In this series, a Victorian tenement in the heart of London's East End has been painstakingly brought back to life. A group of 21st century people move in to experience the tough living and working conditions of the Victorian poor in each decade, 1860s through 1900s. To see trailers and episode descriptions, visit http://www.pbs.org/show/victorian-slum-house/. Is this "recreation for television" a useful exercise in understanding the past, or a visual gimmick? Would clips from this series be useful in your classroom teaching? Send your critique to NCSS's newsletter at tssp@ncss.org and we'll…

In his six-hour series, AFRICA’S GREAT CIVILIZATIONS, Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes a look at the history of Africa, from the birth of humankind to the dawn of the 20th century. "This is a breathtaking and personal journey through two hundred thousand years of history, from the origins, on the African continent, of art, writing and civilization itself, through the millennia in which Africa and Africans shaped not only their own rich civilizations, but also the wider world." Visit www.pbs.org/show/africas-great-civilizations. Monday-Wednesday, February 27-March 1, 2017, 9:00-…

A new miniseries, "Victoria," which began on Sunday, January 15th at 9/8c, is hosted by MASTERPIECE on PBS. The six-episode drama follows Queen Victoria (played by Jenna Coleman) from the time she becomes England’s monarch in 1837 at the age of 18 through her relationship with her first prime minister, Lord Melbourne (Rufus Sewell), and her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes).  (It is expected that in ensuing years, the Victoria series will cover her full reign.) The screenwriter is Daisy Goodwin, who first started reading the Queen’s diaries as a student at Cambridge…

Spotlighting a sample lesson on the expansion of Islam in West Africa, the author demonstrates the important role that direct instruction plays in fostering inquiry-based instruction.  

Those who would ban or burn books recognize that the threat to their power comes when people learn to think for themselves.

Melissa K. Stanley, Dana Serure

Brianne Pitts

Woodrow Wilson’s handwritten note about the end of World War I along with a personal view from a private in the trenches can provide students with an opportunity to explore two very different perspectives on the war and its final moments.