The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is the largest and oldest education information system in the world. The ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education (ERIC/ChESS) is one of sixteen subject-oriented clearinghouses that compose the ERIC system. The heart of this system, the ERIC database of education-related literature, contains nearly one million citations with abstracts, drawn from a variety of disciplines. Citations to journal articles, teaching and curriculum guides, bibliographies, research reports, and conference papers are included. The ERIC database is available free in many large public and university libraries and on the Internet.

The listings below are drawn from the ERIC database and include both teaching materials and general background information on the topic. The key to obtaining the full text of the materials cited below is the unique ERIC number assigned to each item in the database. Journal articles, denoted by “EJ” numbers (for example, EJ549890), can be copied at most academic libraries, borrowed through interlibrary loan, or purchased from article reprint services such as UnCover, UMI, and ISI. Research reports, conference papers, and other materials besides journal articles are denoted by “ED” numbers (for example, ED398110); paper or microfiche copies of most of these documents can be purchased from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS), 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153-2852; (800) 443-3742; (703) 440-1400; <edrs@inet.ed.gov>; <http://edrs.com>; or copied from an ERIC microfiche collection, available at many libraries.

ERIC/ChESS welcomes requests for general information or sample database searches on topics within the social studies, social sciences, and music and art education. Contact ERIC/ChESS by telephone at (800) 266-3815 or (812) 855-3838, or by e-mail at <ericso@indiana.edu>.

Teaching Materials

Adomanis, James F. and Constance Schulz. “Using Document Reading Activity Packets (DRAP) in the Classroom.” OAH Magazine of History 2 (Fall 1987): 33-41. EJ366747. Adomanis and Schulz review a document reading activity packet revolving around the Fort Washington incident of the War of 1812 and the resulting court martial of Captain Samuel T. Dyson. The authors designed this exercise to stimulate students’ interest in their own state histories, as well as to ignite their curiosity for further research.

Bolick, Charles H. “Thomas Jefferson: A Great American’s Life and Ideas. Instructional Unit.” G/C/T 35 (November/December 1984): 31-34. EJ311863. This instructional unit requires gifted students to analyze Thomas Jefferson’s contributions to American society. It provides a background assignment, study activities, culminating activities, differentiated activities, and discussion questions based on a text. The unit also includes lists of filmstrips and other resources.

Carr, Candace Taff. The Pigeon Roost Massacre: Its Cause and Impact and Pigeon Roost Massacre Lesson Plans. 1989. ED319649. On the afternoon of 3 September 1812, Indians murdered twenty-four pioneers living in a settlement on the southern Indiana Territory frontier. The incident illustrates the issues and emotions of both settlers and Native Americans; therefore, it must be studied in context so that students are not prejudiced by one side of the conflict. This instructional unit features a history of events leading up to the massacre and its aftermath, a thirteen-item bibliography, three maps, four lesson plans, and a list of eighteen additional enrichment activities. The unit also provides lesson plan handouts, which include timelines, maps, and articles.

Cope, Karen E. “Teaching the Constitution by Simulation.” Social Studies Journal 18 (Spring 1989): 10-11. EJ387910. The author describes a four week simulation of the U.S. Constitutional Convention in which ninth grade students use problem solving and decision making to debate the issues of the convention. Students choose identities and interest areas to stimulate the writing of a class constitution which they then compare with the U.S. Constitution.

Dal Porto, David. “Learning about Geography and Original Indian Life through the Lewis and Clark Expedition.” Social Studies Review 24 (Fall 1984): 39-42. EJ309190. This simulation of the Lewis and Clark expedition allows high school students to compare the area of the journey as it was in the nineteenth century with what it is like today. It also asks students to examine the Indians from the perspective of the first whites to encounter them.

Gabriel, Robin H. “Thomas Jefferson and Architecture.” OAH Magazine of History 8 (Summer 1994): 36-44. EJ493862. This article discusses the importance of architecture in Thomas Jefferson’s life. It presents a lesson plan based on Jefferson’s Monticello and is designed to encourage students to identify and understand elements of classical architecture in their local areas. A photograph of Monticello and six architectural illustrations accompany the lesson.

Hunter, Kathleen. Thomas Jefferson’s Road to the White House. Teaching with Historic Places. Washington, DC: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1993. Available from National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036. ED365599. Paper copy not available from EDRS. This illustrated unit focuses on the route Thomas Jefferson traveled from his home in Virginia to the White House in November 1800 for the upcoming presidential election. The document describes Jefferson’s journey as can be pieced together from his letters, public records, and buildings and roads that are still in existence today. Thirteen class assignments are given for different areas of the lesson.

Ladenburg, Thomas. Making the Constitution. Boulder, CO: Social Science Education Consortium, Inc., 1988. ED363564. Available from Social Science Education Consortium, 855 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80302. Paper copy not available from EDRS. Ladenburg designed this U.S. history teaching unit to help students understand, appreciate, and analyze through simulation the magnitude of the founders’ creation. The lesson permits them to understand issues confronting the founders in 1787, to become involved in the process of resolving these issues, to comprehend the actual solutions developed by the founders, and to speculate on the motives of the men who wrote the fundamental law of the United States.

Mundell, Jean. “Comparing Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations to James Madison’s Federalist #10.” Social Studies Review 27 (Fall 1987): 18-20. EJ369560. This lesson calls upon students to compare Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations to James Madison’s Federalist #10 to see how the ancient concept of individual rights and liberties was used to describe both economic and governmental systems.

Mutchler, Kent D. “History of Science and Technology through Primary Sources: Thomas Jefferson’s ‘Notes on the State of Virginia.’” OAH Magazine of History 4 (Spring 1989): 50-51. EJ403125. Mutchler advocates the use of primary source material in the classroom and describes a lesson based on Thomas Jefferson’s “Notes on the State of Virginia,” in which students consider Jefferson’s ideas on science and technology in the United States and Europe. In doing so, Mutchler explores the links among science, technology, politics, and social issues.

Patrick, John J. “The Federalist” in the Curriculum. Paper presented at the Master Class for Teachers Program on James Madison and The Federalist Papers, Orange, VA, 20-30 June 1989. ED313276. The Federalist Papers, a collection of eighty-five essays on the principles of republican government written to support the ratification of the Constitution of 1787, has been praised as an outstanding work by individuals ranging from Thomas Jefferson and George Washington to contemporary scholars in history and government. This paper presents a credible case for the inclusion of these essays in the classroom despite their abstract concepts and difficult rhetoric.

Patrick, John J. “The Great Chief Justice” at Home. Teaching with Historic Places. Lesson Plan No. 49. Washington, DC: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1995. Available from National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036. ED398153. Paper copy not available from EDRS. This lesson emphasizes the virtues underlying Chief Justice John Marshall’s commitment to his duties as a public official and member of a family. It is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file “John Marshall House,” information from the John Marshall Foundation of Richmond, Virginia, and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.

Patrick, John J., et al. James Madison and “The Federalist Papers.” Washington, DC: National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1990. ED322083. Available from Publications Manager, ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, Indiana University, 2805 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47408. A collection of resources for high school history and government teachers and their students, this volume examines core ideas on constitutional government in the United States. James Madison’s ideas as found in The Federalist Papers are examined in conjunction with their counterpoints in the essays of the Anti-federalists. This volume contains three main sections. Part I offers three papers that provide background information and ideas for teachers. Part 2 includes six lesson sets for high school students of U.S. history or government. Part 3 contains seven papers by Madison from The Federalist Papers and six papers by leading Anti-federalists. A selected annotated bibliography provides teachers and students with additional information.

Patrick, John J. Liberty and Order in Constitutional Government: Ideas and Issues in “The Federalist Papers.” Richmond: Virginia Jefferson Association, 1989. ED313315. Available from Virginia Jefferson Association, P.O. Box 1463, Richmond, VA 23212. This publication provides a brief introduction to core ideas of constitutional government in the United States as presented in The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. Excerpts from both “The Federalists” and “The Anti-federalists” series of publications are included. The author presents information and ideas for a Federalist/Anti-federalist forum focusing on the balance between liberty and order, as well as a chronology of events associated with the Federalist/Anti-federalist debate, a guide for teachers and forum leaders, a participant rating sheet for the forum, and a bibliography of eighteen items.

Peterson, Merrill D. “Thomas Jefferson: The Architect of Democracy.” Social Education 58 (October 1994): 359-62. EJ496918. Peterson presents a biographical sketch and teaching activities on the life of Thomas Jefferson. He asserts that the world’s political geography changed dramatically during Jefferson’s lifetime and presents a classroom lesson on this topic. A chronology of Jefferson’s life and six quotations exemplifying his political and social views accompany the article.

Sonntag, Margaret M. “An Expedition through the Louisiana Purchase.” Journal of Geography 90 (July/August 1991): 164-67. EJ440230. This article presents a role-playing lesson on Meriweather Lewis and George Rogers Clark’s exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. The lesson emphasizes integration of the five fundamental themes of geography: location, place, human-environment interactions, movement, and regions. It also includes evaluation procedures, extension lessons, and a list of materials and resources.

Valand, Elisabeth, ed. The World of Thomas Jefferson: A Guide for Teachers. Charlottesville, VA: Thomas Jefferson Commemoration Commission, 1994. ED387387. Available from The Thomas Jefferson Commemoration Commission, P.O. Box 735, Charlottesville, VA 22902. This teaching guide contains two essays about Thomas Jefferson, along with teaching activities, quotations, a chronology, and a list of resources and organizations.

Background

Alexander Hamilton: Soldier-Statesman of the Constitution. A Bicentennial Series No. 16. Washington, DC: Army Center of Military History, 1987. ED301513. This booklet on Alexander Hamilton is part of a series on Revolutionary War soldiers who signed the U.S. Constitution. It covers his early years in the West Indies, his military service as an aide to George Washington, and his public service as a New York delegate to the Constitutional Convention and as the first Secretary of the Treasury. The unit also includes personal data on Hamilton and suggestions for further reading.

Bennett, William J. “Young James Madison: His Character and Civic Values.” Social Education 51 (September 1987): 337-42. EJ357408. This article examines the life of James Madison, a “theoretic statesman.” The author focuses specifically on Madison’s education and character, his friendship with Thomas Jefferson, and his civic legacy: a selfless devotion to republican government and union.

Bernstein, David, comp. “The Constitutional Convention: Facts and Figures.” History Teacher 21 (November 1987): 11-19. EJ375565. Bernstein presents facts and figures about the U.S. Constitutional Convention from the original proposal at the 1786 Annapolis Convention through the ratification process. The article lists the rules adopted for the convention, provides demographic data about the delegates, and includes a selected bibliography of books and articles.

Holbrook-DeFeo, Gary. “The Election of 1800: Alexander Hamilton and the Death of the Federalist Party.” New England Journal of History 49 (Winter 1993): 26-40. EJ467858. The author describes the significance of the election of 1800 in the development of political parties in the United States, and contends that Alexander Hamilton’s view of the United States Constitution was dangerous for the new nation and led to a permanent split in the Federalist party. The article includes a resource bibliography for teachers wishing to incorporate this interpretation into their history courses.

Levy, Todd. “And Now, a Message for Today’s Students from Ben Franklin.” Social Education 55 (October 1991): 358-59. EJ443690. Levy suggests that Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography contains many useful messages for today’s students. The author discusses Franklin’s list of virtues, which he followed in an attempt at attaining moral perfection: temperance, industry, justice, tranquility, and humility. He sees in Franklin’s example a message of achieving through effort without attaining perfection.

Robinson, Donald, et al. “Thoughts on the Roots and Evolution of the Bill of Rights.” Update on Law-Related Education 15 (Winter 1991): 13-17, 43-44. EJ433733. The authors consider how the Bill of Rights originated and has evolved. They review the political views of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison and the nature of their support for the Bill of Rights. Finally, they explain nineteenth-century classical liberalism and its revolutionary view that political power is inherent in the individual rather than in property ownership.

Scanlon, Thomas M. “James Madison and the Constitutional Convention.” Res Gestae, (September/November 1987): 104-08, 164-68, 214-18. ED304371. Part I of this three-part article traces James Madison’s life and focuses primarily on those events that prepared him for leadership at the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787. It describes his early love of learning, education, and public service efforts. Part 2 chronicles Madison’s devotion to study and preparation prior to the Constitutional Convention and his creation of a plan for a Constitution. His precise recording of the speeches and events surrounding the convention are noted. Part 3 considers the convention’s power struggles, compromises, difficulties, and eventual creation of the Constitution, as well as Madison’s role in producing twenty-nine of The Federalist Papers.

Laura A. Pinhey is the coordinator of user services and products for the ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education (ERIC/ChESS) at Indiana University in Bloomington. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University.