Reviews the history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and describes the debate over expanding its membership. Includes a discussion of the process for adding NATO members and a copy of the treaty. Suggests several exercises to help students better understand the NATO-expansion debate. (DSK)

Outlines the characteristics of a good history program for kindergarten through grade four, analyzing the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework and the Core Knowledge Sequence as they apply to elementary instruction. Also describes and evaluates principles of teaching history to young children. (Author/SLD)

Examines the rationale and related research supporting inclusion of the arts in secondary English and history courses. Looks at examples from a classroom teacher's experience in including drama, painting, and music into the literature curriculum. (RS)

Employing a sample of 51 12-year-old British secondary pupils, a study analyzed children's written and oral responses to a series of (contradictory) historical questions concerning the Boston Massacre of 1770. Many students were capable of abstract historical reasoning--critiquing sources, detecting bias and ambiguity, and determining flaws in…

Until recently, schools in Poland have done little to discourage anti-Semitism and have not taught about the Holocaust nor explained why there are virtually no Jews in Poland. Curriculum modifications in the next school year will introduce the subject at the elementary-school level. (SLD)

Describes the process by which a history instructor incorporated into his U.S. survey sections three different exercises--internal criticism, research techniques, and oral history--that approximate closely what a professional historian actually does. Incorporation of these techniques adds interest to the class and gives students a chance to…

A Virginia high school's Legacy program began six years ago when the Nature Conservancy, the Eastern Shore Historical Society, and Northampton County Schools joined forces to create an educational program to expose students to the area's ecological and historical richness. A boat-building project helped revitalize the hands-on learning project,…

Discusses changing concepts of important topics in teaching history--away from a "political/diplomatic" approach to a "social history" approach that includes broader topics, such as urbanization, shifts in social structures and classes, and crime and resistance. Shows evidence of this shift in content requirements, tests of Advanced-Placement…

Observes that the first Congress, 1789 to 1791, was the most important in American history. Discusses the role of individual congressional members, including Oliver Ellsworth, Richard Henry Lee, William Maclay, Fisher Ames, Daniel Carroll, Thomas Fitzsimmons, James Jackson, and James Madison. Suggests that these congressman can stimulate student…

Describes an exercise for helping students evaluate the veracity of primary documents, and considers two kinds of knowledge that documents can give about the past: information about events that occurred; and insight into the perceptions and thoughts of those who lived in the past, including those responsible for the document's creation. Discusses…

Describes the harsh job search process for historians, exemplified by the "Pit," an interview fair held at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association. Offers insights from interviewers and interviewees on the "labyrinth"-like process for often undesirable teaching positions. (EV)

Suggests the use of selected literature to explore the war in Vietnam with middle school students. Discusses the relevance of the war to contemporary students; presents an annotated bibliography of novels especially appropriate for middle school students; and suggests relevant class activities. (JPB)

Paintings can fulfill many different pedagogical purposes. They can illuminate and bring to life historical events and characters. Paintings and other images can also make students aware of a point of view (the artist's commentary), which enriches and modifies the history they find in books and documents. This article provides examples of teaching…

Offers a project developed as an outgrowth of sixth-grade students' study of ancient Greece in history, English, drama, and art classes. Explains that the students created sculptures inspired by Greek sculpture that represented student perceptions of the activities and emotions found in the Ulysses myth. (CMK)

Presents three Internet-based activities for teaching elementary students about the Underground Railroad. The activities include creating a freight-train of facts about the Underground Railroad, mapping the routes of the Underground Railroad, and participating in an electronic simulation of life as a fugitive slave. (SM)