Recent Times

--Amy Trenkle
Challenging eighth grade students to "investigate a bit of history that they interact with every day--the history of their own school" leads to critical thinking . . . and interesting discoveries. This issue includes a brief description of an oral history project, "Our School as Living History" by Candyce Sweda.   --> read more »

--John P. Dillon   --> read more »

--Melissa J. Marks
Students link clauses in the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution with current events as reported in the news media. Does "promoting general welfare" include health care?

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 0.6 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/26/MLL26.pdf

--Rebecca C. Maher
North Carolina eighth grade students work on a project involving history, music, art, and interviews with elderly citizens. Includes handouts with primary sources and the story of Train Schedules, Standardization, and "The Day of Two Noons."

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 0.8 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/21/mll21.pdf

--Susan Pass
Interviewing first generation parents, or writing about their own immigrant experiences, generates memorable results. Ten key interview questions.

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 0.67 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/20/mll20.pdf

--William L. Hewitt and Barbara Beaucar
This theme issue also includes related items -- "From Furs and Wampum to Slot Machines and Megadollars," "Does Gaming Hurt or Help?", and "The Streets are Paved with Silver," etc.

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 1.0 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/18/mll18.pdf

--Leila Meyerratken
Learning about Japanese culture and recent history with books, film, and a service learning project in Lafayette, Indiana.

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 1.0 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/17/mll17.pdf

--Alison Parker
Oral history interviews give deeper meaning to visits with the elderly, strengthening the academic content of service learning.
Also includes "Preparing Young People for Longer Lives in an Aging Society" by Donna P. Couper and Fran Pratt.

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 0.65 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/15/mll15.pdf

--Karen D. Harvey
The powwow is a way people who are not American Indians can learn about the importance of the circle in Indian thought and life.

This URL downloads all 16 pages of Middle Level Learning as a pdf of about 0.8 MB:
* http://members.ncss.org/mll/14/mll14.pdf

--Bruce E. Larson
Students have to think on two levels: they must deliberate about a current issue (Native rights to small-scale whaling) and develop reasons to defend their thinking; and they must reflect on the discussion process itself.

• publications.socialstudies.org/yl/1001/100102.html