Reviews William Cutler's plea for using oral history "to capture the education experiences of Americans." Explores the interactive possibilities of oral history with educational history, presenting contrasting views and methodological problems. Examines how experience, memory and events affect observation, interpretation and reporting of…

Presents a series of lessons for a U.S. history class on Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of America. Notes that this approach teaches students to evaluate critically the historical information presented in their textbooks. (MM)

To apply four principles of Teaching for Understanding framework developed at Harvard University, researchers worked with team of four teachers at two Massachusetts high schools. One history teacher revised Industrial Revolution unit to emphasize human progress. Mathematics teacher had students design a dance floor based on several different…

Describes thematic teaching, presents a rationale for it, and offers middle grades and secondary teachers of history and social studies some practical suggestions for implementing thematic teaching in their classrooms. Presents thematic units on religion, and on national identity and diversity. (RS)

UCLA has issued world history standards calling for less memorization and more historical thinking skills. The standards are neither rigid nor doctrinaire, but they have been criticized for promoting a national curriculum, stressing 20th-century events, downplaying traditional U.S. heroes, exhibiting an anti-Western bias, confusing suggestions…

Presents a plan for using melodrama for teaching about the Progressive era. Argues that the melodrama can be a method for historical research. Explains procedures, guidelines on design, and evaluation methods. Includes a sample melodrama, outline handout, observation form, and review form. (SG)

Describes history's curriculum role as it fell from a status of prominence in the 1890s to one of unimportance, submerged in social studies. Notes that history is again becoming an important curriculum area. Suggests that the resurgence of history education is the result of history educators' focus on what to teach and exciting teaching methods.…

Principal theme in world history should be universality of basic human experience. This approach values differing forms of human expression without associating abstract concepts (such as faith, reason, or creativity) to one specific period of history in one particular part of the world. Scholarship should remain the highest priority, and past…

Presents activities to help elementary students learn to interpret history. Using the voyage of Columbus, students can learn how history is written, what a historian's job is, and why it is important to analyze more than one point of view. The activities also teach students to understand historical symbols. (SM)

Addresses the importance of maps for instruction in both history and geography. Suggests that maps have gotten recent attention because of the rapid political changes occurring in Europe and the quincentenary of Columbus' voyage. Discusses different map projections and the importance of media and satellite display of real pictures of the world.…

Discusses communication in history, the theme for National History Day in 1993. Presents a list of approaches to the theme that could be taken as topics for study. Includes informational media, rhetoric and social change, transmission of cultural values, technology, and miscommunication. Contains a bibliography for each topic. (DK)

Examines the cooperative learning approach to elementary and secondary school history and social science instruction. Defines cooperative learning. Explains that students work in small, heterogeneous groups, in positive interdependence and are accountable both as individuals and group members. Provides details for teachers on how to get started.…

Controversy surrounds the recently released voluntary national standards for U.S. history and world history. At the center of the debate is the issue of how history should be portrayed. Directions for ordering copies of the history standards and sample passages from the standards guidebooks are provided in sidebars to the article. (MLF)

Points out the importance of the Tarawa landing in the Gilbert Islands during World War II, and recommends teaching about the event. Provides detailed analysis of the November 21-24, 1943, amphibious assault by U.S. Marines. Examines the rationale for the location, timing, and type of attack. Identifies key personnel. Includes intelligence map of…

Provides a conceptual framework for the definition of critical thinking terms. Describes the results of an experimental study designed to improve high school students' abilities to clearly state and adequately defend generalizations. Finds that results suggest a useful conceptual framework and instructional format for teaching aspects of critical…