This paper summarizes the suggestions offered by investigative committees of U.S. historians from the 1880s to the present concerning the importance of studying history in public schools, what should be included, and how it should be taught. An integrative approach to learning, combining history with English and geography, as suggested in reports issued before the advent of social studies, has been the optimal choice. Since history's traditional role in the schools has always included the responsibility for inculcating citizenship, instructional strategies that encourage students to be aware of their own rights and responsibilities are favored and should have a multicultural, global perspective. An integrated approach that discards traditional notions of content, classroom time, subject differentiation, and teacher training--outlined both conceptually and by example--offers opportunities for exciting children's imagination and encourages enjoyment in learning. However, it makes very little difference in the long run what happens in the classroom if educational reform is not accompanied by a sincere questioning of how our society is structured and the values it promotes. (Author/PPB)