Contains an instructional model for using literary excerpts to promote historical reasoning and perspective taking in secondary history courses. Includes a discussion on the value of literature for historical exploration, a description of the instructional model, and an example lesson using the model. Notes potential pitfalls to using this method.…

Many research studies have shown how students engage with historical documents, make sense of the past, and develop historical understanding to construct their own historical knowledge. Some of these studies have dealt specifically with empathy. The author defines empathy or historical imagination as the ability to see and judge the past in its…

In the late summer of 1888, officials at the U.S. Department of State appointed John Henry Haynes of Rowe, Massachusetts, to become the first U.S. consul in Baghdad. At that time, Baghdad--along with all of present day Iraq--was part of the Ottoman Empire, as it had been for more than three centuries. In his fourth dispatch, a single-page,…

Educational foundations courses that incorporate the study of history make implicit and explicit claims about what the study of the past can achieve for prospective teachers. This article shows how a seminar investigation of one educational foundations course spurred rich debate and generated new conceptual ideas about how to better communicate…

This article presents a study on the use of multimedia technology for the teaching of Form (Grade) One history, which is a form of narrative subject in nature. Specifically, it is to study the viability of multimedia materials in supporting active learning for subjects which are in narrative form. Due to the scarcity of interactive multimedia…

President Obama and congressional leaders have vowed to take action this year on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), most recently reauthorized and rebranded as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. While most observers remain skeptical that everyone will actually see a signing ceremony in 2011, it does appear likely that at least…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Advanced Placement (AP) exam participation and performance on college grades for courses taken in the same subject area as students' AP Exam(s). Students' first-year college subject area grade point averages (SGPAs) were examined in nine subject areas: mathematics, computer science,…

The quantitative method and quasi-experimental design examined the effects of multimodal-multisensory instructional strategies (MMIS) on vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension among students at-risk and students with disabilities in an inclusive environment. To discover the efficacy of multimodal-multisensory instructional strategies,…

Criticisms of Howard Zinn's work on U.S. History are examined in the context of increasing emphasis on the idea of "American exceptionalism" in contemporary political and cultural discourse, and particularly the insertion of American exceptionalism into revised social studies standards for the state of Texas. Analysis focusing on the…

In recent years, the use of primary sources in the history and social studies classroom has been increasingly promoted as a necessary and welcome practice, one designed to improve the quality of history education and to encourage student interest and engagement. Although some K-12 educators have been wary of adopting the use of primary sources,…

Background: In England, the promotion of "national values" within the history curriculum has become an increasingly topical issue in the wake of recent debates about "Britishness" and community cohesion. However, despite the swathe of policy statements and pronouncements, there is little empirical evidence linking young…

"A People's History for the Classroom" helps teachers introduce students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of U.S. history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula. It includes a new introductory essay by veteran teacher Bill Bigelow on teaching strategies that align with Howard Zinn's "A People's…

This paper discussed a study involving two groups of teacher candidates' implementations of a visual literacy curriculum in their preclinical field experience. The purpose was to explore whether the curriculum provided a viable way for them to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in teaching their diverse learners, including students with…

This Research Brief focuses on the qualifications of teachers in science and mathematics as well as history, in grades 7-12 for the 2003-04 school year. The subjects of science and mathematics were selected because of continuing concerns in the United States over the high need for individuals with advanced knowledge and skills in these subjects.…