Social Education

Editor’s Notebook
Michael Simpson
Social Education, May/June 2010

NCSS has always been a strong advocate of creative teaching in the social studies. Most of the features in this issue of Social Education focus on the benefits of literature, the arts and cultural activities for the social studies classroom. I know that our readers will appreciate the many engaging teaching suggestions that our contributors offer.

One of the problems of law-related education is that students can have difficulty mastering the more abstract legal concepts. Mark S. Weiner’s Looking at the Law column proposes teaching about famous trials to add drama to lessons and enhance student comprehension of the complex issues involved. Weiner recommends a number of trials that have “a proper dash of drama and detail,” (125) ranging from the Amistad trial to that of the Chicago Seven in 1969.

Michael Hussey and Elizabeth K. Eder make a persuasive case for the use of art in history classes in their article featuring Winslow Homer’s painting, A Visit from the Old Mistress. Their analysis of the interaction in the painting between three former slaves and their one-time mistress highlights the impact of the abolition of slavery. Their teaching suggestions and accompanying letter from a slave in Maryland to Abraham Lincoln allow teachers to bring that important historical era to their history classrooms.

Our students “will see or visit monuments throughout their adult lives,” write Alan S. Marcus and Thomas H. Levine (131). If field trips can teach them how to get the most from monuments and memorials, a lifelong love of history can result. Marcus and Levine present an activity that allows students to design a monument relating to a historical development of their choice.

Are your students getting bored? Mark L. Daniels’ advice is “put on a strange hat, bring an object into your class or have your students dress up.” (136) Daniels extols the value of re-enactments, and offers advice and resources for those interested in putting his recommendations into practice.

For teachers avidly seeking new ideas for field trips, C. Frederick Risinger’s Internet column introduces sites that offer virtual tours. The recommended list presents historical locations as far apart as ancient Egypt and the Wild West. Risinger highlights sites that offer good education as well as a good excursion.

The 16-page center pullout brings our readers the latest selection of Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People published in 2009. A committee of NCSS members, in conjunction with the Children’s Book Council, has selected these books because of their outstanding social studies value, as well as their exceptional literary qualities. The right social studies literature can promote the literacy goals that are so important to schools while at the same time advancing social studies education.

This issue also presents reviews of the books that received Carter G. Woodson book awards in 2009. These books have been selected by the Carter G. Woodson book awards subcommittee for their excellence in educating young people on race and ethnicity in the United States. This year’s selections offer rich insights into African American history, the lives of migrant worker families, and the historical problems faced by Native Americans.

After the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti this January, the Ushahidi interactive mapping project sprang into action to help humanitarian workers identify the areas of greatest need. Basing themselves mainly on text messages from persons in disaster zones in Haiti, the project’s volunteers were able to create a disaster map that served as an instant reference for rescue workers. Associate Editor Jennifer Bauduy describes the project and its resourceful technology, which can be used to present data on a wide variety of major ongoing events.

The innovative use of technology in another context—the economics classroom—is advocated by Kathy Swan, Mark Hofer, Gerry Swan and Joan Mazur, who point out that it is relatively easy for teachers to produce podcasts. They present three successful instances of teacher-developed podcasts on topics ranging from basic economic concepts to the economies of foreign countries and the current recession. The authors have developed a website (www.econocast.org) to serve as a clearinghouse for economics podcasts.

In our Research and Practice column, Beth C. Rubin presents an innovative approach to teaching U.S. history that had significant effects when it was introduced in a high school course. Based on four design principles drawn from recent civic education research, it encourages students to approach history with essential, civics-based guiding questions in mind. These questions structure their studies of government, economics, the movement of people, and social change, as well as conflict and conflict resolution.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was one of history’s great moments. Pointing out that “simulations stimulate interest, and, as a result, students gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the
content,” (154) William B. Russell III suggests an activity to bring the historical reality of the Wall home to today’s students, who have grown up in the world that took shape after the Cold War ended.

Reviewing the recent controversy in Texas, Don Bragaw emphasizes the need for history standards to be based on scholarship rather than driven by a political agenda. His Point of View article reiterates the importance of strengthening social studies education in general nationwide.

This issue also includes an NCSS statement on the best practice for developing state social studies standards.

Educational historian Diane Ravitch has had a significant influence on educational policy, and has served in public office in both Republican and Democratic administrations. Her recent book criticizing the direction that school reform has taken has received great publicity, and is the subject of a review by Walter Parker for our readers.

As always, the editors of Social Education welcome the comments of readers on any of the contributions to this issue at socialed@ncss.org.

Articles from the "Teaching with Documents" series are available free online to NCSS members. Click on the ones you want to view and print. Teaching with Documents articles, published originally in Social Education over the last decade or so, were written by staff at the National Archives and Records Administration. Each article features a primary source document accompanied by teaching activities and lessons that focus on history, civics, and many other social studies disciplines.

Remember, too, that other articles from back issues of Social Education, Middle Level Learning, and Social Studies and the Young Learner are available to members at the online archives, www.socialstudies.org/members/.

The articles listed here include the primary source documents and complete lesson plans for middle and secondary classrooms. They are all presented in PDF format.

• The First Act of Congress
  Lee Ann Potter
  In the early days of this nation, Congress considered numerous acts as it established the laws of the land. Yet the first ever act of Congress concerned an oath to support the Constitution.
  
  
• On the Other Side
  Lee Ann Potter
  The value of an historical document goes far beyond its obvious content, and includes such obscure clues as notations scribbled hastily on the back.
  
  
• Buttons to Bumper Stickers: Political Campaign Memorabilia
  Lee Ann Potter
  From George Washington to George W. Bush, politicians have used campaign memorabilia to capture the attention of voters. By studying these items, students can learn a great deal about historical issues and candidates.
  
  
• Robert E. Lee's Demand for the Surrender of John Brown
  Daniel F. Rulli
  John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry--considered treasonous by some and heroic by others--helped strengthen the anti-slavery movement. Students can gain a deeper understanding of this event by studying General Lee's demand for Brown’s surrender.
  
  
• 1863 Letter from Ralph Waldo Emerson about Walt Whitman
  Lee Ann Potter
  During the Civil War, poet Walt Whitman was eager to work for the government. Though federal jobs weren't easy to come by, a letter of recommendation from Ralph Waldo Emerson was able to push open government doors.
  
  
• Letter from President Millard Fillmore to the Emperor of Japan
  Marvin Pinkert and Lee Ann Potter
  A letter from President Fillmore plays a key role in overcoming Japan's "closed country" policy.
  
  
• Order of Argument in the Case Brown v. Board of Education
  Kahlil Chism, contributing author, and Lee Ann Potter, editor
  The Order of Argument in Brown v. Board of Education is a short document, but it can launch students on a long voyage of understanding of this milestone case.
  
  
• Connecting with the Past
  Lee Ann Potter
  History becomes much more than past events and important dates, when students investigate the subtle clues buried in primary sources.
  
  
• Big and Famous is Not Always Better
  Daniel F. Rulli
  Documents do not need to be elaborate to be useful classroom tools. Short, lesser-known documents can teach students a world of history.
  
  
• The Words We Live By: The Constitution in Context
  Linda R. Monk
  When students understand the historical context of a given document, they learn much more than simply the words of a text.
  
  
• From Attics to Graveyards: Where to Locate Documents for Your Classroom
  Tom Gray and Susan Owens
  The most valuable information may be in the least obvious places--attics, file cabinets, or the local cemeteries.
  
  
• Online Resources from the National Archives
  Lee Ann Potter
  This article provides practical tips for finding key sources on the National Archives website.
  
  
• Online Resources from the Library of Congress
  Judith K. Graves and Marilyn Parr
  The authors outline major areas and search tools for navigating the Library of Congress website.
  
  
• Archival Facilities Across the Nation
  Here's a useful list of National Archives facilities around the country. Also included is a list of state archives that are responsible for preserving valuable records.
  
  
• Primarily, It's Serendipity
  James A. Percoco
  The correspondence between a baseball commissioner and President Franklin Roosevelt offers a creative approach to teaching World War II during baseball season.
  
  
• My Reward: Outstanding Student Projects Based on Primary Sources
  John Lawlor
  Students research their homes, local ruins, or urban ecology--among other fascinating subjects--as part of term projects that challenge them to investigate history using primary sources.
  
  
• Suggested Methods for Integrating Primary Sources into Classroom Instruction
  National Archives and Records Administration
  
  
• Document Analysis Worksheets
  National Archives and Records Administration
  
  
• Affidavit in the Case of Orville and Wilbur Wright vs. Glenn H. Curtiss
  Kahlil G. Chism and Lee Ann Potter
  Orville and Wilbur Wright were not the only inventors working on airplane innovations. But the Wright brothers' patent gave them a tremendous advantage and inhibited manufacturers from producing planes for a time just before World War I.
  
  
• Letter from Archibald MacLeish about Relocating the Charters of Freedom during World War II
  Michael Hussey and Lee Ann Potter
  During World War II, the Library of Congress went to extraordinary lengths to protect the nation's founding documents in case of an attack on the capital.
  
  
• Letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson to John Steinbeck
  Lee Ann Potter
  The letter featured in this article offers insight into the mutual respect shared between author John Steinbeck and former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Although Steinbeck's opinion on the Vietnam War varied, he was a strong supporter of Johnson's position on the war at the time the letter was written.