Asserts that social studies teacher educators must help their students question the nature of knowledge in the social studies curriculum. Discusses epistemological implications of the social studies curriculum. (CFR)

A professor of American Indian law describes an interdisciplinary curriculum approach that combines legal and historical perspectives, focusing on issues of tribal sovereignty, tribal experience, and tribal persistence and continuity despite formidable legal and historical obstacles. Course content, strategy, objectives, and the law-history…

Asserts that the rapid growth of the limited-English-proficient (LEP) student population has been a great challenge to social studies teachers. Proposes five reading and writing activities that actively involve LEP students in meaningful instructional tasks and encourage higher level thinking skills. (CFR)

Contends that is necessary to consider geography when shaping foreign policy. Presents a secondary school group activity designed to integrate geography with other social science disciplines. Includes objectives keyed to the five themes of geography and step-by-step instructional procedures. (CFR)

Shows how studying sources of popular music and instruments help students understand historical patterns of immigration and geography. Presents lessons and materials for exploring origins of popular musical instruments and music that developed in the United States from other cultures. Includes several related classroom activities, recommended…

The cult of ethnicity in general and the Afrocentric campaign in particular do not bode well for U.S. education or for the future of the country. The debate over ethnocentric curricula is traced. Commentaries by R. Walters and D. D'Souza elaborate on issues of multicultural education. (SLD)

Reviews two documentaries produced by the U.S. government: "The Plow That Broke the Plains" (1936) and "The River" (1937). The first examines soil erosion in the Great Plains; the second considers Mississippi River usage. Narrates storylines and explains initial film criticism. Highlights the films' effectiveness for teaching…

Discusses "Always a River," a joint project of six midwestern state humanities councils that focuses on the Ohio River Valley's history, ecology, and development. Highlights exhibitions to be set up on a river barge that will tour Ohio River towns and cities during 1991. Stresses interrelationships between the river and the communities…

Explores teaching African-American history as a form of African-American cultural empowerment, laying out arguments supporting this position and an alternative view. A case study of a school system shows how empowerment aspects of African-American history compete against other aspects of classroom practice as it examines how empowering…

Directs a class at the University of Minnesota (Duluth) for teachers at developing effective research skills and historical mindedness. Teachers study a topic and write curriculum using primary sources as basic texts. Outlines the curriculum process and includes three case studies. Includes teaching activity worksheets. (NL)

Provides historical background to the recent democracy movement in China and its outcomes. Examines the extent of human rights violations and whether democracy can take hold in China. Highlights implications of government repression for international relations. Argues Chinese democracy will require restoration of political pluralism and civil…

Reports on a study of 124 secondary social studies teachers about the treatment of the 1991 Gulf War in their classrooms. Finds that, with few exceptions, knowledge about the war was provided by television news and other media and that students were not asked to conduct in-depth research or other critical thinking activities. (CFR)

Argues that effective history instruction requires students to think about content rather than merely reproduce it. Contends that this can be achieved best through peer interaction based on student research papers that require students to state opinions or positions. Provides an assignment example and a evaluation handout. (CFR)

Contends that recent historical research has found strong and growing evidence of the presence of women on Civil War battlefields in numbers far beyond what previously had been believed. Discusses women who fought in disguise, those who served as nurses, and women who were given the title "daughters of the regiment." (CFR)

Describes an instructional activity in which fifth graders identified geographic and economic factors that caused a town to become a ghost town. Discusses instructional procedures and materials used in the activity. Includes extension activities, maps, and suggestions for adapting the activity to other geographic regions. (CFR)