Friday, March 26, 2004 Examines the background history that is needed to understand the major economic and political problems in the world today.

From the site:

This web site contains a short explanation of the background history that is needed to understand the major economic and political problems in the world today. Those who are following the news accounts of the troubles in the Middle East, the Balkan States, Africa, Argentina and elsewhere have probably noticed that it is very difficult to understand the roots of the problems. Daily news accounts contain a lot of useful information, but they do not contain an explanation of the historical context, which is necessary to really understand what is happening. This 48 page explanation of history fills that gap. Once you have read it, you will understand for the first time what is actually happening in the world. It amounts to a new theory of history that is capable of explaining why countries behave the way that they do.

In this modern day information age, it is time to set aside historical views that are based on national myths and prejudice. This overview of history applies the same rules and standards to all countries in a fair and impartial manner.

History occurs in a single massive complex of intertwined events, but it cannot be understood when everything is jumbled together. That is why this explanation of history is written in a question and answer format. Events have been separated into different threads in order to promote understanding. This format helps to keep the analysis on track and explain one issue at a time. These threads will have to be recombined inside your mind in order to provide a full picture of what is happening in the world. The questions have been arranged in such a way that the answers will work together to provide an understanding of the overall context of history.

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Including Historic Places in the Social Studies Curriculum.

Including Historic Places in the Social Studies Curriculum. This article examines the ways that "place" can be taught in the context of history.

From the site:

Places have powerful stories to tell. They speak through relationships to their settings, their plan and design, their building materials, their atmosphere and ambience, their furniture, and other objects they contain. They can evoke the ghosts of the people who once lived and worked there. These places provide physical evidence of how broad currents of history affect even small communities. Supplemented with primary or secondary written and visual materials, they also teach such skills as observation, working with maps, interpreting visual evidence, evaluating bias, analysis, comparison and contrast, and problem-solving.

Teaching with Historic Places, a program administered by the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places, offers a variety of ways to share this "power of place" with students across the nation. At the heart of the program is a series of more than 50 classroom-ready lesson plans based on historic places listed in the National Register. These lessons allow teachers to use historic places to bring the new standards in geography, history, and social studies into their classrooms.

Monday, March 22, 2004

When Work is Done

When Work is Done Teaches about primary sources using photographs to compile an album of early 20th Century American leisure life. It is geared towards high school students.

From the site:

The main vehicle for this lesson is the web site "When Work is Done". After completing the introductory lesson using photographs as primary sources, students compile their own albums based on a thesis statement about life in the 20th century.