Introducing this issue of lesson plans, the author states that teaching about the U.S. Constitution is a great challenge because students with varied reading levels and intellectual maturity must develop an understanding and appreciation of the complex philosophical and legal principles that underlie the whole of U.S. society. Recommends use of…

Presents a lesson designed to teach students about the period of Salutary Neglect (100 years before the French and Indian Wars) and its effects on later historical events. Provides an advance organizer which puts students in a situation of salutary neglect and includes student and teacher resources on the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the…

Discusses problems inherent in planning the curriculum focus and goals of a world history course. Examines major options, including recent studies prepared by the College Board. Offers 17 specific goals for a world history course, from the definition of historical evidence to the role of science and technology throughout history. Concludes that…

This article presents a document from the National Archives dealing with the 1864 case known as ex parte Milligan, in which a civilian was sentenced to die by a military court. The article includes background, teaching suggestions, and samples of handouts. (JDH)

Uses the "Keegstra affair," a case in which an Alberta high school teacher allegedly taught racist historical theories to students, as a springboard for a critical thinking exercise. Proposes that we can determine how well high school students can critically think by seeing if they can determine what is mistaken about the views and…

Defining a web as a diagrammatic representation of any logical train of thought, this article describes how to use the web as a tool for teaching and evaluating essays. Provides several web diagrams. (JDH)

Presents the case for including historical fiction as an integral part of elementary social studies. Maintains that such stories are valuable tools for fostering moral understanding and growth. (JDH)

Describes how an elementary school used the celebration of its 75th anniversary to promote social studies instruction. Includes activity ideas and step-by-step instructions for developing a celebration of school heritage. (JDH)

Looks at problems encountered in the development of an interdisciplinary course on South Africa by two African history and English literature instructors. Focuses on problems related to timing, student expectations, and the balanced integration of materials from both disciplines. (AYC)

Maintains that traditional history instruction may be expanded by including content based on community and family history, the role of personality in history, cultural history, quantification of history, and history of the people or masses. Shows how these can be integrated into traditional history content. (JDH)

Using the Kings Landing Historical Settlement of New Brunswick as an example, this article describes how to use restored communities to provide students with a near first-hand historical experience. Includes step-by-step instruction, maps, and sample handouts. (JDH)

Offers seven activities based on three instructional strategies designed to aid children in learning history. The three strategies are: (1) teaching to the future, (2) interactive time line, and (3) taking on a role. (JDH)

This article describes the modern-day equivalent prices of items Captain John Smith required for colonists traveling from England to Virginia in 1624. Includes information on wages and cost of living in 1624 and today in the United States. Concludes that the colonists paid a high price for traveling to the New World. (JDH)

Maintains that history, as a school subject, cannot be reformed without an understanding of classroom life and the institutional norms of schooling. Identifies three problems in history teaching: trying to cover too much, the related problem of overuse of dull expository instruction, and failure to receive sustained feedback on teaching. Provides…

The Omaha Platform tells us a great deal about the objectives and character of the Populists. In this unit, the platform is converted to a problem format that U.S. history teachers can use to promote critical thinking skills in finding relevant information and evaluating inferences. (RM)