EasyK.com Free Reports

Helping Your Child Learn History

with activities for children

By Elaine Wrisley Reed

Edited by Jacquelyn Zimmermann

Contents

Introduction

History Education Begins at Home

Children and History

Parents Make a Difference

History Is a Habit

Enjoying Your Child and History

The Basics of History

The Meanings of History

A New Look at History

Asking Questions

Activities: History as Story

What's the Story?

Our Town

History on the Go

What's News?

History Lives

Cooking Up History

Rub Against History

Activities: History as Time

Time Marches On

Weave a Web

Put Time in a Bottle

Quill Pens & Berry Ink

School Days

Time To Celebrate

The Past Anew

Appendices

Parents and the Schools

Resources

Local and National Resources

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Imagine waking up one morning to find out that you have no

memory! You are not able to remember who you are or what

happened in your life, yesterday or the day before that. You

are unable to tell your children from total strangers, you

cannot communicate with people because you no longer know how

to greet them, or understand their conversation. You don't

remember what "the election," "war," or "the movies" mean.

Lack of historical memory is parallel to this loss of

individual memory. The link on which we depend every day

between the past and present would be lost if we had no memory

of our history. And we would miss a great source of enjoyment

that comes from piecing together the story of our past.

Today American educators are working to promote the study

of history in the schools and at home. Knowledge of our history

enables us to understand our nation's traditions, its

conflicts, and its central ideas and values. Knowledge of world

history enables us to understand other cultures.

We hope to encourage children to love history and to enjoy

learning about it. This booklet is a tool you can use to

stimulate your children's active involvement in the history

that surrounds them every day. It includes:

* Basic information about history, and approaches to

enjoying history with your children, aged 4-11;

* History activities that you and your children can do--at

home, in your community, and out of town--for no or little

cost; and

* History resources in your community and nationally, in

bookstores, and libraries.

History Education Begins at Home

Children and History

As parents we are in the best position to encourage our

children's natural interest in history. It is to us they

address their first historical questions: "Where did I come

from?" and "Was I always here?" These two questions contain

the two main meanings of "history": it is the story of people

and events, and it is the record of times past.

Now is the time to bring out the historical evidence and

to share family stories with your child. Birth and adoption

certificates, immunization records, first pieces of your

child's writing and art, as well as photographs all count as

historical sources that tell the story of your child.

The stories you tell and read to your children, or make up

with them, are part of their cultural heritage and reinforce

the two basic parts of history: "Once upon a time, and long

ago."

Parents Make a Difference

Your child is born into history. She has no memory of it,

yet she finds herself in the middle of a story that began

before she became one of its characters. She also wants to have

a place in it.

As parents we can prepare our children to achieve the

lifelong task of finding their place in history by helping them

to learn what shaped the world into which they were born.

Without information about their history, children don't "get" a

lot of what they hear and see around them.

Your attitude about history can also make a difference for

your child. Showing your interest in history--your belief that

knowing history makes a difference for your life--encourages

your child's own interest.

Many parents say they love history. If you are one of them

you can share your particular interests in history with your

children as well as help them develop their

own.

Many other parents say they find history boring. If you

are among these, try one of the following: start writing your

own life story; read the diary of Anne Frank, or the

autobiography of Frederick Douglass; read the Declaration of

Independence, or rent a video about the Civil War. As you

rediscover history your children may be inspired by your

interest.

History Is a Habit

The activities in this book can help you start doing

history with your child. You will probably get more ideas of

your own. In addition, you can develop some of the following

"history habits" that make history important not only during an

activity but every day.

History Habits for Parents

Habits are activities we do on a regular basis. We acquire

habits by choosing to make them a part of our life. It is worth

the time and effort to develop good habits because they enhance

our well-being. We suggest the following history habits to

enrich your life experience and your children's.

Share family history with your children, particularly your

memories. Help your own parents and other relatives know your

children and talk with them about family stories.

Participate in your community by voting and helping to

make changes in areas that interest you. Encourage your

children to vote in school elections, to present themselves as

candidates, and gain knowledge of history and the values and

behaviors that are the basis of their citizenship.

Read newspapers and news magazines, and watch television

news programs to maintain an informed judgment about the world.

Talk about current events and your ideas about them with your

children and other adults, and explore different points of

view. Check the encyclopedia or your local library for

additional historical information.

Watch television programs about important historical

topics with your family, and encourage conversation about the

program as you watch. Get library books on the same topic and

learn more about it. Check to see if the books and television

programs agree on significant issues, and discuss their

differences.

Read with your children about people and events that have

made a difference in the world, and discuss the readings

together. The list of publications at the end of this book

serves as a support to you for choosing materials.

Help children know that the makers of history are real

people like themselves, who have ideas, work hard, and

experience failure and success. Introduce them to local

community leaders in person if possible, and national and world

leaders via the media and biographies.

Make globes, maps, and encyclopedias available and use

every opportunity to refer to them. A reference to Africa in a

child's favorite story, or the red, white, and green stripes on

a box of spaghetti can be opportunities to learn more about the

world.

Have a collection of great speeches and written documents

to read from time to time with your child.

Your own involvement in history, in any of the forms

referred to in this book, is a good habit you can pass on to

your children.

Enjoying Your Child and History

We have intentions of good fun as we plan any activity

with our children. We also want them to learn something from

most activities. They probably would say they want to have fun

and learn something new too. But sometimes the difference in

abilities between us and them, or the demands of time, end up

leaving us disappointed. Keeping the following in mind can help

keep your time together fun and productive:

You don't have to know all the facts or fully understand

history to help your children learn. Your willingness to learn

with them--to read, to ask questions, to search, and to make

mistakes--is the most important gift you can bring to the

process. By viewing their mistakes as sources of information

for future efforts, your children gain confidence to continue

learning.

Conversation gets you past the difficult moments. Keeping

open the communication between you and your children, and

encouraging continued discussion no matter how off the mark

your children may seem, tells them you take them seriously and

value their efforts to learn. The ability to have a

conversation with your children profoundly affects what and how

they learn.

Children have their own ideas and interests. By letting

them choose activities accordingly, you let them know their

ideas and interests are valuable. Often they will want to teach

you as a way to use what they know. Share their interests and

encourage them to learn more.

Make the most of everyday opportunities to do history:

visits from grandparents, reading books, telling stories,

holidays, elections, symbols like the flag, the national anthem

before sporting events, pictures in newspapers and magazines,

visits to museums. If your child asks about a person in a

painting, stop to find out who it is. Keep asking: "What does

this mean? How do I know?"

Choose your activities well. The activities in this

booklet are for children aged 4-11. Each of the activities can

be adapted to a child of any age and ability level. Even a

preschooler can "read" a newspaper with your help, for a short

period of time. While an activity that is too difficult will

frustrate your child, an activity that is too easy will lose

his interest. Challenges bring feelings of accomplishment.

Have a goal. When you choose or begin an activity you may

not have a clear idea of where it's going. But keep in mind

that the purpose of doing the activities in this book is to

learn something about history. The first section of this book,

the introduction to each activity, and the question boxes can

help you. As you complete each activity discuss with your child

what you learned together. Making bread is one thing, knowing

that bread has historical meaning is another. Achieving a goal

for an activity also helps your child sense the pleasure of a

completed project.

The Basics of History

The Meanings of History

If you look for the meaning of "history" in the dictionary

you may be surprised to find that history is not simply the

past itself. The first meaning of history is "tale, story," and

the second meaning is "a chronological record of significant

past events." The opening of tales for children--"Once upon a

time"--captures both the story and time nature of history.

When we study history we are involved in a branch of

knowledge that records and explains past events. Many would say

that history is not just one branch of knowledge among others,

but that it is the most essential one because it is the

complete story of human endeavor. It happens that the word

"history" comes from the Greek "to know."

The activities in this book are organized according to the

two meanings of history as story and time in order to help you

explore these meanings with your child.

The Story in History

The work of doing history is to consider people and events

that are no longer in our presence. Unlike doing science, we do

history without being able to observe behavior and its results.

This work is fun when we make the past meaningful. We do

this by weaving together various pieces of information about

the past. In doing this we create a pattern that gives shape to

"just a bunch of facts." Doing history is a way of bringing the

past to life, in the best tradition of the storyteller.

But not just any story will do. While there are many

possible tales of the same event, good history is based on

evidence and several perspectives.

The history with which we are most familiar is political

history--the story of wars, peace treaties, and changes of

government. But anything that has a past has a history. This

includes the history of ideas, for example the concept of

freedom, and cultural history, for example the history of

music.

The story of history is interesting to us because it tells

us about real people who had ideas and beliefs, worked and

struggled to put them in action, and shaped the present in

which we find ourselves.

Time in History

Human events take place in time, one after the other. It

is important to learn the sequence of events in order to trace

them, reconstruct them, and weave the stories that tell of

their connections. Children need to learn the measures of time,

such as year, decade, generation, and century. When they hear

"Once upon a time in history" they need to be able to ask "When

did that happen?," and to know how to find the answer.

Time in history is a kind of relationship. We can look at

several events that all happened at the same time, and that

together tell a story about that period. Or we can look at the

development of an idea over time, and learn how and why it

changed. And we can consider the relationship between the past

and the present, or the future and the past (which is today!).

The present is the result of choices that people made and the

beliefs they held in the past, while the past, in being retold,

is in some way remade in the present. The future will be the

result of the coming together of several areas developing

today.

The main focus of history is the relationship between

continuity and change, and it is important that our children

understand the difference between them. For example, the

population of the United States has changed dramatically over

time with each wave of immigration. With the entry of these new

groups into American society, bringing their own ideas,

beliefs, and cultures, American democracy has continued and

grown stronger. It continues to function according to its

original purpose of safeguarding our basic values of freedom

and equality, even as the meanings and effects of these values

change.

A New Look at History

History is now understood to be more than memorizing names

and dates. While being able to recall the details of great

people and events is important, the enjoyment of history is

enhanced by engaging in activities and experiencing history as

a "story well told."

Original sources and literature are real experiences.

Reading the actual words that changed the course of history,

and stories that focus on the details of time and place help

children know that history is about real people in real places

who made real choices that had some real consequences, and that

they could have made different choices.

Less can mean more. "A well-formed mind is better than a

well-stuffed mind," says an old proverb. Trying to learn the

entire history of the world is not only impossible, it feels

too hard and reduces our enthusiasm for history. In-depth study

of a few important events gives us a chance to understand the

many sides of a story. We can always add new facts.

History is hands-on work. Learning history is best done in

the same way we learn to use a new language, or to play

basketball: we do it as well as read about it. Doing history

means asking questions about historical events and characters;

searching our towns for signs of its history; talking with

others about current events and issues; writing our own stories

about the past.

There is no final word on history. There are good

storytellers and less good storytellers. And there are many

stories. But very rarely does any one storyteller "get it

right," or one story say it all. A good student of history will

always look for other points of view, knowing that our

understanding of history changes over time.

Your children do well to ask "So what?" Much that we take

for granted is not so obvious to our children. We should invite

them to clear up doubts they have about the reasons for

remembering certain things, getting facts right, and collecting

and judging evidence. At each step, asking "so what?" helps to

explain what is important and worth knowing, and to take the

next step with confidence.

Asking Questions

At the end of each activity in this book, you will find a

series of questions that can help develop the critical thinking

skills children need to participate well in society, learn

history, and learn from history. The questions help them know

the difference between what is real, fantasy, and ideal, and

make the activity more

Critical thinking is judging the value of historical

evidence; judging claims about what is true or good; deciding

what information is important to have; looking at a topic from

different points of view; being curious enough to look further

into an event or topic; being skeptical enough to look for more

than one account of an event or life; and being aware that our

vision and thinking are often limited by our biases and

opinions.

The following two sections contain a sampling of history

activities, organized by the meanings of history as story and

time. Each group of activities is preceded by a review of three

elements of story and time from the perspective of history. The

review is meant to inform and support conversation between you

and your child, which is the most important step in each

activity by far.

Activities: History as Story

Records

History is a permanent written record of the past. Because

recording history is an essential part of doing history, a

"history log" is indicated for each activity. More recently,

history is also recorded on audio and video tape, and many of

the activities lend themselves to this type of recording as

well. Your children may be interested to know that the time of

their favorite dinosaurs is called "prehistory" because it is

unrecorded history. They should also know that some written

languages have been invented because telling stories orally,

without recording them in some form, is not by itself a sure

enough way to preserve the identity of a people.

Narration

George Washington, in his Farewell Address in 1796, said:

"Though in reviewing the incidents of my administration I am

unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too

sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have

committed many errors." This reflection is a good reminder that

history, with its facts and evidence, is also an interpretation

of the past. There is more than one cause for an event, more

than one kind of outcome, and more than one way of looking at

their relationship.

Evidence

All good histories are written on the basis of evidence.

Your children need to learn the importance of evidence, and to

distinguish it from biases, propaganda, stereotypes, and

opinion. They need to judge whether the many stories about John

F. Kennedy or World War I, for example, are based on solid

enough evidence to provide an accurate account of the life and

times.

What's the Story

History is a story well told. Through storytelling

children can understand what's involved in writing the stories

that make history.

What you'll need

Family members and friends

A fairy tale or folk tale

History log

What to do

1. Tell a story of a person you know. Gather your children,

other family members, and friends to have a storytelling

session. Choose a person you know about whom the group

will tell the story. Decide who will begin, and go

clockwise from there with each person adding to the story.

Set a time limit so that you must end the story somewhere.

2. Read a folk story or fairy tale, for example, Little Red

Riding Hood or The Story of Johnny Appleseed. Talk about

how the story begins and ends, who the characters are and

what they feel, and what happens. Ask how this story based

on fantasy is different from the story you told about the

real person you know.

3. Read a story about an historical event. Now pick a moment

in world history, for example the fall of the Berlin Wall,

the French and Indian War, or a current event in the news

headlines. Ask the librarian for help in choosing material

that is at your child's reading level.

4. Help your child write in the history log about this

storytelling experience.

In the storytelling session about the person you know, how

did you verify the "truth" when there were differences of

opinion about what "really happened"? If you were to write the

story of a real event for the newspaper, what would count for

you the most in preparing it? What else would you include?

Where would you get your information? How would you check the

accuracy of the information?

Our Town

Your phone book, newspaper, and other resources can serve

as your best guide to history in your town. Not only does

referring to them save time, it teaches how to use tools to get

information.

What you'll need

Phone books, both yellow and white pages

Daily city newspaper

Community newspaper

History log

What to do

1. Newspaper search. Look in your city and community

newspapers. They list "things to do." Look for parades,

museum and art exhibits, music events, children's theater,

history talks and walks.

Participate in an event and help your child write about it

in the history log when you get back home.

For more help, call education services at your city

newspaper. Ask about their education programs that use

newspapers.

2. Phone book search. Look in your phone books under

"History" or "Historical Places." You will find a few

places under this heading but many more are listed

elsewhere.

Brainstorm with your children about what other words to

look under in the phone book to find local history.

Call the places you find. -Ask about their programs,

hours, and upcoming special events. Ask to be put on their

mailing list. Also ask where else you should go to learn

about your town's history.

Your younger children should listen to your phone

conversation. They learn how to ask for information by

listening to you.

3. Begin a list in the history log of local historical sites.

Include phone numbers, addresses, hours of operation, and

other useful information for future visits.

What is the most surprising thing you learned about your

town? If you were asked to be a tour guide for visitors to your

town, what would you show them? If you went to another town,

how would you go about visiting it?

History on the Go

Visit the historical places in your child's history book,

either in person or by collecting materials.

What you'll need

Your child's history book

Maps, guidebooks

History log

What to do

1. Find out what historical events your child is studying in

school. Perhaps a historical site is near your town.

Choose a site of one of these events to visit in person or

through the materials you collected.

2. Prepare the trip together in advance. Ask the librarian to

help you and your child find books and videos on the

history of the town or the historical figures who lived

there.

3. Call the Chamber of Commerce of the area for maps and

guidebooks.

4. Make a list. Think of some questions you want answered on

your trip.

5. Talk about the place you are visiting.

6. Have your child write about the trip in the history log.

Include answers to the questions that were answered that

day.

7. Have your children make up a quiz for parents, or a game,

based on the trip.

8. Encourage your child to read more stories about the place

you visited and the people who were part of its history,

and historical documents that are associated with the

site. For example, in visiting Akron, Ohio, the site of

the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in 1851, you might read

Sojourner Truth's address, known also as And Ain't I a

Woman?

What was historical about the place you visited? What

kinds of things communicated the history of the place? When you

returned, did you see your town in a new way, or notice

something you hadn't seen before?

What's News?

What's new today really began in the past. Discussing the

news is a way to help your child gain a historical perspective

on the events of the present.

What you'll need

Daily or Sunday newspaper

Weekly news magazine

A daily national news program

Highlighter

History log

What to do

1. Decide on how often you will do this activity with your

children--current events happen every day. This activity

can be most useful to younger children if it is done from

time to time to get them used to the idea of "news." Older

children benefit from doing it more often, at least once a

week if possible.

2. Look through the newspaper or news magazine with your

child. Ask him to decide what pictures or headlines are

related to history. Highlight these references. Some

examples are the Yalta Treaty, the French Revolution,

Lenin, Pearl Harbor, or Brown v. Board of Education.

3. Together read the articles you have chosen. Write down any

references to events that did not happen today or

yesterday, or to people who were not alive recently.

4. Have a conversation with your child about what these past

events and people have to do with what's happening today.

Help your child write in the history log the connections

you find between past and present.

5. Watch the evening news or a morning news program together.

Write down as many references as possible to past history

and discuss the links you find between these references

and the news story you heard.

6. During another viewing, help your child focus on how the

information was communicated: did the newscaster use

interviews, books, historical records, written historical

accounts, literature, paintings, photographs?

7. Help your child compare several accounts of a major news

story from different news shows, newspapers, and news

magazines.

"There is nothing new under the sun," according to an old

saying. Did you find anything "new" in the news? What "same old

stories" did you find?

History Lives

At living history museums you can see real people doing

the work of blacksmiths, tin workers, shoemakers, farmers, and

others. Children can see how things work, and can ask questions

of the "characters."

What you'll need

Visitor brochure and museum map

Sketch pad and pencils, or camera

History log

What to do

1. Awaken your children's expectations of what they will see

and what to look for. Write or call the museum ahead of

time to obtain information brochures and a map. Living

history museums are located in Williamsburg, VA and Old

Sturbridge Village, MA, among other places.

2. Plan how to actually "visit history." Pretend to be a

family living in the historical place. What would it be

like to be a family living in the place you choose to go?

3. When you visit the museum, ask your child what his

favorite object or activity is, and why.

4. Help your children sketch something in the museum, and put

it in the history log. Tell your children that this is the

way history was visually recorded before there were

cameras.

5. Use your camera, if you have one, to make a "modern day"

record of history, and create a scrapbook with the

photographs of what you saw.

6. When you get home, talk about what it would have been like

to live in that historical place in that period of time.

Compare this to the image you had before your visit.

How were days spent in the period of time you experienced?

What kind of dress was common, or special? What kinds of food

did people usually eat, and did they eat alone or in groups?

What kind of work would you have chosen to do as an adult? If a

living history museum were made of the late 20th century, what

would people see and learn there? Reminder: if you can't visit

a museum, travel by reading books.

Cooking Up History

Every culture has its version of bread. "Eating it, one

feels that the taste one cannot quite put to words may almost

be the taste of history."* Children enjoy making this American

Indian fried bread.

What you'll need

2 1/2 cups all-purpose or wheat flour

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dried skimmed milk powder

3/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Oil for frying

Mixing bowls and spoons, spatula

Large skillet

Cloth towels

Baking sheet

Paper towels

History log

What to do

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder,

and salt.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the dried milk, water, and

vegetable oil.

3. Pour this liquid over the dry ingredients and stir

until the dough is smooth (1 or 2 minutes). Add 1

tablespoon of flour if the dough is too soft.

4. Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands about

30 seconds. Cover it with a cloth and let it sit 10

minutes.

5. Line the baking sheet with paper towels to receive the

finished loaves.

* From Edward Behr (see Acknowledgments).

6. Divide the dough into eight sections. Take one section and

keep the rest covered in the bowl.

7. Roll the dough into a ball and flatten with your hand.

Then roll it into a very thin circle 8 to 10 inches

across. The thinner the dough, the puffier the bread will

be.

8. Cover this circle with a cloth.

9. Continue with the other seven sections of dough in the

same way.

10. In the large frying pan or skillet, pour vegetable oil to

about 1 inch deep.

11. As you begin to roll the last piece of dough, turn on the

heat under the skillet. When the oil is hot, slip in a

circle of dough. Fry for about 1 minute or until the

bottom is golden brown. Reminder: Parental supervision is

necessary at all times around a hot stove.

12. Turn the dough over with tongs or a spatula. Fry the other

side for 1 minute.

13. Put the fried bread on the baking sheet and continue with

the other rounds of dough.

14. Eat your fried bread while it is hot and crisp. Put honey

on it if you like. Write in your history log what you

learned about this bread and others you have tried.

How is this bread different from other breads you have

tried? Think of common expressions that use the word "bread."

For example, "the nation's breadbasket"; "I earn my bread and

butter"; or "breadlines of the 1920s." What does "bread" mean

in each of these? What place does bread have in your daily life

and in other cultures?

Rub Against History

Younger children find rubbings great fun. Cornerstones and

plaques are interesting, and even coins will do.

What You'll Need

Tracing paper or other light weight paper

Large crayons with the paper removed, fat lead pencil, colored

pencils, or artist's charcoal

History log

What to do

1. Help your child make a kit to do rubbings. It could

include the items listed. The paper should not tear easily

but it should also be light enough so that the details of

what is traced become visible.

2. Have children make a rubbing of a quarter or half dollar.

Make the coin stable by supporting it with tape. Double

the tape so that it sticks on both sides and place it on

the bottom of the coin. Lay the paper on top of the coin,

and rub across it with a pencil, crayon, or charcoal.

Don't rub too hard. Rub until the coin's marks show up.

3. Go outside to do a rubbing. Look for

* Dates imprinted in cement sidewalks

* Cornerstones and plaques on buildings

* Decorative ironwork on buildings and lampposts

* Art and lettering on monuments and around doorways

4. Your child can ask family members to guess what each

rubbing is.

5. Have the children tell about each rubbing. Tell them to

look for designs and dates among the rubbings.

6. Children may want to cut some of their rubbings out to

include in their history logs. Or they can fit several on

one piece of paper to show a pattern of dates and designs.

What showed up in your rubbings? What did the date and

designs commemorate? Historical preservation groups in America

have worked to preserve old buildings and to install plaques on

public historical places. Is this interesting or important

work? Why have humans left their marks on the world from early

cave drawings to Vietnam Veterans' Memorial?

Activities: History as Time

Chronology

While our children need the opportunity to study events in

depth to get an understanding of them, they also need to know

the sequence of historical events in time, and the names and

places associated with them. Being able to place events in

time, your child is better able to learn the relationships

among them. What came first? What was cause, and what was

effect? Without a sense of chronological order, events seem

like a big jumble, and we can't understand what happened in the

past. It matters, for example, that our children know that the

American and French Revolutions are related.

Empathy

Empathy is the ability to put ourselves in the place of

another person and time. Since history is the reconstruction of

the past, we must have an idea of what it was like "to be

there" in order to reconstruct it with some accuracy. For

example, in studying the westward expansion your children may

ask why people didn't fly across the country to avoid the

hazards of exposure on stagecoach trails. When you answer that

the airplane hadn't yet been invented, they may ask why not.

They need an understanding of how technology develops and its

state at the time. Using original source documents, such as

diaries, logs, and speeches, helps us guard against imposing

the present on the past, and allows us to see events through

the eyes of people who were there.

Context

Context is related to empathy. Context means "weave

together" and refers to the set of circumstances in several

areas that framed an event. To understand any historical period

or event our children should know how to weave together

politics (how a society was ruled), sociology (what groups

formed the society), economics (how people worked and what they

produced), and religion, literature, the arts, and philosophy

(what was valued and believed at the time). When they try to

understand World War II, for example, they will uncover a

complex set of events. And they will find that these events

draw their meaning from their context.

History means having a grand old time with new stories.

So, think about the relationship between history and time as

you do the following activities.

Time Marches On

The stories of history have beginnings, middles, and ends

that show events, and suggest causes and effects. A personal

timeline helps your child picture these elements of story.

What you'll need

Paper for timeline

Colored pencils

Crayons

Shelf paper or computer paper

Removable tape

History log (optional)

What to do

1. Draw on a piece of paper, or in the history log, a

vertical line for the timeline. Mark this line in even

intervals for each year of your child's life.

2. Help your child label the years with significant events,

starting with your child's birthday.

3. Review the timeline. Your child may want to erase and

change an event for a particular year to include a more

memorable or important one. (Historians also rethink their

choices when they study history.)

4. For a timeline poster, use a long roll of shelf paper or

computer paper. For a horizontal timeline, fasten it to

the wall up high around the room using removable tape so

that your child can take it down to add more events or

drawings. For a vertical timeline, hang it next to the

doorway in your child's room. Start with the birthday at

the bottom. Your child can begin writing down events and

add to it later.

5. For older children, have them do a timeline of what was

happening in the world at the same time as each event of

their life. To begin, they can use the library's

collection of newspapers to find and record the headlines

for each of their birthdays.

What is the most significant event on the timeline? What

effects did the event have on your child's life? What are the

connections between the events in your child's life and world

events at the time?

Weave a Web

A history web is a way of connecting people and events. Is

there an old ball field in your town you've always wondered

about? Or did you ever wonder why there are so many war

memorials in your town? Then you need to do a history web!

What you'll need

Large piece of paper or poster board (at least

3 1/2 x 2 1/2 ft.)

Colored pencils or markers

History log

What to do

1. Pick a place in your community that has always seemed

mysterious to you--an old ball field, general or hardware

store, house, or schoolhouse.

Or ask yourself. "What are there lots of in my town?"

Churches, fountains? Pick one of these historical

"families."

2. Go to one of these places. Jot down in your history log

what you see and hear there. For example, look for marks

on the buildings, such as dates and designs, or parts of

the buildings, such as bleachers or bell towers.

3. Find out other information about the place by asking a

librarian for resources, or by searching the archives of

your local newspaper. Look for major events that took

place there, such as the setting of a world record or the

visit of a famous person. Also look for other events that

changed the place, such as modernization or dedications.

4. Find people who have lived in your town a long time.

Interview them using questions about these major and

related events, and any others they remember.

5. Draw a web, with the name of the place you studied in the

middle (like the spider who weaves a "home").

6. Draw several strands from the middle to show the major

events in the life of the place.

7. Connect the strands with cross lines to show other related

events.

8. When the web is complete consider the relationships among

the strands. (See parent box.)

9. Ask the editor of your local newspaper to publish your

web. Ask readers to contribute more information to add to

it. This is exactly how history is written!

When was the place you picked built? If you picked a

"family" of places, when was each place built? If they were

built around the same time, what similarities and differences

do you notice about their features, such as style and what they

commemorate? How is the place you picked connected to other

events in history?

Put Time in a Bottle

Collecting things from one's lifetime and putting them in

a time capsule is a history lesson that will never be

forgotten.

What you'll need

Magazines or newspapers with pictures

Sealable container

Tape or other sealant

History log

Lift up your eyes upon

This day breaking for

Give birth again

To the dream.

Women, children, men,

Take it into the palms of your hands,

Mold it into the shape of your most

Private need. Sculpt it into

The image of your most public self.

Lift up your hearts...

Excerpted from "On the Pulse of Morning", delivered by Maya

Angelou at the 1993 Presidential Inauguration.

What to do

1. Have your children collect pictures of a few important

things from their life to date.

2. Tell your children that the items will be put in a time

capsule so that when future generations find it they can

learn something about your children and their time.

Some things to collect that represent the life and times

of a period are games and toys, new technology, means of

transportation, slang, movies, presidential campaign

memorabilia, great speeches, poetry and fiction, music,

heroes, advertising, events, television shows, fashions,

and accounts of issues and crises.

Also have them include a letter describing life today to

the person who opens the time capsule.

3. Meet together for a "show and tell" of the items.

4. Once everyone is satisfied with the collection, label the

items by name and with any other information that will

help those who find them understand how they are

significant to the history of our time.

5. Place the items in a container, seal the container, and

find a place to store it.

6. Write in the history log a short description of the time

period and record the location of the time capsule.

What did, the collection of items tell about the period?

Did the items tend to be of a certain type?

Quill Pens & Berry Ink

Knowing how to write has been a valued skill throughout

history. History itself depends on writing, and writing has

changed over time from scratches on clay to computerized

letters.

What you'll need

For quill pen:

feather, scissors, a paper clip

For berry ink:

1/2 cup of ripe berries, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon

vinegar, food strainer, bowl, wooden spoon, small jar with

tight-fitting lid

Paper

Paper towel

History log

What to do

1. Make the ink: Collect some berries for your ink. Consider

what color you want your ink to be, and what berries are

available. Blueberries, cherries, blackberries,

strawberries, or raspberries work well. Fill the strainer

with berries and hold it over the bowl. Crush the berries

against the strainer with the wooden spoon so that the

berry juice drips into the bowl. When all the juice is out

of the berries, throw the pulp away. Add the salt and

vinegar to the berry juice and stir well. If the ink is

too thick, add a teaspoon or two of water, but don't add

too much or you'll lose the color. Store the ink in a

small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Make only as much as

you think you will use at one time, because it will dry up

quickly.

2. Make the pen: Find a feather. Form the pen point by

cutting the fat end of the quill on an angle, curving the

cut slightly. A good pair of scissors is safer than a

knife. Clean out the inside of the quill so that the ink

will flow to the point. Use the end of a paper clip if

needed. You may want to cut a center slit in the point;

however, if you press too hard on the pen when you write,

it may split.

3. Write with the pen: Dip just the tip of the pen in the

ink, and keep a paper towel handy to use as an ink

blotter. Experiment by drawing lines, curves, and single

letters, and by holding the pen at different angles. Most

people press too hard or stop too long in one spot.

4. Practice signing your name, John Hancock style, with the

early American letters shown here. Then write your

signature in your history log.

5. Write your name again using a pen or pencil. Compare the

results.

Why do write? When do people in your family use writing?

What written things do you see every day? What is their

purpose? What effect do different writing implements have on

writing, for example quill pens, ballpoint pens, typewriters,

and computers?

School Days

Did you ever wonder why there is no school in summer? Or

why there might be soon?

What you'll need

Map of the United States

Crayons or colored pencils

History log

What to do

1. Talk about what school was like when you were a child.

Include how schools looked physically (e.g., one-room

schoolhouse or campus?); what equipment teachers used

(e.g., chalk boards or computers?); what subjects you

studied; what choices you faced (e.g., transportation to

and from school, extracurricular activities ); and

favorite teachers.

2. Talk about what school was like 50 or 100 years ago. Ask

your librarian for help in looking this up, and talk to

older relatives.

Include the history of work in America and how this

affects schooling. For example, when America was an

agricultural society, children were needed to help plant

and harvest crops. It was common then that children didn't

go to school every day, or in the summer.

Have children draw a variety of crops or animals raised in

the United States, including those grown in their own

state or neighborhood. They can draw either right on the

map or on paper that they will cut and paste on the

appropriate state. The map can be traced from an atlas in

the library or from a geography book. Talk about when

various crops are planted and harvested, and the effects

of growing seasons on migrant worker families.

Talk about another change in work in America and how it

affected schooling. For example, when America was becoming

a manufacturing economy, during the Industrial Revolution,

laws were made against child labor and for mandatory

schooling.

Help your child talk about how the work of parents in

America today affects schooling, for example, the need for

afterschool programs.

3. Imagine what school will be like in the future. Younger

children may want to use blocks to build their future

school, and older children may want to draw theirs.

What has remained the same about school from the past to

the present? What has changed? If you could be the head of a

school 20 years from now, what would you keep and what would

you change based on your current school? How would you go about

making the changes?

Time To Celebrate

On quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies is written the

phrase "E pluribus unum," "One out of many." What does it mean?

What you'll need

U.S. coins

Map of the world

Calendar

History log

What to do

1. Have your children look at U.S. coins for the expression

"E pluribus unum", and translate it for them: "One out of

many." Explain to them that it refers to America as one

nation with many peoples and cultures, and that it is not

a common nationality but shared democratic values that

bind us as a nation.

2. With your children talk about the following list of

holidays celebrated in the United States. Look at a

calendar to add other holidays, and next to each holiday

write when it is celebrated and what is celebrated.

New Year's Day January 1 New beginning

Martin Luther January 15 Birth of a leader

King Jr.'s

Birthday

Presidents' Day 3rd Monday Originally, Presidents

of February Lincoln and Washington

currently all former

U.S. presidents

Memorial Day Last Monday War dead

of May

Independence Day July 4 National independence;

adoption of the

Declaration of

Independence in 1776

Labor Day First Monday Working people

of September

Columbus Day Second Monday Landing of

of October Columbus in the

Bahamas in 1492

Veterans Day November 11 War veterans

Thanksgiving Fourth Giving thanks

Day Thursday of for divine goodness

November

Christmas Day December 25 Birth of Jesus

3. Use the opportunity of talking about what holidays

celebrate to read original sources. For example: on

Presidents' Day read one of the great presidential

speeches such as the Gettysburg Address; on Martin Luther

King's Day read the "I Have a Dream" speech.

4. Find holidays celebrated in other nations. Classmates,

neighbors, and relatives from other countries are good

sources of information.

5. Think and talk about other important holidays our nation

should celebrate.

6. Discuss what your family celebrates, and have your

children write about the discussion in their history log.

What kinds of accomplishments or events do we celebrate in

America? What similarities and differences did you find between

American holidays and holidays celebrated by people from other

countries.

The Past Anew

Reenactments of historical battles or periods, such as

colonial times, make our nation's history come alive. And they

get our children involved.

What you'll need

A library card

Local newspapers

Phone book

History log

What was unusual or interesting about the reenactment?

What role did each of the reenactors play? If there was

conflict, what was shown or said about its causes? What

obstacles did the characters face? How did they overcome them?

What is the difference between the "real thing" and a

performance of it? What did you learn from the performance?

What to do

1. Find out where reenactments are held by looking in your

local newspaper or calling your local historical society,

State Park, or National Park Service.

2. Choose one, and prepare your child to see it by visiting a

local museum or historical site that relates to the

reenactment, or by watching a television program about the

event or period to be reenacted. Use your local librarian

and TV guide as resources.

3. Attend the reenactment and participate. Ask the reenactors

questions about anything--from the kind of hat they are

wearing to the meanings of the event or period for the

development or transformation of America. Finally, help

your child write about this experience in the history log.

Parents and the Schools

Educators and education policymakers at the national and

state levels support an expanded history curriculum in our

schools. Parents and schools can be partners in this endeavor

as they work toward their common goal of educating children.

Following are some well-proven measures for supporting your

children's study of history at school, and for forming

productive relationships with those responsible for their

education away from home:

1. Become familiar with your school's history program. Ask

yourself:

* What do I see in my child's classroom that shows history

is valued there? For example, are maps, globes, atlases,

and original source documents visible?

* Are newspapers and current events media part of the

curriculum? Are biographies, myths, and legends used to

study history?

* Does my child regularly have history homework, and history

projects periodically, including debates and mock trials?

* Are there field trips relating to history?

* Is my child encouraged to ask questions and look for

answers from reliable sources?

* How is knowledge of history assessed in addition to tests

based on the textbook?

* Are my children learning history in elementary and middle

school, and are the history curriculums well coordinated?

* Does the history curriculum include world history as well

as American history?

* Does my school require teachers to have studied history?

Or does it assign history classes to teachers with little

or no background?

2. Talk often with your child's teachers.

* Attend parent-teacher conferences early in the school

year.

* Listen to what teachers say during these conferences, and

take notes.

* Let teachers know that you expect your child to gain a

knowledge of history, and that you appreciate their

efforts towards this goal.

* Ask the teachers what their expectations of the class and

your child are.

* Agree on a system of communication with the teachers for

the year, either by phone or in writing twice a semester,

and whenever you are concerned.

* Keep an open mind in discussing your child's education

with teachers; ask questions about anything you don't

understand; and be frank with them about your concerns.

3. Help to improve history education in your child's school.

* Volunteer in your children's history class, for example,

to organize visits from the mayor or local historians, and

to local historical sites.

* If you feel dissatisfied with the history program, talk to

your children's teachers first, and then to the principal,

history curriculum division, superintendent, and finally

the school board. Also talk to other parents for their

input.

Resources

Listed below are a few of the many excellent books about

people, events, and issues in American and world history that

are available for primary and middle school children. They are

available in most public and school libraries, as well as in

children's bookstores. Suggestions came from: The New York

Times Parents Guide to the Best Books for Children, by Eden

Ross Lipson; History--Social Science Curriculum: A Booklet for

Parents, by the California Department of Education; The Horn

Book Guide to Children's and Young Adult Books, by The Horn

Book, Incorporated; Children's Books in Print; and from the

1991 bibliography of the National Council for the Social

Studies-Children's Book Council. The listing includes author,

title, and publisher.

Primary Level Books

1. American History and Culture

Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Eleanor Roosevelt. See also

other titles in this series, and Thomas Jefferson: Father of

Our Democracy, and George Washington: Father of Our Country.

Holiday.

Barth, Edna. Turkeys, Pilgrims and Indian Corn: The Story of

the Thanksgiving Symbols. Clarion.

Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Cohen, Barbara. Molly's Pilgrim. Lothrop.

Faber, Doris. Amish. Doubleday.

Ferris, Jeri. Go Free or Die: A Story about Harriet Tubman. See

also Walking the Road to Freedom: A Story about Sojourner

Truth. Carolrhoda Books.

Fisher, Leonard E. The Statue of Liberty. Holiday.

Fritz, Jean. Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? See also

What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?, and Will You Sign Here,

John Hancock? Coward.

Gibbons, Gall. From Path to Highway: The Story of the Boston

Post Road. T.Y. Crowell/HarperCollins.

Harness, Cheryl. Three Young Pilgrims. Bradbury Press.

Jakes, John. Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story. Harcourt Brace

Jovanovich.

Lawson, Robert. Watchwords of Liberty: A Pageant of American

Quotations. Little, Brown.

McGovern, Ann. If You Lived in Colonial Times. Scholastic.

McGuffy, William Holmes. McGuffey's Third Eclectic Reader. Van

Nostrand Reinhold.

Monjo, F. N. The One Bad Thing about Father (biography of

Theodore Roosevelt). See also The Drinking Gourd. Harper.

O'Kelley, Mattie Lou. From the Hills of Georgia: An

Autobiography in Paintings. Little, Brown.

Provensen, Alice. The Buck Stops Here: The Presidents of the

United States. HarperCollins.

Rynbach, Iris V. Everything from a Nail to a Coffin. Orchard.

Sewall, Marcia. The Pilgrims of Plimoth. See also People of the

Breaking Day (same period from Indian point of view). Atheneum.

Von Tscharner, Renata, and Ronald Fleming. New Providence: A

Changing Cityscape. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Waters, Kate. The Story of the White House. Scholastic.

Williams, Sherley Anne. Working Cotton. Harcourt Brace

Jovanovich.

2. World History and Culture

Adler, David A. Our Golda: The Story of Golda Meir. Viking.

Aliki. Mummies Made in Egypt. T.Y. Crowell/HarperCollins.

Fisher, Leonard E. The Great Wall of China. See also Pyramid of

the Sun--Pyramid of the Moon, and The Wailing Wall. Macmillan.

Musgrove, Margaret W. Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions.

Dial.

Provensen, Alice, and Martin Provensen. The Glorious Flight:

Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot. Puffin.

Sabin, Louis. Marie Curie. Troll.

Stanley, Diane. Peter the Great. Four Winds.

Wells, Ruth. A to Zen: A Book of Japanese Culture. Simon and

Schuster.

3. Historical Fiction and Poetry

Aliki. A Medieval Feast. T.Y. Crowell/HarperCollins.

Baylor, Byrd. The Best Town in the World. Scribner's.

Benchley, Nathaniel. Sam the Minuteman. HarperCollins.

Burton, Virginia Lee. Litle House. Houghton Mifflin.

Goble, Paul. Death of the Iron Horse. Macmillan.

Hall, Donald. Ox-Cart Man. Puffin.

Kurelek, William. A Prairie Boy's Winter. Houghton Mifflin.

Kuskin, Karla. Jerusalem, Shining Still. Harper Trophy.

Lee, Jeanne M. Ba-Nam. Henry Holt.

Le Sueur, Meridel. Little Brother of the Wilderness: The Story

of Johnny Appleseed. Holy Cow! Press.

Livingston, Myra. Celebrations. Holiday.

Lobel, Anita. Potatoes, Potatoes. HarperCollins.

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. Hiawatha. Dial.

Lyon, George-Ella. Who Came Down That Road? Franklin Watts.

Spier, Peter. We the People: The Constitution of the U. S.. See

also Tin Lizzie, New Amsterdam, and The Star-Spangled Banner.

Doubleday.

Swift, Hildegarde, and Lynd Ward. Little Red Lighthouse and the

Great Gray Bridge. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Turkle, Brinton. Thy Friend, Obadiah. Puffin.

Zolotow, Charlotte. The Sky Was Blue. Harper.

Upper Elementary Level Books

1. American History and Culture

a. Original sources and biographies

The Log of Christopher Columbus' First Voyage to America: in

the Year 1492, As Copied Out in Brief by Bartholomew Las Casas.

Linnett Books/Shoestring Press.

Brown, Margaret W. (editor). Homes in the Wilderness: A

Pilgrim's Journal of Plymouth Plantation in 1620, by William

Bradford and Others of the Mayflower Company. Linnett

Books/Shoestring Press.

Cousins, Margaret. Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia. Random.

Douglass, Frederick. The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.

Macmillan. See also The Narrative and Selected Writings. Modern

Library.

Freedman, Russell. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Clarion. See also

Indian Chiefs, The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the

Airplane (Holiday), and Lincoln: A Photobiography (Clarion).

Harrison, Barbara, and Daniel Terris. A Twilight Struggle: The

Life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Lothrop/Morrow.

Lester, Julius. To Be a Slave. Dial.

McKissack, Patricia, and Frederick McKissack. Mary McLeod

Bethune: A Great Teacher. Enslow.

Meltzer, Milton. The Black Americans: A History in Their Own

Words. See also others in this "In their own words" series, and

Voices from the Civil War. T.Y. Crowell/HarperCollins.

Ravitch, Diane (editor). American Reader: Words That Moved a

Nation. HarperCollins.

b. Period History and Historical Fiction

Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Little, Brown/Orchard House.

See also An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving. Holiday.

Benet, Rosemary, and Stephen Vincent Benet. The Ballad of

William Sycamore. Henry Holt.

Blumberg, Rhoda. The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark.

Lothrop.

Brink, Carol R. Caddie Woodlawn. Macmillan.

Brown, Marion Marsh. Sacagawea: Indian Interpreter to Lewis and

Clark. Childrens.

Fisher, Leonard E. The Oregon Trail. See also Tracks Across

America: The Story of the American Railroad, 1825-1900.

Holiday.

Flournoy, Valerie. The Patchwork Quilt. Dial.

Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. Houghton Mifflin.

Freedman, Russell. Cowboys of the Wild West. Clarion.

Fritz, Jean. Shh! We're Writing the Constitution. Putnam. See

also other books by the same author on Pocahantas, Paul Revere,

and others.

Hakim, Joy. The First Americans, the first volume of the series

A History of the United States. Oxford University Press.

Haskins, Jim. Outward Dreams: Black Inventors and Their

Inventions. Walker.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. True Stories from History and Biography.

Ohio State University Press.

Hunt, Irene. Across Five Aprils. Berkley.

Jacobs, William J. Ellis Island: New Hope in a New Land.

Scribner.

Maestro, Betsy. A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our

Constitution. Lothrop.

Nixon, Joan L. A Family Apart. Bantam.

O'Dell, Scott. King's Fifth. See also The Serpent Never Sleeps:

A Novel of Jamestown and Pocahontas. Houghton Mifflin.

Parker, Nancy W. The President's Cabinet and How It Grew.

HarperCollins.

Smith, Carter (editor). Daily Life: A Sourcebook on Colonial

America. Millbrook.

Stewart, George. The Pioneers Go West. Random.

Wilder, Laura I. Little House in the Big Woods. See also others

in the "Little House" series. Harper Trophy.

2. World History and Culture, and Historical Fiction

Blumberg, Rhoda. The Remarkable Voyages of Captain Cook.

Bradbury.

Corbishley, Mike. Ancient Rome. Facts on File.

Foreman, Michael. War Boy: A Country Childhood. Arcade.

Galbraith, Catherine A., and Rama Mehta. India Now and Through

Time. Houghton Mifflin.

Harkonen, Reijo. The Children of Egypt. Carolrhoda Books.

Macaulay, David. Pyramid. See also City: A Story of Roman

Planning and Construction; Cathedral: The Story of Its

Construction; and Castle. Houghton Mifflin. Also available on

video.

Marrin, Albert. Napoleon and the Napoleonic Wars. Viking.

Muller, Jorg. The Changing City. McElderry.

Nhuong, Quang Nhuong. The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in

Vietnam. Harper Trophy.

Rogasky, Barbara. Smoke and Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust.

Holiday.

Stott, Ken (illustrator). Columbus and The Age of Exploration.

Bookwright.

Collections

Baker, Charles F., Ill. The Struggle for Freedom: Plays on the

American Revolution. Cobblestone.

Barchers, Suzanne, and Patricia Marden. Cooking Up U. S.

History: Recipes and Research to Share with Children. Teacher

Ideas Press.

Bell, R. C. Board and Table Games From Many Civilizations.

Dover Publications.

Benet, Rosemary, and Stephen Vincent Benet. Book of Americans.

Henry Holt.

Boorstin, Daniel J., and Ruth F. Boorstin. The Landmark History

of the American People. Random House. See also Visiting Our

Past: America's Historylands. National Geographic Society.

D'Aulaire, Ingri, and Edgar D'Aulaire. D'Aulaire's Book of

Greek Myths. Doubleday.

Dorell, Ann (collector). The Diane Goode Book of American Folk

Tales and Songs. Dutton.

Fearotte, Phyllis. The You and Me Heritage Tree: Children's

Crafts from 21 American Traditions. Workman.

Hughes, Langston, and Arna Bontemps. The Book of Negro

Folklore. Dodd, Mead.

McEvedy, Colin. The Penguin Atlas of Ancient History. Penguin.

National Geographic Society. Historical Atlas of the United

States.

Walker, Barbara M. The Little House Cookbook. Trophy.

Children's Magazines

Calliope: World History for Young People. Cobblestone

Publishing, Inc., 30 Grove St., Peterborough, NH 03458. World

history for grades 6-8.

Cobblestone: The History Magazine for Young People. Cobblestone

Publishing, Inc., same address as above. An American history

monthly for grades 4-8.

Videos

An American Tail, Universal Studios. An animated fable about

19th century immigration, in color.

The Civil War, PBS, directed by Kenneth Burns. An 11 hour

series in color and black and white.

Eyes on the Prize, PBS. A series on the civil rights movement

in the United States.

References for Parents

Hirsch, E.D. Jr. What Your First Grader Needs To Know. See also

titles on second-, third-, and fourth-graders. Doubleday/Core

Knowledge Series.

Local and National Resources

Federal Government

General Services Administration, Publications Sales Branch,

NEPS-G, Washington, DC 20408. Write for a list of available

"documents from the past."

National Park Service, Office of Public Inquiries, Washington,

DC 20013-7127. Write for maps and guides to national historic

sites.

National Register of Historic Places, Interagency Resources

Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC

20013-7127. The Register's archives contain information on

59,000 places of national, state, and local significance.

National Nonprofit Organizations

American Association for State and Local History, 172 Second

Avenue North, Suite 202, Nashville, TN 37201. The association

maintains an extensive list of museums, historic sites, and

historical societies.

National Council for History Education, 26915 Westwood Rd.,

Suite B-2, Westlake, Ohio 44145. Write to the council for the

monthly newsletter, History Matters! The council also maintains

a Speakers' Bureau.

National History Day, University of Maryland at College Park,

0121 Caroline Hall, College Park, MD 20742. Write for

information on local, regional, state, and national contests

for middle schoolers.

National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts

Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Write to them for lists of

preservation groups in local communities throughout the United

States. These groups often have walking maps and special

historical programs.

Acknowledgments

This booklet was made possible with help from the

following people who provided materials and suggestions: George

T. Reed, Rodney Atkinson, Gilbert Sewall, Joseph Ribar, Steven

and Amy Jack, Candece Reed, Joseph and Peter Ryan, Nancy

Taylor, Joan McKown, Susan Perkins Weston, Carol Shull, Paul

Regnier, and Joyce Hunley. Special thanks are given to Judith

J. French, a media specialist in Fairfax County Public Schools,

for reviewing the bibliography; to the 1990 third-grade class

of Capitol Hill Day School whose illustrations of historical

houses in Washington, DC appear on page 13; to Leo and Diane

Dillon for their advice on how to work with illustrators; and

to Gerard Devlin, Nancy Floyd, John Fonte, Paul Gagnon, Wilma

Prudhum Greene, Margery Martin, and many others at the U.S.

Department of Education.

The Helping Your Chad series was initiated by Diane

Ravitch when she was Assistant Secretary of OERI, to expand

educational opportunities for children. In addition, she

provided a historian's thoughtful review of this manuscript.

The following sources were consulted in conceiving the

introductory text: Awakening Your Child's Natural Genius by

Thomas Armstrong; Building a History Curriculum by the Bradley

Commission on History in Schools; History-Social Science

Framework for California Public Schools by the California State

Department of Education; Framework for the 1994 NAEP U.S.

History Assessment by the National Assessment Governing Board;

Learning H/story by A.K. Dickinson et al.; and the Art of

Eating (No.18), a newsletter by Edward Behr with an article on

the history of breadmaking.

The activities are inspired by suggestions from John Ahem;

Kid's America by Steve Caney; Great Fast Breads by Carol

Cutler; Native American Cookbook by Edna Henry; Claudia J.

Hoone; Kathleen Hunter; Peter O'Donnell, Director of Museum

Education at Old Sturbridge Village; Janice Ribar; and My

Backyard History Book by David Weitzman.

What We Can Do

To Help Our Children Learn:

Listen to them and pay attention to their problems. Read with

them.

Tell family stories.

Limit their television watching.

Have books and other reading materials in the house.

Look up words in the dictionary with them.

Encourage them to use an encyclopedia.

Share favorite poems and songs with them.

Take them to the library--get them their own library cards.

Take them to museums and historical sites, when possible.

Discuss the daily news with them.

Go exploring with them and learn about plants, animals, and

local geography.

Find a quiet place for them to study.

Review their homework.

Meet with their teachers.

Do you have other ideas?



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