A conversation with a noted historian of the American West concerns his own career and writing, and changes and trends in the college curriculum and profession of teaching. (MSE)

The central finding of a review of 63 high school history, geography, civics, and economics textbooks is that the textbooks are not accurately describing the world economy. For example, few of the texts refer to economic gains being made by many countries or mention the existence of middle income countries. (RM)

Impressions regarding the teaching of history culled from classroom observations and implications for change that derive from these observations are discussed. Changes must include smaller classes, a reeducation of teachers to increase their knowledge and enthusiasm, and better teaching methods. (RM)

Described is a teacher-developed book about the Civil War for use in an 11th grade interdisciplinary U.S. history/English literature course. The text contains a brief historical summary of letters written by a Union soldier, a guide for studying the letters, and suggestions for further reading. (RM)

In concert with a rising interest in history education, there is concern about the quality of education and certification of history teachers. Many researchers, theorists, and specialists have weighed in on the issue of teacher preparation and certification. To what extent are history teachers prepared and certified to teach the discipline? This…

This curriculum guide, which is a companion guide for a four-part videotape series on the history of the U.S. system of public education, is intended for use by post-secondary faculty in education who wish to infuse into their courses historical and current perspectives on the evolution of U.S. public schools and the impact of public education on…

California State Standard 5.8 is delineated in the following way: "Students trace the colonization, immigration, and settlement patterns of the American people from 1789 to the mid-1800s, with emphasis on the role of economic incentives, effects of the physical and political geography, and transportation systems." Students answer six…

This book addresses the teaching and learning of history in the elementary grades. The literature review in the first two chapters presents an overview of scholarship in the field and provides a context within which to interpret the research in subsequent chapters. The remainder of the book presents and discusses research on the teaching and…

World War II was a turning point in global history, an event that had a large and lasting impact on many people and places across broad areas of the earth. Compared to other wars, World War II involved the largest armed forces, the longest battle lines, the most destructive weapons, the most casualties, the most destruction of cities and other…

In this Web-based interdisciplinary lesson (involving social studies, geography, history, and language arts) students take a virtual field trip to the ruins of Pompeii to learn about everyday life in Roman times, then create a travelogue to attract visitors to the site and write an account of their field trip modeled on a description of Pompeii…

This book is intended to assist teachers in dealing with sensitive and controversial topics in secondary U.S. history classes. The book explores topics such as gender, race, Vietnam, and civil rights. It provides specific lessons teachers can use to study conflict. All manner of resources are explained, with an emphasis on how to access those…

This lesson explores the life of Adeline Hornbek, a single mother of four who became a successful homesteader in Colorado by taking advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862, which allowed unmarried, widowed, or divorced women to claim land as head of a household. The lesson can be used for teaching about the Homestead Act, the western expansion, or…

World history textbooks currently used in U.S. high schools adopt Western civilization as the integrating element of world history. The high school world history approach with Western civilization as the essence was a product of the late 19th century and early 20th century. The historical consciousness of this period continues to influence…

This volume provides documentation on the origin of the women's rights movement placing the documents in a context that aims to show the rationale that blocked women from achieving full equality. The volume contains 127 fully annotated documents presented in chronological order (with a few exceptions) beginning in 1632 with colonial laws regarding…

The backwoods county seat of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina, was the site of a pivotal battle on March 15, 1781, in the Revolutionary War's decisive southern campaign. The engagement set the stage for the region's liberation from enemy occupation and impelled British general Lord Charles Cornwallis to take the ill-fated road that led him to…