Recognizes the decline of history instruction and reports the results of the recent pilot test of the history knowledge of 17-year-old high school students by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Lists the various projects of the National Endowment for the Humanities designed to strengthen United States History instruction. (JDH)

Offers the opinions of four high school students about the importance of United States history. The students express opinions regarding teaching practices, course content, course requirements, and the sequencing of history courses within the high school curriculum. (JDH)

Strategies to help social studies teachers integrate writing into their classes are suggested. These include student journals, focused freewriting, written assignments used for review, creative book reports, poems, short stories, and songs. (RM)

Suggests that effective educational theories possess the specificity afforded by a clearly defined social context. Critically analyzes John Dewey's, Geoffrey Brunn's, Nancy Bauer's, Bernice Goldmark's and Morris Schmieder's theories. Recommends that history instruction involve students and teachers as critical co-investigators of history in…

In describing a public television program about the Salem witch trials, this article discusses the authenticity of props, the accuracy of events, and some errors in the production. It also points out some inaccuracies in sources and other sources that would be valuable for teaching seventeenth century colonial history. (SRT)

Reviews the major ideas of humanistic psychology that have relevance for education. Provides practical suggestions for implementing these ideas in the high school history classroom. (JDH)

Illustrates specific ways to help students think about history within the framework of a lecture-discussion format that postulates selective coverage while relying upon the textbook as a source of information. Includes lesson plans and additional teaching ideas. (LP)

Critically reviews "Sandino's Daughters: Testimonies of Nicaraguan Women in Struggle" (Randall, 1981), "Christians in the Nicaraguan Revolution" (Randall, 1983), and "Risking a Somersault in the Air: Conversations with Nicaraguan Writers" (Randall, 1984). Includes description of how author used these books in Latin…

Presents the results of a research project which collected information concerning the history/social science standards established by the 50 states for the preparation and certification of secondary teachers generally, secondary social studies teachers specifically, and current standards for the granting of comprehensive elementary certification.…

An intensive five-day all-day humanities course on 18th century thought and culture for eighth graders that involved 11 different departments is described. The course helped students recognize that what they were taught in one class could reinforce and illuminate what they were learning in another course. (RM)

Provides ideas for sharpening the focus of teacher-moderated discussions in history classes. Asserts that students must be presented with a question that elicits solution of a problem ("Why did Lincoln wait so long before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation?") rather than factual recall ("What is the Emancipation Proclamation?"). Includes model…

A secondary history teacher describes how he uses rock and roll music to help students study and interpret modern American history. Besides being a lot of fun to teach, a rock unit makes students realize that even contemporary music has a place in history. (RM)

Children develop knowledge and insight into history when they act out dramatic events of the past. Creative dramatics serve as an impetus to further reading and research. Suggestions for teacher use in implementing role playing in the classroom are given. (DF)

History educators in England share many of the problems of their American colleagues and voice many of the same anxieties. But much of the current British literature reflects a sense of revitalization in secondary school history education that is conspicuously absent in the American context. (RM)

Described is a history education project of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository System which shows that archives can be both repositories and disseminators of information. A curriculum packet composed of facsimiles of local government records for use in secondary school history classes was developed. (RM)