Strengthening
the Teaching of American History
Summer
Institute 2003 at American University
July 7 - July 18
Week
One:
Early
American History to 1800:
This course offers elementary school teachers a reintroduction to
some of the major developments in the historical study of early
America. We will emphasize four themes of central significance for
this period: Native American history and the practice of ethnohistory;
gender and radical Protestantism; the development of Anglo-American
legal and political structures within a culturally diverse society;
and the institution of slavery and the emergence of racial ideologies.
The
Civil War Institute:
This course will introduce participants to the key
causes and consequences of our nation's most traumatic cultural
experience. It is designed to have participants
explore the remnants and remembrances of the Civil War era that
remain in the nation's capitol. The principal mode of instruction
will be classroom lectures and discussions and thematic study tours
of the city and surrounding area.
Twentieth-Century
American History:
The
Twentieth-Century American History Institute is a week-long summer
program designed to explore the key themes and issues of American
history in this period. We will strive to start from an issue's
nineteenth-century origins when relevant, as well as to make use
of comparative analyses in understanding American history. The institute
is also designed to introduce you to new approaches to researching
and teaching history to you students - particularly those approaches
most suited to help bring history to life. To that end, we will
explore public history, oral history, neighborhood history, biography,
and use of primary resources. The course will make use of lecture,
discussions, workshops, and guided thematic tours of local sites.
Week
Two:
EDU
696: Curriculum and Instruction for American History:
This course is designed to be an exploration and analysis
of the design of teaching in American History. During our week together,
we hope to build upon the knowledge and expertise that you already
bring to the teaching of social studies, and also to facilitate
ways for you to continue to grow and develop as teachers. Each day,
we will focus on using a particular social studies “tool”
in order to investigate more deeply the possibilities for classroom
practice.
Additionally, we will explore the foundations of teacher research,
and ask each of you to craft an inquiry question that you will investigate
and document in your classrooms. Throughout the course, you will
study the curriculum design, planning and delivery underlying the
teaching of history. Ultimately, our goal is to support your work
as teachers as you continue to create engaged, interactive, and
dynamic social studies classrooms which value and respect students
of diverse learning styles and socio-cultural communities.
