Reminisces about how students reacted to learning about the Vietnam War within a U.S. history course where the students read the book "Dispatches" by Michael Herr which encouraged the students to empathize with their fathers who lived in that era. Discusses the implications this reaction has for teaching history. (CMK)

Survey responses from 42 teachers in 24 Scottish elementary schools and 8 structured interviews suggest that study of the Holocaust is generally considered appropriate for elementary students, parents have few objections, and Holocaust history is set firmly within the context of World War II. Significant barriers to its teaching exist, yet most…

Argues that feminist history enriches the understanding of Canadian history by focusing on groups of women beyond the white, middle class, including those from First Nations communities. Reviews the life and works of E. Pauline Johnson (1861-1913), a Mohawk, English poet, and performer. Notes sources on women's history. (DSK)

Observes that there is a paradox between public interest in history and the lack of interest expressed by many college students. Discusses problems related to teaching the history of the American Civil War and proposes four approaches that teachers can use to make the Civil War relevant to contemporary events. (DSK)

Discusses the classroom use of educational technology, highlighting teacher and student empowerment by analyzing a PowerPoint classroom presentation about ancient Babylon for eighth graders. (PEN)

Research topics are described for class projects on the American Civil War and presented in the following seven categories: causes of the Civil War; The Election of 1860; Abraham Lincoln; music and poetry of the era; slavery; Civil War soldiers; and women during the war. Web resources are shown for each section in box displays. (AEF)

Provides information on the history of community college growth. States that the analysis of the work of community college historians must occur within three arenas: (1) public policy; (2) the community of professional historians; and (3) the classroom. Summarizes the articles in this "History Teaching at the Community College" issue of "The…

Discusses the experience of developing and teaching the online course entitled "History of American Since 1865" at Danville Community College. Focuses on issues such as course content and student response. States that online courses offer teachers a chance to reach students who usually avoid taking traditional lecture and discussion courses. (CMK)

Reviews the support for using both literature and response activities to teach history. Includes an annotated bibliography, with accompanying response activities, of trade books chosen to support the learning outcomes for Ohio's American Heritage Strand of the citizenship proficiency test. (CMK)

Describes the Southwest Texas State University course "History Practicum: Researching, Writing, and Publishing Local History" that stresses computer proficiency, teamwork, and active learning. Students create and publish a guidebook for a town, city, or historic site in central Texas. Discusses the publication process of "San Marcos: A Guide to a…

Describes a lesson for fourth grade, using Marietta Moskin's "Lysbet and the Fire Kittens," that uses discussion questions and two semantic webs (one of present-day life and another of colonial life in New Amsterdam). Discusses the story and considers using fiction to teach elementary social studies. (CMK)

Describes an assignment in an undergraduate course on Roman history for junior and senior history majors in which students create their own 15-page textbook using primary sources. Explains how each class session developed student analysis of primary sources. (CMK)

Reflects on the experience of being in an Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. history course in high school. Stresses that the intent of the course was only to prepare students to score well on the AP examination. Asserts that the course should have aimed beyond teaching to the test. (CMK)

States that high school teachers can handle rigorous advanced placement courses in world history or world civilizations if they (1) have access to good teaching materials and (2) have been provided with the proper training. Address both issues, listing reading materials and describing the aspects involved in training teachers. (CMK)

Discusses a research seminar for senior history majors that uses three documents: a written text, a photograph, and a material object. Focuses on how the object, a 19th-century curling iron, is used to elucidate discussion not only of the object, but hypotheses about individuals and society, and about historical research. (DSK)