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Helping Students Define Primary Source Documents

The primary source document has recently received more and more attention in national and state standards for all education levels.  And for the gifted student, the primary source document can stimulate and challenge a population of students who are sometimes bored by textbooks that regurgitate important sources in pedantic and watered-down language.  Still, incorporating the primary source document into the curriculum can prove to be challenging for teachers charged with this task.  For, you might ask, what “exactly” is a primary...

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Enlivening Social Studies to Meet the Test

 Andi Stix was interviewed by Donna Green from the New York Times on why Social Studies instruction needs improvement.Coming soon from the same people who brought New York students new tests in reading and math – a new test for social studies. The tests are mandated by the Board of Regents and are aimed at raising academic standards. For fifth-graders, the test is to be given this year, although there is talk of delaying it a year; for eighth-graders,...

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How to Address a Political Cartoon for Clearer Interpretation

 A Letter to the Editor: Social Education on Political CartoonsI applaud Ray Heitzmann’s article , which discusses the use of political cartoons in the classroom. I am always in search of good sources and am glad to find a detailed list included in the article.According to Dr. Heitzmann, teachers often find that their students have trouble deciphering political cartoons. In preparation for the new state document-based essay questions, I have devised an easy-to-use format for students to follow:Read the question on...

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