"Difficult" or "challenging" topics to teach include racism, violence, genocide, bullying, gangs, abuse (physical, emotional, and substance), slavery, suffering, hatred, terrorism, war, disease, loss, addiction, and more. But by confronting them with students, in the safety of a classroom through thoughtfully constructed lessons (ones that take…

Graphic organizers are immensely popular--and much utilized--in many classrooms, particularly at the elementary level. These creative and innovate teaching tools are a very effective addition to the teaching repertoire and may be designed to maximize precious class time. For the secondary social studies teacher, their instant appeal and universal…

Formal mathematical methods remain, for most high school students, mysterious, artificial and not a part of their regular intuitive thinking. The authors develop some themes that could lead to a radically new approach. According to this thesis, the teaching of programming languages as a regular part of academic progress can contribute effectively…

The history of calligraphy and its insertion into the "cursus studiorum" of Italian schools is rebuilt, starting from the end of the 18th century. The history of teaching calligraphy was connected in fact not only with the development of writing styles and instruments but--particularly in the Italian context--it was burdened with other…

September 11, 2001, is a day most American high school students remember. They may not fully grasp the events that took place, the reasons behind the terrorist attacks on the United States, or their implications, but they remember. They were children when this national trauma occurred--and they saw those unforgettable television images of the…

In this article, the author examines the practice of the filibuster, using as the featured document the signed cloture motion in the Senate for an end to the filibuster to block the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The accompanying teaching activities enable teachers to introduce their classes to the history and practice of the filibuster. (Contains 1…

This article suggests how movement analysis from a socially contextualized perspective can inform understanding about the significance of sociopolitical contexts and aesthetic values in Western dance training. Perspectives of movement analysis provide groundwork for discussing perceivable ways to address discrepancies between democratic and…

The purpose of this article is to examine how our Kootegan Yix Meh Towlth (traditional governance) might contribute to the development and implementation of a culturally relevant Sliammon governance model. Our Uk woom he heow (ancestors) lived their everyday lives guided by a complex system of practices and beliefs based on our Ta-ow (traditional…

Health educators have consistently shown creativity in using innovative teaching techniques. Three articles from the past discuss "new" teaching methods: (1) "A Radio Project Teaches Your Class" (Miller); (2) "An Activity Program in Alcohol Education" (Breg); and (3) "Teaching Health Through Pictures" (Haviland). (CB)

A brief review of some of the classic studies on thinking ability and thought processes, outlining five principles for the teaching of thinking. (SJL)

Presents a perspective on the teaching of literature from the 1940s to the 1970s. (DD)

Viewing the growing disenchantment with state-controlled schooling, the authors predict that home teaching will become an established educational alternative within a short time, and they reflect on the teachings and writings of Johann Friedrich Herbart, an eighteenth-century advocate of educating children at home. (Editor/SJL)

Published in 1917, this book overviews rural schooling during the early 1900s and was written to address the problems of rural teaching and to serve as an introductory guide for rural teachers. Specifically, the book aimed to bring attention to the needs of rural life and the possible contributions of the rural school, to describe effective…

Explains the movements of the changing science curriculum starting from 1893. Provides recommendations from the National Education Associations (NEA) on restructuring the curriculum. Discusses required reform movements in teacher education programs for a major curriculum reform. First published in 1994. (YDS)

Many practices in Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools were negative, but this paper emphasizes the positive efforts that were made throughout their history, especially in regard to teaching English. The Carlisle Indian School, which opened in 1879, encouraged the use of English through an English language student newspaper and frequently…