Presenting U.S. history as contested interpretations of compelling problems, this text offers a clear set of principles and strategies, together with case studies and "Mystery Packets" of documentary materials from key periods in American history, that teachers can use with their students to promote and sustain problem-finding and problem-solving in history and social studies classrooms. Structured to encourage new attitudes toward history as hands-on inquiry, conflicting interpretation, a...

This volume reviews the background of mandated teacher performance assessment with an emphasis on policy, privatization, and professionalization. The authors discuss the potential impact of mandated teacher performance assessments on teacher education in the content areas of mathematics, English, and social studies. The perspectives and empirical research examined in this conceptual analysis illustrate the various ways in which the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCAL...

Offering a philosophy, methodology, and examples for history instruction that are active, imaginative, and provocative, this text presents a fully developed pedagogy based on problem-solving methods that promote reasoning and judgment and restore a sense of imagination and participation to classroom learning. It is designed to draw readers into the detective process that characterizes the work of professional historians and social scientists ─ sharing raw data, defining terms, building int...

Popular media has become a common means by which students understand both the present and the past. Consequently, more teachers are using various forms of popular culture as pedagogical tools in the history classroom. Science fiction is one of the most popular genres of contemporary film, a genre that permeates much of the current culture. In order to facilitate the use of science fiction films as learning tools, teachers of history need a dependable resource.Teaching History with ...

History does not have to be boring. Kids who are excited about history learn more. History is also far more than facts to memorize for the most recent standardized test. That is where Creative Ways to Teach the Mysteries of History comes in-to make the teaching and learning of history a powerful and enjoyable experience in the classroom through the study of historical mysteries. What better place to snoop around and dig through mysterious graves than in your history class? This bo...

Popular media has become a common means by which students understand both the present and the past. Consequently, more teachers are using various forms of popular culture as pedagogical tools in the history classroom. With their resurgent popularity—on both the large and small screens—musicals can be used to engage students as an entertaining source of historical understanding. In order to facilitate the use of musicals as learning tools, however, teachers of history need a dependable reso...

Engage students in meaningful civic learning and encourage them to become active and informed citizens. With this essential book, co-published by Routledge and MiddleWeb, you will gain a variety of practical strategies for teaching civics and current events to your middle school students. Author and expert teacher Sarah Cooper takes you into her school and shares her classroom-tested methods and tools.Topics include:Fitting current events into an already-packed histor...

Not every teacher loves history and the same can be said about students. It doesn't have to be that way. People love a good story. History is a collection of stories that trace the path people, famous and little known, took as they faced the challenges of life. The choices they made teach us about human nature and help us better understand the world, each other, and ourselves.When students hear something interesting, something they connect to personally, they pay attention and want...

Designed specifically for teachers with little subject knowledge or experience in history, this book provides trainees with the confidence they need to teach primary history. Based on Curriculum 2000, the book provides valuable step-by-step guidance on how to create, plan, develop, organize and assess high-quality teaching activities in primary history. This book: is full of teaching approaches, practical ideas, teaching activities, real-life case studies and vignettes of good teaching pra...

Popular media has become a common means by which students understand both the present and the past. Consequently, more teachers are using various forms of popular culture as pedagogical tools in the history classroom. Among the many materials available to teachers in the digital age are public-domain films produced throughout the twentieth century. These include studio-made newsreels, government-produced war propaganda, corporate-sponsored cartoons, and public health shorts that show teens...

Social Studies Today will help educators—teachers, curriculum specialists, and researchers—think deeply about contemporary social studies education. More than simply learning about key topics, this collection invites readers to think through some of the most relevant, dynamic, and challenging questions animating social studies education today.With 12 new chapters highlighting recent developments in the field, the second edition features the work of major scholars such as J...

**A New York Times Notable Book"A must-read book for every American teacher and taxpayer." —Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids in the World**Launched with a hugely popular New York Times Magazine cover story, Building a Better Teacher sparked a national conversation about teacher quality and established Elizabeth Green as a leading voice in education. Green's fascinating and accessible narrative dispels the common myth of the "nat...