States that in order to gain students' attention, social studies teachers should use more active teaching strategies. Describes six hooking strategies that immediately draw students in: (1) inquiry; (2) media hook; (3) sentence synthesis; (4) what they know, what they want to know, what they learned (K-W-L); (5) roundtable; and (6) concept…

Discusses the use of oral history in the social studies classroom and highlights the benefits of using oral history. Describes five ways to collect oral histories: (1) group interviews; (2) individual interviews; (3) surveys taken home; (4) object interviews; and (5) field trip interviews. Includes examples of oral history project themes. (CMK)

Focuses on the use of literature to teach social studies. Explores the various considerations that teachers must address when selecting literature, such as vocabulary levels, gender and ethnic bias, issues concerning relevance, interdisciplinary issues, and the quality of the literature. (CMK)

Discusses the use of art within the social studies at the elementary level. Focuses on four artists, Larry Rivers, Ken Done, John Singer Sargent, and Julian Schnabel, who used social studies themes as inspiration for their artworks. Provides ideas for activities that correspond to each of these artists. (CMK)

Focuses on the use of storytelling as a means of teaching history. Explores the ideas presented by Charles McMurry in his handbook "Special Method in History" that addresses the use of stories in teaching. States that McMurry thought history could be interesting and tangible for even the youngest child. (CMK)

Discusses the issue of how and why classroom teachers should develop strategies for questioning the media's tendency to portray globalization in neutral, unproblematic terms. Focuses on two terms, cultural homogenization and Eurocentrism, and describes classroom activities explaining both terms to help students see the effects of globalization.…

Considers the ideological and imaginative potential of literature for questioning notions of Canadian identity in the social studies classroom. Compares various literary texts and considers how writers attempt to create a unified metanarrative. Contrasts texts from the early twentieth century with contemporary Canadian literature. (CMK)

Examines strategies students and teachers can use when viewing (and countering) the universal and objective image popular culture diffuses. Focuses on teaching environmental/ecological issues in a grade 11 social studies classroom. Suggests that students must engage texts by "writing themselves" to the conversations these texts initiate. (CMK)

Explains how teachers can help their students better understand their textbooks. Describes five textbook writing styles, such as linear time sequence style or a cause-effect style, and activities related to the style. Provides hints to help students develop an understanding of their textbooks. (CMK)

Provides a collection of Web sites that can be used when teaching labor studies, such as the Illinois Labor History Society that has a "Curriculum of United States Labor History for Teachers" and the Canadian Committee on Labor History for a Canadian perspective. (CMK)

Explores the diary of Karl Clark that focuses on his experiences in the Athabasca tar sands. The diary helps decipher the nature of 1920s town life and the pioneering spirit involved in exploring the oil sands. Includes background information on Clark. (CMK)

Presents a crossword puzzle focusing on U.S. history which tests the knowledge of Canadian students about their "neighbor to the south." Includes items mentioned in an eighth-grade U.S. student textbook "America's Past and Promise". Provides a word list, blank crossword, and answers. (CMK)

Provides a overview of the development and implementation of free public education. Considers the political climate of 18th-century America and the subsequent controversies concerning tax-supported public education. Discusses such issues as moral education, religious education, civic education, and secular and religious opposition and provides…

Considers the wealth of information on the Internet and suggests a number of ways to incorporate it into meaningful instructive activities. Posits five levels of Internet activity: personal use, sharing material with students, incorporating material into units, facilitating student-directed projects, and student-initiated and directed projects.…

Discusses the various ways that oral history can be used in the classroom and describes several representative projects. Covers oral history projects documenting immigrant experiences, women's issues, and other subjects. Appendices include tips on interview preparation, progress reports, background research, evaluative criteria, and final…