Using Internet Primary Sources to Teach Critical Thinking Skills in Government, Economics, and Contemporary World Issues (Libraries Unlimited Professional Guides in School Librarianship) - Hardcover

Shiveley, James M.; VanFossen, Phillip J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0313312834 ISBN 13: 9780313312830

Publisher: Libraries Unlimited, 2001

Synopsis

Teachers of political science, social studies, and economics, as well as school library media specialists, will find this resource invaluable for incorporating the Internet into their classroom lessons. Over 150 primary source Web sites are referenced and paired with questions and activities designed to encourage critical thinking skills. Completing the activities for the lessons in this book will allow students to evaluate the source of information, the content presented, and it usefulness in the context of their assignments.

Along with each Web site, a summary of the site's contents identifies important primary source documents such as constitutions, treaties, speeches, court cases, statistics, and other official documents. The questions and activites invite the students to log on to the Web site, read the information presented, interact with the data, and analyze it critically to answer such questions as: Who created this document? Is the source reliable? How is the information useful and how does it relate to present-day circumstances? If I were in this situation, would I have responded the same way as the person in charge? Strengthening these critical thinking skills will help prepare students for both college and career in the 21st century.

About this title

About the Author

JAMES M. SHIVELEY is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Miami University where he teaches courses in social studies methods and supervises student teachers.

PHILLIP J. VANFOSSEN is an Associate Professor of Social Studies Education in the School of Education at Purdue University./e He is also the Director of the James F. Ackerman Center for Democratic Citizenship and Assistant Director of the Center for Economic Education, both at Purdue University. His teaching and research concentrate on the use of the Internet in the social studies classroom.

Reviews

Here is a great resource for teachers, students, and library media specialists, providing detailed techniques for using primary sources from the Internet in social studies, economics, political science, and world issues. Part 1 offers an explanation of what critical thinking is and how it relates to social studies. Part 2 discusses what a primary source is and how one can differentiate it from a secondary and other sources. Part 3 describes 118 Web sites which contain primary source documents, giving for each site the URL, a brief abstract of the content, and questions and activities utilizing critical thinking skills. Additional content-related Web sites are listed when applicable. A brief listing of selected primary source databases and an alphabetical index complete the book. This is an excellent professional resource for any public or school library that caters to the middle- or high-school student. Carol Sue Harless
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Libraries Unlimited
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0313312834
• ISBN 13: 9780313312830
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 272