Missouri : Then and Now

Now available in a new and enlarged edition is the popular fourth-grade textbook, Missouri Then and Now. Closely correlated with Missouri's Official Course Content Standards and profusely illustrated, with color pictures and maps distributed throughout the book, this state-of-the-art text promises to meet the instructional needs of twenty-first- century classrooms. Teachers will welcome the many special features designed to facilitate the mastery of the basic competencies measured by the Missouri Assessment Program.

Missouri Then and Now incorporates geography, civics, economics, anthropology, and sociology with history to give students an opportunity to learn about their world on several levels: the community (the origin and subsequent growth of towns), the region (the occupation and settlement of the Mississippi River Valley), the nation (the struggle for statehood, the westward movement, the Civil War, and the depression of the 1930s) and the world (exploration, world wars, the global economy, and the worldwide communications network). This edition also adds valuable new insights concerning the importance of scientific and technological innovations.

Young Missourians will be introduced to a host of remarkable women, men, and children with stories that will help bring history to life. Individuals who have made special contributions to the state are featured in the "Famous Missourians" sections placed throughout the book, and the routines of daily life and ordinary people are also accorded significant coverage. An important new feature in this edition, "In Their Own Words," gives students the opportunity to read excerpts from actual source documents. These brief passages from letters, diaries, reports, and other historical documents, which have been edited and made accessible to fourth graders, are ideally suited for active learning.

In addition to its many new features, Missouri Then and Now retains the attributes that made earlier editions practical for teaching history. Each chapter begins with guiding questions intended to help students formulate their own ideas and initiate individual and group research activities. A listing of recent books, videos, and web sites located at the end of each chapter will lead students to varied information sources specifically related to Missouri topics. The new words identified for each chapter and the glossary placed in the appendix remain useful tools for vocabulary building exercises. A separate Teacher's Guide includes suggested student research topics for each chapter along with guiding questions. An accompanying matrix helps teachers identify the applicable knowledge and process standards and includes sample learning activities appropriate to the specific topic. These and a host of other attractive features will make Missouri Then and Now a popular choice in Missouri's fourth-grade classrooms.

Perry McCandless is Professor of History Emeritus at Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg.

William E. Foley is Professor of History at Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg and the General Editor of the Missouri Biography Series.