Social Education
Executive Power in an Age of Terror (Looking at the Law)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 10:27am—James H. Landman
In today’s era of terrorism, marked by a non-traditional enemy, should the executive branch have greater authority? This article looks at the extent of the president’s power and the role of Congress and the judiciary in checking and balancing that power.
The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Jennifer Bauduy on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:50amBy Kahlil Chism
The Freedmen’s Bureau was one of few agencies established to improve the lives of former slaves. Four documents highlight for students the bureau’s efforts to help African Americans acquire land, secure jobs, legalize marriages, and pursue education.
* http://publications.socialstudies.org/se/7001/700119.pdf
Researching the Viet Nam War Inside Viet Nam: U.S. Student Teachers Explore War Myths
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:22amBy Robert E. Vadas
Aiming to correct myths about the Viet Nam War, this author regularly leads groups of students to learn about the country firsthand.
The Great Communicator Files
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:17amBy Mira Cohen
Students will learn a great deal about the process of presidential speechwriting when they study primary documents related to well-known speeches such as President Reagan’s “Omaha Beach Memorial Remarks.”
Chew Heong v. United States: Chinese Exclusion and the Federal Courts (Looking at the Law)
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:16am_ By Edited by James H. Landman_
A close look at the case of Chew Heong, a Chinese immigrant who challenged the nineteenth-century Chinese exclusion laws, provides important insight into early U.S. efforts to control immigration.
Puritan Day: A Social Science Simulation
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:14amBy Joan Brodsky Schur
Eighth-grade students gain a greater understanding of social control and tyranny when they participate in a Puritan Day simulation.
October 1957 Memorandum Related to Sputnik (Teaching with Documents)
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:11amBy Missy McNatt and David Traill
This month marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Soviet launch of Sputnik, which fueled American panic that the Soviet Union could fire intercontinental ballistic missiles. The featured document highlights President Eisenhower’s reaction and the government’s response.
Promoting Historic Preservation in the Classroom
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:07amBy Paul LaRue
High school students learn that there is much more to history than the textbook when they interview World War II veterans and transcribe the stories for the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project.
Learning Early Twentieth-Century History through First-Person Interviews
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:04amBy Lisa A. Lark
Carrying out face-to-face interviews with American seniors can make U.S. history more relevant to students, and especially those who are first- and second-generation citizens.
9/11 and Terrorism: “The Ultimate Teachable Moment” in Textbooks and Supplemental Curricula
Submitted by Steven Lapham on Mon, 07/27/2009 - 9:01amDiana Hess and Jeremy Stoddard
A survey of curricular materials developed to address 9/11, reveals there is great discrepancy on how the topic should be covered and what students should be learning.
