Analyzes the historical context, arguments, and evidence of the Holmes Group report. Maintains that the report reflects the conservative political climate of the 1980s and is unsupported, ambiguous, and contradictory in areas. Concludes that the report's silence on the substance of teacher education highlights its political purpose of policing the…

Lists current documents relating to social studies teacher certification and standards available from ERIC and CIJE. Includes a description of teacher certification standards in New York, California, and Georgia, as well as an overview of all 50 states. (DH)

Proposes that one of the fundamental human attributes is telling stories. Explores the debate on whether Neanderthals possessed language ability. Discusses the role of the "human story" in teaching anthropology. (DH)

Traces aspects of social history reflected in children's books and describes how such books may be used for scholarly research. Offers examples and concludes that scholars should explore the lost treasures of the nursery. (DH)

Discusses public concern over geographic illiteracy among elementary and secondary students in the United States. Describes place identification, place content, spatial patterns and relations, and theory as the interrelated components of geographic learning. Asserts that, although universities must necessarily emphasize the latter two, elementary…

Reviews recent incidents of racial discrimination and discusses the role of education in reducing prejudice. Offers suggestions for classroom instruction and identifies a selection of recently produced classroom materials dealing with prejudice and human relations. (JDH)

Reviews research on prejudice reduction. The areas covered are audiovisual approaches, approaches using special materials, cognitive approaches, cooperative learning approaches, human relations training, direct approaches, schoolwide conditions, teacher education, and other techniques. (JDH)

Reports the revision of the 1983 National Council for the Social Studies Standards for Preparation of Social Studies Teachers. Recommended guidelines include suggestions that teacher education programs be challenging, have high standards for admission, and include well-supervised field experiences. Included also are recommendations for program…

Identifies the difficulties of teaching the Vietnam War. States that lack of adequate materials, student disinterest, and the complexity of the issue hinder instruction. Describes how some instructors approach the subject and concludes that interest in this area should be encouraged. (GEA)

Reviews the author's Vietnam War experience and his conviction that students cannot think critically because they are not challenged to do so. Identifies materials from the Center for Social Studies Education curriculum on Vietnam as a framework to be used to teach critical thinking in order to be able to evaluate similar situations appropriately.…

Discusses a graduate course on teaching the Vietnam War in which 15 secondary teachers participated. Analyzes the shortcomings of textbooks, particularly in the coverage of the human aspects of the war. Notes methods used by some participants to increase student interest in the subject. (GEA)

Discusses the use of primary sources in teaching about the Vietnam War. The approach encourages student questioning and discussion of issues surrounding the war. Urges educators to be certain that students know and understand the reasons for the war and not just repeat the rhetoric. (Author/GEA)

Describes a course taught to U.S. Air Force officers at Air University in Alabama. Discusses special problems confronted when teaching veterans of the war and new officers looking for answers. Maintains that studies of the war should look beyond "lessons learned" to search for the processes of policy analysis which will enable the nation…

Describes how the author teaches a four-week course on the Vietnam War giving attention to the books, films, and guest speakers used. States that the course enables students to understand the significant and complex issues raised by the war so that they can appreciate the different truths contained in diverse perspectives. (GEA)

Shows how the inclusion of women's history can change views of the past and how these new perceptions can be used with students to demonstrate the complexity of historical investigations. Provides examples of how women's history changes perceptions of colonialism, wars, and revolutions. (JDH)