Emphasizing Europe's role in the growth of Western institutions and ideals, this guide stresses the development of skills necessary for active participation in democratic processes. An introductory unit on the Renaissance and the Reformation is followed by units on (1) the political events fostering the growth of the modern national state and the…

The Schools Council Project investigated current practices in teaching history, identified objectives and obstacles and carried out a program in trial schools based upon conclusions drawn from the investigation. An experimental framework for syllabus construction based first on the conceptual structure of history and second, on a taxonomy of…

A local history course offered as a semester elective to seniors has as its purpose the study of the local community as a microcosm of the United States. The basic principle is to reinforce what the student has already learned in previous history courses. The course proceeds through a chronological sequence of units about various periods of the…

This report gives an overview of History Education Project (HEP) operational structure and a summary of activities of its 13 regional teams. HEP is committed to the improvement of history education and to the training of history teachers for all educational levels. Some goals are to: 1) define objectives of history instruction; 2) identify, across…

This final report discloses findings of a survey team composed of fifteen historians and social studies specialists on 1965 NDEA institutes in history. An attempt is made to identify the nature of a summer institute and how it differs from regular teacher education. Objectives include answering three questions: 1) What kind of teachers attended…

States that the Founders' legacy is our well-modeled government which is limited by law to protect the life, liberty, and property of individuals. Reviews some of the Founding Fathers' thoughts regarding the proper role and structure of our government. Advocates improved citizenship education and introduces the theme articles in this issue. (JDH)

Provides reviews of four educational software packages which deal with problem solving, mathematics, history, and reading comprehension. Includes information about appropriate hardware, grade level, the publisher and purchasing. Contains comments about the strengths and weaknesses of each program. (TW)

Analyzes methods of teaching American social history and the merits of new (narrative) versus old (analytic) methodologies. Using college syllabi as models, the article concludes that historians must remain storytellers to be effective. (TRS)

This collection of essays traces the historical development of ethnic studies, its place in U.S. universities and the curriculum, and new directions in contemporary scholarship. Essays include: "Introduction: Color-Line to Borderlands" (Johnnella E. Butler); "Multiculturalism: Battleground or Meeting Ground?" (Ronald Takaki);…

This book is about using parks and gardens as a study of the historic built environment. Parks and gardens have been laid out for utility and enjoyment for centuries. The ideas presented may be adapted to use in any park - public or municipal parks or those part of historic house estates, or any smaller-scale garden. The chapter titles include:…

Canterbury, Connecticut, and Little Rock, Arkansas, are links in a chain of events representing the struggle for equal educational opportunity for African Americans. Focusing on these two communities, this lesson plan highlights two important historic places and the role each played in testing the prevailing assumptions of the time regarding…

This essay examines the ways in which U.S. history, as a discipline, has been influenced by feminist scholarship in the field and by research on gender and sexuality. It notes that the recognition that gender matters revolutionized the thinking of scholars who forged the field of women's history. Feminist scholars have expanded the definition of…

The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) was created by Congress to formulate policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Among the Board's responsibilities are developing objectives and test specifications and designing the assessment methodology for NAEP. This document provides the framework to guide the development…

How shall a project be organized so that the subjects in the school program shall properly function and shall contribute to the effective working out of the central idea around which the project must concentrate? How shall an untrained teacher be able to formulate her subject matter in terms of projects unless she understands the function of each…

Recommends enlarging perspectives of colonial American history by expanding geographic boundaries and ethnic group considerations, emphasizing ethnohistory, and enlarging time period studies. Benefits include possibilities for indigenous comparative history, comparative history of colonization, and interdisciplinary history. (CK)