Maintains that during the 1970s educators attempted to integrate mathematics instruction into the social studies curriculum but generally were unsuccessful. Contends that spreadsheets provide new opportunities to make the natural connections between mathematics and the social studies, particularly history. (CFR)

Reports on an analysis of history textbooks used in Canadian schools during the 1930s. Presents a set of six criteria used by the evaluators. Concludes that the textbook study is a reminder of the period when the social studies curriculum was the subject of political criticism from the left. (CFR)

Contends that teachers assign essay writing to help students improve their critical thinking skills. Discusses six criteria of a well-written history essay. Includes a five-essay assignment strategy, designed to be implemented over the course of an academic year, to help students improve essay research and writing. (CFR)

Reviews the origins and development of the field of public history. Asserts that historians should introduce students to public history to acquaint them with the occupational fields that are available. (CFR)

Presents an interview with historian Cary Carson of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and author William Styron on the role of history in society. Outlines the once-proposed Disney history theme park near Mannassas, Virginia. Discusses historical interpretation, museums, historical sites, and popular history. (CFR)

Discusses problems facing European education as the world continues to become more interconnected through politics, communication, and economics. Stresses the need to maintain national values without regressing to nationalism. Examines teacher training, history instruction, and television as areas where divisions can be lessened. Warns against…

Considers who was intended to have civil rights under the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Suggests that broad and inclusive historical analysis reveals individual citizens as the intended beneficiaries. Argues that the founders established a constitutional framework flexible enough to function in the transition from patriarchy and…

Suggests teaching about the Chinese government's 1989 suppression of student protesters at Tiananmen Square. Argues that the lesson can aid students understanding of the role of student protest in shaping China's history and interactions with the rest of the world. Offers strategies and questions for student research including reasons for the…

Ten eighth grade U.S. history textbooks were evaluated with respect to factors such as readability level, global coherence, local coherence, questioning techniques, and vocabulary development. Findings indicated that texts had a mean readability level of 10.9; only 30 percent provided review of previous chapters; few offered introductory…

Contends that U.S. educational change is characterized by several factors including rapid demographic shifts, new research into the nature of teaching and learning, and dissatisfaction with students' achievement on national tests. Includes an annotated bibliography of 16 ERIC articles and documents on the topic. (CFR)

Asserts that the end of the Cold War and new world realities present challenges to social studies teachers. Presents suggestions for helping students change their way of thinking about the world and the place of the United States within it. Encourages teachers to examine the existing social studies curriculum for relevance. (CFR)

Describes the use of primary source documents and maps in a seventh-grade geography class. Maintains that 90 separate topics were divided into 6 main categories for student research. Asserts that the use of primary documents encouraged the development of the students' critical thinking skills. (CFR)

Asserts that peace activism should be integrated into U.S. history. Traces the history of the peace movement and peace activism from the American Revolution to the 1980s. Concludes that the peace movement, although diverse and constantly changing, has made an appreciable difference in national attitudes toward war and civil violence. (CFR)

States that the record of relations between early American colonists and indigenous Native Americans generally shows cultural conflict. Asserts that the Society of Friends (Quakers), led by William Penn, developed a different approach to relations with the Native Americans. (CFR)

Contends that studying the opposition to the Mexican American War helps students understand Manifest Destiny and assess foreign policy issues on moral, political, and historical terms. Presents a three-day lesson plan employing a series of primary sources to analyze issues of the time. Includes a political cartoon and eight documents. (CFR)