This guide attempts to help teachers of American Indian students in grades 9-12 provide a culturally relevant education that takes place in the regular classroom, includes content related to Indian students' lives, makes students proud, expands to other experiences, and enhances learning. Creating sacred places means responding appropriately to…

Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational non-profit organization that engages middle and high school teachers and their students in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism by relating the past to the world today. This annual report highlights the activities of this organization during 2002-2003. Detailed in this…

This publication features reports by eight Carnegie Scholars who are working to develop a scholarship of teaching and learning that will advance the profession of teaching and improve student learning. Following the Introduction, "Approaching the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning" (Pat Hutchings), the papers are: "Investigating Student Learning…

This guidebook facilitates the study of the life and work of LeRoy Collins, Florida's 33rd Governor (1955-1961), through a law-related education program. It is designed to accompany the instructional videotape about Collins, "Where He Stood." The goal is to have all Florida students and future citizens identify, appreciate, and be able…

This framework details Vermont's educational standards and learning opportunities for Kindergarten through grade 8. The standards are to be used to: (1) provide structure from which standards-based district, school, and classroom curricula can be developed, organized, implemented, and assessed; (2) provide the basis for development of a state,…

This booklet is the fourth in a series designed to assist parents who are home-schooling their adolescent children and focuses on teaching a foreign language, history, science, and physical education. The articles in this booklet are: (1) "Habla Espanol? Tackling Foreign Language," examining effective and ineffective foreign language instruction…

Noting ongoing difficulties in identifying the fundamental role of social studies in educating young children, this chapter focuses on how children begin to develop historical and geographic understanding. The chapter considers age-appropriate and developmental concerns and the role of national standards in history and geography. The chapter…

A teacher developed multidisciplinary unit for teaching elementary and secondary students about Tanzania (Africa) is described. The unit can involve students and teachers from geography, economics, history, language arts, mathematics, literature, and art courses. (RM)

Describing the development, organization, and activities of a living history program designed around principles of experiential learning to stimulate student interest in American history, this article discusses the interdisciplinary approach and includes a schedule of a day-long field trip simulating garrison life 200 years ago. (SB)

Describes the Chata Project, a British research project that challenged the prevalent assumption that children will construct sound causal explanations from factual information imparted during history instruction. Their research suggests that explicit instruction is required for children to understand the causal relationships among events,…

Summarizes a Canadian study that attempted to determine how a diverse group of high school students identified and understood events of historical significance. The students' responses ranged from generally objective and analytical to wildly subjective. Includes a recommended exercise for establishing students approaches to and definitions of…

Reviews recent research on sociocultural approaches to historical understanding and concludes that students' judgment of historical significance is substantially shaped by the social and cultural characteristics of the learner. Recounts several episodes revealing how minority and mainstream students differ in their trust of the authority of the…

Reviews a survey of graduating high school seniors concerning their knowledge of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency. The results revealed that very few students had even the most rudimentary understanding of Roosevelt's accomplishments or positions. Argues that history instruction should emphasize a thorough understanding of the subject. (MJP)

Underscores the importance of history and geography as the content base for K-12 citizenship education. Points out that changing global economic relationships demand adequate geography knowledge levels. Argues that uninspired teaching, rather than time shortages, have produced insufficient content knowledge and performance. Urges social studies…

Presents the IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, and Conclusion) method used to analyze and judge legal cases. Stresses this method's applicability for social studies instruction, stating it helps students assess facts and apply rules to reach and defend conclusions. Provides examples for using the IRAC method in U.S. government and U.S. history units.…