On a hot July day in 1854, 24-year-old schoolteacher Elizabeth Jennings, accompanied by a friend, attempted to board a horse-drawn trolley to attend Sunday church services in Lower Manhattan. The Irish conductor refused, telling Jennings, who was African American, to await a horsecar for "her people." When Jennings resisted, the…

A close look at artifacts from September 11, 2001, can spark a powerful classroom lesson on the historic attacks. Some artifacts are massive, some fit in the palm of a hand, all serve to tell the story of what happened on 9/11 and in its aftermath. Throughout the year, students use these artifacts, and the stories behind them, to examine the…

The Federal Reserve System is the central bank of the United States. The system includes 12 Federal Reserve Banks (and their associated branches) located throughout the country, with oversight by the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. The diverse structure is designed to ensure that the interests of Main Street are represented along with those…

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, 15 million Americans, or one quarter of the nation's workers, were jobless. Hope faded as despair spread. Three years later, on July 10, 1936, Roosevelt took a special overnight train from Washington, D.C., to New York City for the dedication of the Triborough Bridge. The next day,…

Presents the reflections of a social studies teacher from New York City about the September 11, 2001, attacks and the days following it. Focuses on her personal experiences during that time period and the response of the school where she taught. (CMK)

Discusses an exchange of students between two seventh grade social studies classes: one in New York City, the other in Elida, Ohio. Examines important benefits for students that such domestic exchanges offer. Outlines the elements of a successful exchange. Suggests that a nationwide clearinghouse is needed to implement a domestic exchange program.…

Discusses efforts in New York City and New York State to revise and expand the social studies curriculum to reflect a multicultural outlook. Argues that the study of history must respect the integrity of the past and not teach myth as history. Includes ideas on promoting democratic values, teaching social history, and teaching imaginatively. (DK)

Maintains that, although the United Nations and its New York headquarters is well-known, the location and activities of the World Court in the Hague, Netherlands, are seldom mentioned in the news. Discusses the origins, structure, and composition of the International Court of Justice, better known as the World Court. (CFR)

Describes a program at an inner-city day care and after-school program (Brooklyn, New York) designed to help children express, share, and take pride in their family cultures, and to respond to increasing hostility toward new immigrant groups. Includes an annotated bibliography of resources for teaching about immigrants to the United States. (DSK)

Sets out the current situation for New York City teachers who must deal with increasing numbers of immigrant students. Describes how adapting teacher education to new classroom contexts is being carried out in the Program in Social Studies at Teachers College of Columbia University. Includes a list of related teacher resources. (DSK)

Describes a project in which one school in New York and another in New Zealand corresponded through video, fax, and e-mail. Explains that the project's focus was on the students learning about the Maori culture in New Zealand and the subcultures of New York and promoting cultural pride in all of the students. (CMK)

Discusses the New York World's Fair that opened on April 30, 1939 and focuses on such issues as the role of technology at the Fair, the different exhibits that were included, and effects of the real events of 1939-1940. Includes teaching activities and a list of teaching resources (print and Web sites). (CMK)