete experiences, and opportunities to discuss observations. The models can be used as needed with children at differing levels since each addresses a particular level of development. The book focuses on a cognitive…

This paper is a report of a project that was undertaken to produce a self-teaching manual for students wishing to acquire technical skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Such skills are required in the analysis of locational data such as those found in aerial photographs, satellite images and digital maps. The self-teaching manual…

This teaching booklet on Sweden is one in a series of four, developed within the framework of the Associated Schools Project of UNESCO with a view to promoting education for international understanding. The purpose is to enable students to learn more about the lifestyles of their peers in Sweden--their school and family life, aspects of their…

The Water in Africa Project was realized over a 2-year period by a team of Peace Corps volunteers. As part of an expanded, detailed design, resources were collected from over 90 volunteers serving in African countries, photos and stories were prepared, and standards-based learning units were created for K-12 students. This unit, "Water as a…

The Water in Africa Project was realized over a 2-year period by a team of Peace Corps volunteers. As part of an expanded, detailed design, resources were collected from over 90 volunteers serving in African countries, photos and stories were prepared, and standards-based learning units were created for K-12 students. This unit, "Water-Borne…

One reason the Mormons, who wanted to be left alone, migrated to the Utah territory was its isolation. But that changed in 1869, when the new transcontinental railroad came to Utah. The completion of the transcontinental railroad not only made it easier to transport people and goods across the country, it also put an end to the hard work of…

This guide is intended to aid in the development of a performance-based curriculum using social studies standards recommended by the National Council for Social Studies. The performance-based orientation encourages students to be accountable for knowing what they are learning, understanding why it is important, and reporting this knowledge and…

This guide is organized around a list of social studies skills that all students in Idaho should know and be able to do according to each grade level from kindergarten through sixth grade. The guide will help provide parents, teachers, and students with knowledge of what is being taught in a logical scope and sequence by grade level. The guide is…