The one-room school experience is a part of U.S. and Tennessee history that should be preserved and shared. Since the last generation of scholars who attended one-room schools will soon be gone, the Jonesborough-Washington County (Tennessee) History Museum recreated this early system of education through a "living classroom" heritage…

This publication compiles oral histories preserved by rural students around the country and provides teachers with information and resources for developing oral history projects. The first five sections were written by the students and teachers of (1) Anderson Valley Junior/Senior High School, Boonville, California; (2) Edcouch-Elsa High School,…

Using classroom teaching practices as models, the text advocates and demonstrates teaching local and U. S. history through experiential activities. Students travel to historic sites and exhibits, examine archives and primary source documents, analyze movies and documentaries, conduct interviews, and engage in art-making activities. Throughout the…

Using primary documents, maps, and visual data, this lesson packet focuses on Martin Van Buren and his retirement home, Lindenwald, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The lesson materials compliment classroom study of early 19th century politics by tracing the life of Martin Van Buren and his role in the Jacksonian Era. Included…

This book focuses on building community through the sharing of history and traditions that students have inherited. Two eighth-grade teachers collaborated with others in their Oregon school to collect teaching strategies for this book. The teachers worked to build curriculum that integrated social studies with language arts and other subject…

In the course of collecting and recording oral histories, there is a tendency to overemphasize the individual account and forget the social context. To learn more about social relationships, one can focus on the teller's position, similarities and oppositions in different tellers' versions, and categories used by the teller. (IS)

More than 50 starter ideas for social studies projects and units for the primary and intermediate grades are presented. These help develop children's skills in social studies, reading, handwriting, and language arts, and stir their interest in local history and government. Activities can be used for new projects or to enrich ongoing ones. (PP)

Describes Community Access Channel Three of the Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington, Indiana, which has been cablecasting since 1975. Topics discussed include programs produced with local arts and cultural groups and the "Kids Alive" program produced by 8-to 15-year-olds. Also discussed are a requested program service, funding, staffing,…

Described are cultural journalism projects around the country which have used the "Foxfire Approach" successfully. "Foxfire" is a student-run magazine dedicated to the collection and preservation of the oral history, folklore and folklife (or traditional culture) of the students' own locality. Included is a list of…

Undergraduates and gifted elementary students collaborated on a study of the architecture and lifestyle associated with Homeplace, an 18th century French Colonial home. The activities culminated in a multimedia exhibit at a local art gallery. (SJL)

Describes the Charleston Multimedia Project, a World Wide Web guide to the history, architecture, and culture of Charleston, South Carolina, which includes a timeline and virtual tours. Incorporates materials issued by many agencies that were previously held in vertical files. The Charleston County Library's role and future plans are also…

In the late 19th century, camps in the Adirondacks responded to concerns that the American character was softening. Much camping philosophy came from the progressive movement in education. Aspects of Indian culture were adopted because they seemed to fit naturally in the Adirondacks, and children loved them. Adirondack camps have always been…

Provides ways teachers can make U.S. history more meaningful for students. Suggests using family photographs; making family trees; planning activities that focus on commemorative celebrations; creating a time line; reading biographies; and collecting stamps. (GG)

Traces the history of the Civil Rights Movement in St. Louis, Missouri from 1954 to 1968. Provides a lesson plan on the movement. Includes editorials published in the "St. Louis Post Dispatch" on the civil rights activities of 1963. Outlines civil rights organizations of the 1960s. (RW)

Describes a project in which high school students wrote up interviews with local residents and articles on local history for English and history classes, then collaborated on their publication in a community newspaper. (SV)