Discusses the use of primary texts to introduce students to the period of reconstruction after the Civil War. Shows how texts can be used not only to illustrate the feelings and beliefs of the time, but also to engage students in debates over the correct uses of primary sources. (DSK)

Reports on the results of research examining the ability of fourth and fifth grade science and social science students to use Dublin Core metadata elements to describe image resources for inclusion in a digital archive. Describes networked learning environments called Digital Portfolio Archives and discusses metadata for historical primary…

Argues that human beings create objects to hold onto memories, to ensure accuracy of memories, or to communicate with others in different places or times. Considers tools for remembering both in Western culture, where such tools are often technological, and in other cultures. These tools are more than information storage devices, they can also be…

Notes that there have been no studies of student teachers' learning how to use primary sources to teach history. Generates general characteristics of the task based on discussions among historians and philosophers. Uses these to frame an investigation of difficulties encountered by student teachers while learning to use primary sources. (DSK)

In the summer of 1998, education specialists at the National Archives received a grant from the Department of Education to hire nine outstanding classroom teachers to develop lessons and activities based on historical documents that had been digitized by the agency and were available online. Discussion includes exploring the National Archives web…

Focuses on a telegram sent from Hanoi, Vietnam, by Ho Chi Minh through the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) station in Kunming, China, to President Truman in which Ho asked for support of Vietnam's independence from France. Provides background information, a reproduction of the telegram, and ideas for teaching activities. (CMK)

Reviews research on digital preservation issues, including born-digital and digitally recreated documents. Discusses electronic records research; metadata and other standards; electronic mail; Web-based documents; moving images media; selection of materials for digitization, including primary sources; administrative issues; media stability…

In the spring of 1789, the first Congress faced a daunting task. Although the newly adopted Constitution provided a blueprint for the new government, Congress needed to enact legislation that would ensure a smooth transition from the Articles of Confederation and lay the groundwork for a strong national government, while simultaneously protecting…

While Blackface minstrel performances today are considered inappropriate and many Americans find the language and images racially offensive, such performances were the "most popular entertainment" in antebellum America. Songs about idyllic plantation life in the South resonated with Americans adjusting to the new industrial cities of the North.…

Greater access to archival materials remains a significant challenge to archivists, librarians, and researchers. In addition to official records documenting governmental activities and agencies, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has significant collections of donated personal papers. Some are processed, some are in the…

During the Viet Nam war, U.S. military helicopters dropped "Chieu Hoi" (safe conduct) passes over suspected enemy locations to encourage enemy soldiers to surrender. This article presents a classroom activity that encourages students to examine a "Chieu Hoi" pass as a primary historical document, identify its various elements,…

From zero in 1991 to 3,800 eighteen years later, charter schools (public schools under contract) today educate well over a million students. This updated, second edition examines the unusual experiment that is charter education and the controversies that surround public choice and charter schools as a means of educational reform. Written by…

Purpose: This study had two goals: (a) to assess the validity of the Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) staffing data by comparing them to staffing measures from audited Medicaid Cost Reports and (b) to identify systematic differences between facilities that over-report or underreport staffing in the OSCAR. Design and Methods: We…

Histories of rhetoric in composition studies have been determined largely by the politics of the discipline. Rhetoric tends to be thought of in a somewhat narrow sense, defined by the writing courses and programs of universities. The field has strengthened itself by researching the histories of rhetoric in the academy from classical time to the…

This paper reports on field research conducted by students in undergraduate methods courses for secondary social studies in 1996-97. Journal entries, lesson plans, oral history reactions, and interviews were used to gather data. Objectives were: to describe the role of the interviewer in an oral history setting; and to identify and clarify the…