Explores the use of outdated reference materials in history instruction and the inadequacy of bibliographic training for history graduate students. Describes the explosive growth in the availability of reference works and their changes in form. Observes that historians still rely primarily on written reference works. Offers a taxonomy of U.S.…

Suggests that slave advertisements from old southern newspapers can be used to help teachers convey the nature of slavery. Includes a selection of slave advertisements with analysis and questions for discussion. Recommends the use of such advertisements for units on the causes of the Civil War or the lingering effects of slavery on society today.…

Surveys literature to provide a bibliography for U.S. history teachers to use in integrating sport history into their classes. Emphasizes major topical areas focusing on 1850 to the present. Includes primary sources, general histories, and works focusing on the relationships among sport and the media, individual cities, women, and minority groups.…

Discusses the present ideal of land ownership compared to the views of Jeffersonian democracy. Traces the concept of the American dream and Jeffersonian ideals through Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." Offers suggestions for teaching about the Great Depression and the novel by demonstrating the conflict of Jeffersonian ideals and the…

Discusses the use of writing assignments for teaching social studies. Suggests that alternatives to the standard research paper may be more advantageous to students by providing increased opportunity for creativity. Describes oral history projects, diaries, letters, advertisements, monologues, brief investigations, and position papers as suitable…

Researchers examined whether there were differences in the way elementary history textbook and trade book passages were structured. Analyses of text structure in topic-similar passages from both types of books indicated trade books were more comprehensible than history textbooks by being better structured and more coherent. (SM)

Describes a project that uses childrens' literature to teach social studies and history in elementary classrooms. Reviews research which suggests that students at this level prefer to read narrative literature rather than traditional textbooks. Describes the project's impact on participating students and teachers. (CFR)

Describes a project where students in an Italian elementary school wrote letters about Columbus and his contributions. Finds that these students have not lost their view of Columbus as a great hero. Includes a list of organizations and resources for teaching about Italy and Columbus. (CFR)

Author's Civil War study group is built around 124th New York State Volunteers (famed "Orange Blossoms"), historic regiment recruited in Orange County in 1982. Several local high school students have participated in program by donning authentic military uniforms and civilian dress of era, conducting primary research, and presenting…

Inspired by Brendan's fantastic sea adventures, this article describes a cooperative university-faculty project to redesign the elementary social studies curriculum in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The new plan employs literature (biography, historical novels, travel accounts, myths and legends, religious stories, poetry, and drama) to enliven study…

Describes the development of a course to teach undergraduates the historian's craft through the use of short, provocative books. Lists the books used in the course and how they were used. Discusses student writing assignments using archival materials that allow students to put their learning into practice. (DSK)

Discusses the implementation of a student portfolio project in two high school history classes. Presents background arguments for employing portfolios; outlines the creation and evolution of the assignment; explains the assessment and individual interview process; and assesses the success of the assignment. Includes the assignment requirements…

Presents the result of an empirical study on the reception and effectiveness of historical material being included in the physics program of a Swiss high school. (Author/NB)

Describes a project to collect, organize, and analyze petitions to state legislatures and county courts concerning race, slavery, and free blacks in the South between 1776 and 1867. Presents a lesson plan designed to incorporate these, and similar documents, into middle-, and high-school history classes. Includes a sample document. (DSK)

Finds that, by teaching history in conjunction with literature, students grasp historical understanding because they begin to acquire a deeper understanding of their role in constructing the past. States that literature helps create strong images often missing in students' responses to nonfiction material. Gives Alejandro Morales's "The Brick…