Provides historical background about the Mississippi Freedom Schools that aimed to assist African American elementary and secondary students in 1964. Focuses on the questioning techniques that were based in progressive methods. Addresses discussion as a method, provides an example of a Freedom School discussion, and explores the implications for…

Focuses on using drama in social studies by describing the use of the flippy play, a narrative illustrating social problems and written and drawn on flippable panels. Discusses the process for creating a flippy play, beginning with researching, developing, and constructing the play, building the flippy frame, and then producing and pacing the…

Describes the procedures, preparation, and background material necessary for a class to produce an updated version of a living newspaper puppet play. These plays, originally produced by the Federal Theater Project, took a strong editorial position while examining and satirizing political issues. (MJP)

Discusses the use of a "crankie," a simple story device made from a cardboard box, in studying women's history in the high school classroom. Presents an example of a crankie story which focuses on Rosa Parks and the Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott. Describes an evaluation process and assesses the activity's instructional value. (GEA)

By using propaganda commercial radio broadcasts which occurred during the Second World War as the basis for classroom activities, teachers can help students capture the emotional drama of various topics of the war, as well as certain themes still applicable in contemporary society, and stimulate student curiosity about the past. (RM)

How the story paper, a popular 19th-century literary form, can be used to teach secondary students about the historical experience of women between 1840 and 1890 is described. The historical background of the story paper is discussed. A student handout explaining how to write a story paper is included. (RM)

Describes an activity in which high school students learn about the Depression through the Pop Art of that era. Activity has students interview a relative or other person who lived at the time of the depression, produce five drawings depicting the experiences related to them by the interviewee, and exhibit the drawings in the classroom. (AEM)

Provides classroom procedures for adapting the nineteenth-century-style song slide show to middle school history instruction. Suggests student production of song slide shows as individual or group projects. Argues that the activity can capture the drama of history and stimulate student curiosity about the past. (SG)

Points out that melodrama can be used as a method for historical research, giving students practice in applying historical methods. Describes an innovative teaching technique in which students learn about slavery by staging a melodrama in the classroom. Gives detailed instructions on designing a melodrama. (GG)

Describes a secondary class activity in which students conduct historical research on the U.S. civil rights movement presenting their findings in comic book format. Discusses four components of comic book development: plot development, layout, drawing, and narration. Includes two pages from a student-developed comic book and suggestions for…

Maintains that teachers can develop a drama skit known as "el acto" for studying Hispanic American history and contemporary themes. Discusses the history of this dramatic form and how it has been used in the schools. Presents a seven-step set of procedures for implementing and evaluating this classroom technique in the classroom. (CFR)