Public History: An ERIC/ChESS Sample

Carrie Kulczak

Reprinted from the OAH Magazine of History
16 (Winter 2002). ISSN 0882-228X
Copyright (c) 2002, Organization of American Historians

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 EERIC/ChESS by telephone at (800) 266-3815 or (812) 855-3838, or by e-mail at <ericso@indiana.edu>.

Atwood, Karen E. "Beyond Thanksgiving: What Else Is There?" New England Journal of History 48 (Spring 1991): 36-39. EJ436729. Atwood describes the education programs of Plymouth Plantation, a living history museum dealing with Pilgrims and Native Americans. The article includes descriptions of classroom visits, field trips, and programs aimed at different age groups. She explains that the museum offers illustrations of cultural comparison for kindergarten students, material culture for elementary grades, and examination of mindsets for secondary students and adults.

Boyer, Candace L. Using Museum Resources in the K-12 Social Studies Curriculum. ERIC Digest. August 1996. Available from: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, 2805 East Tenth Street, Suite 120, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47408; (812) 855-3838, (800) 266-3815. EDRS Price: MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. ED412174. This ERIC Digest promotes the use of museums as social studies teaching resources. Because of the wealth of information and the breadth of material found in museums, they can be invaluable as resources for the classroom as well as for tours. The guide covers the recent trend of museums catering to educators through the development of lesson plans, brochures, classes, newsletters, videos, and even traveling outreach programs.

Harper, Marilyn. Including Historic Places in the Social Studies Curriculum. ERIC Digest. October 1997. Available from: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, 2805 East Tenth Street, Suite 120, Bloomington, IN, 47408; (812) 855-3838, (800) 266-3815. EDRS Price: MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. ED415178. Administered by the National Register of Historic Places, Teaching with Historic Places assists teachers in using historic places to teach the past. The program creates classroom-ready educational materials that meet the requirements of the National Council for the Social Studies Curriculum Standards. In addition, professional development for teachers and preservation personnel is available. The service program includes published materials and training activities.

Huyck, Heather. "Beyond John Wayne: Using Historic Sites to Interpret Western Women's History." OAH Magazine of Hisory 12 (Fall 1997): 7-11. EJ563367. Huyck considers women's history in the western United States using the historic places of the National Park system as her basis. The National Park Service has created three categories for historic sites: places that focus on women's history, places that include women's history, and places that surprise us with women's history.

Labor, Peter. "The Living Heritage Museum as an Educational Tool." Pathways: The Ontario Journal of Outdoor Education 10 (August 1998): 10-12. EJ572434. Living history and hands-on interpretation enable educators to capitalize on the curiosity, sensory needs, and creative enthusiasm of young students. However, objective evaluation in terms of measurable outcomes may be difficult. The author offers suggestions for linking curricular needs with personal growth by creating an atmosphere that promotes "thinking historically."

Prator, Chris, and Martha Sampson. "The Hopewell Project: Creating a Community of Learners. Civil War Spotlight." Social Studies Review 36 (Spring-Summer 1997): 58-67. EJ548175. This article reports on a middle school project that created a living history environment focused on the Civil War. For three months students "became" pupils at the Hopewell Conservatory in Virginia during the 1860s. They corresponded with Civil War soldiers and immersed themselves in the culture of the period.

Bolger, Benjamin. The Invention Factory: Thomas Edison's Laboratories. Teaching with Historic Places. Washington, DC: Teaching with Historic Places, 1999. Available from: Teaching with Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Suite NC400, Washington, DC 20240; <http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/>. EDRS Price: MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. ED438198. This lesson explores the group of buildings built in 1887 in West Orange, New Jersey that formed the core of Thomas Edison's research and development complex. They consisted of chemistry, physics, and metallurgy laboratories; a machine shop; a pattern shop; a research library; and rooms for experiments. Students discover how Edison systematized the process of inventing, allowing for the rapid development and production of inventions that improved the lives of millions. The lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, the archives maintained at the site, and other materials about Edison and his laboratory.

Danzer, Gerald A. "Chicago's Black Metropolis: Understanding History through a Historic Place." Social Education 62 (March 1998): 1-16. EJ600279. Danzer presents a lesson that focuses on specific places in Chicago's black community and examines the process by which buildings become historic structures. The lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, "Black Metropolis Thematic Nomination," and could be used in a unit on twentieth-century urban history.

Gilbert, Lisa, and Jim Gilbert. Living History as an Experience. November 1997. EDRS Price: MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. ED414133. Local historical investigation can make history more relevant and allow students to understand national trends through local incidents. This paper outlines a step-by-step process for exploring local "living history" within the classroom. Through this process, students can formulate, plan, research, rehearse, and perform role-playing presentations for class, school, or community that meet and enhance state-mandated curriculum objectives.

Litterst, Michael. First Battle of Manassas: An End to Innocence. Teaching with Historic Places. Washington, DC: Teaching with Historic Places, 2000. Available from: Teaching with Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Suite NC400, Washington, DC 20240. For full text:
<http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/
12manassas/12manassas.html>. EDRS Price: MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. ED439069. The first major confrontation of the Civil War took place in a fallow field at Manassas, Virginia, on 21 July 1861 and claimed five thousand casualties. This lesson plan asserts that the battle's importance lies in the realization that the struggle between North and South was more an apocalyptic event than the romantic adventure earlier envisioned. The lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, "Manassas National Battlefield Park," and other sources.

Murray, William J. Hershey Museum. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Museum: A Secondary Curriculum Project to Bring the Museum to the Classroom. Hershey, PA: The Hershey Museum, 1991. Available from: Hershey Museum, 170 West Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA, 17033 ($10.00). EDRS Price: MF01/PC05 Plus Postage. ED343823. Lesson plans for secondary teachers based on documents and objects found in the Hershey Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, comprise this document. The museum seeks to make its resources available to teachers who are not able to bring their students from the classroom to the site. Reproductions of the documents are provided for the lessons, and slides of the objects for each "exhibit" lesson can be borrowed from the education department of the museum free of charge by mail. One lesson requires an actual object from the museum, which is also loaned free of charge by mail.

Oregon Trail Teacher's Guide. Walla Walla, WA: Whitman Mission National Historic Site, 1999. Available from: Whitman Mission National Historic Site, Route 2, Box 247, Walla Walla, WA 99362-9699; (509) 522-6360. For full text:
<http://www.nps.gov/whmi/educate/ortrtg/ortrtg.htm>.EDRS Price: MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. ED439050. The pioneer road to the U.S. West known as the Oregon Trail had its first real traffic in 1843 when a group of about one thousand people left Independence, Missouri, and traveled west. This teacher's guide contains short descriptions of the main landmarks and stopping points that were significant along the northwest portion of the Oregon Trail. The guide is primarily devoted to the geographic areas and peoples found around these important locations.

Schuldt, Robin Fogg. "Decatur House: A Home of the Rich and Powerful. Teaching with Historic Places." OAH Magazine of History 14 (Winter 2000): 42-53. EJ610556. Schuldt presents a lesson that: 1) explores the importance politically ambitious people once placed on proximity to sites of authority; and 2) Illustrates a gentleman's sense of honor by examining the way conflict was handled in the 1820 duel between Decatur and Commodore Baron.

Vierra, John, Jr. Remembering Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial. Teaching with Historic Places. Washington, DC: Teaching with Historic Places, 1999. Available from: Teaching with Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Suite NC400, Washington, DC 20240. Full text:
<http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/18arizona/
18arizona.htm>. EDRS Price: MF01/PC02 Plus Postage. ED438200. This lesson discusses the submerged remains of the battleship USS Arizona, which sank on 7 December 1941, the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) and began the Pacific battles of World War II. The lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, "USS Arizona Wreck," and other materials from the park. It could be used in U.S. history units on World War II or in courses dealing more generally with war and conflict. Students will better understand the logistics of the Japanese attack, the battleship's destruction, and the significance of the USS Arizona memorial to the people of the United States.

Carrie Kulczak is the Coordinator of the Current Index to Journals in Education for the ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education (ERIC/ChESS) at Indiana University Bloomington. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Indiana University.