Cites the problems associated with teaching history: (1) lack of consensus on what and how to teach; (2) the adult perspective from which it is taught; (3) the abstract nature of history content; and (4) the concept of time. Concludes that efforts to include adolescent knowledge, skills, and attitudes should be considered in the history program.…

Barnes, an educator and textbook author, was a pioneer in the use of inquiry to teach secondary school history. Her work is criticized for the indoctrination it entailed and for its failure to encourage students to identify and examine the spiritual and political premises underlying the historical framework Barnes presented. (IAH)

Criticizes the trend in social studies education, led by Diane Ravitch, towards the revival of teaching history in a traditional manner. Claims that Ravitch's rationale for history's decline is faulty, ignoring the problems resulting from teaching history chronologically. Suggests that using the problem-centered approach will make history more…

Discusses a field trip to Lucan, Ontario to research the story of the Donnelly family murders of 1880. Describes sites visited, student activities, and contacts made with local individuals familiar with the story. Includes class follow-up activities. Provides an activity on cemeteries and examines educational benefits. (RW)

Provides a lesson plan on the Great Depression in which students examine the social, economic, and political events of the period through a study of radio broadcasting. Describes an activity in which students research the era and create a radio broadcast. Outlines activity guidelines, radio language, and evaluation methods. (RW)

Analyzes four concepts contributing to U.S. involvement in Vietnam: (1) security; (2) ideology; (3) economics; and (4) domestic political considerations. Examines reasons why the United States lost the war; reviews combat conditions; and discusses the public attitudes toward the war. (LS)

Presents a method for teaching about the 1970s and provides an overview of the decade analyzing major events. Presents the underlying tone of the time period showing how different political, economic, and social events affected society's spirit, attitudes, and moods. (LS)

Highlights a variety of ERIC materials to use for instruction and reflection about the 1970s. Materials cover Watergate, environmental issues, drug use, the new ethnicity, terrorism, the Vietnam War, and women's employment. (LS)

Reflects on the thought and process involved in the development of a series of computer simulations used to help teach a two-semester U.S. history course. Lists common elements in the simulations, describes the simulations, and responds to criticisms. Discusses student reaction to the use of computer simulations in a history course. (LS)

Reviews the California History-Social Science Framework, the new state curriculum guide for the teaching of elementary and secondary social studies. Emphasizes the Framework's focus on history and geography, and citizenship education. (FMW)

Clarifies the advantages and disadvantages of teaching state and local history. Lists suggestions made by J. J. Blaga and L. E. Nielson for the improvement of state studies. Notes that these suggestions have significance for the long term but that methods for short-term improvement have not been forthcoming. (KO)

States four concerns related to the California Framework for History-Social Science Education: (1) teacher preparation; (2) inadequate provisions for active learning in the skills strand; (3) the omission of science and technology; and (4) a neglect of the community close to the students. Concludes that the Framework does provide direction and…

Asserts that all students should know that African Americans make up an integral part of U.S. history. Reviews two books, "In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture," by Kwame Anthony Appiah and "Lure and Loathing: Essays on Race, Identity, and the Ambivalence of Assimilation," by Gerald Early (ed.). (CFR)

Asserts that social studies or history methods textbooks do not enjoy the same popularity among teachers they once did. Reviews five texts used prior to 1910 and maintains that each contributed to the traditional history curriculum. (CFR)

Outlines a concept of political virtue, and consequently of civic education, that attempts to give both criticism and emotional engagement their due importance. Educational implications of the concept are explored in relation to the development of a sense of history among students. (SLD)