All societies have official knowledge. Life of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, 17th-century nun and literary genius, illustrates who discovers knowledge is more important than what knowledge is promulgated. Real issue was not what Sor Juana wrote but whether nun or woman should engage in producing and publishing knowledge. Her efforts have inspired…

Eschewing Little Mermaid and Ninja Turtle costumes, students at a Washington Montessori school celebrate Halloween dressed as John Adams, Clara Barton, and other historical figures. U.S. Department of Education recently recognized eight schools for using interdisciplinary approaches, devoting adequate instructional time to history, and addressing…

Describes lifelong commitment of middle-school principal and major W.J. Jones to Coahoma, a small town in Mississippi Delta. Thanks to his efforts, town recently acquired a sewage system, blacktopped roads, and new housing (through Habitat for Humanity and World Vision). Although town elementary school fell victim to consolidation and children are…

Daniel Boyd, film teacher at West Virginia State College, describes his life and career as an independent filmmaker, including his educational background in film, efforts to market his films within the film industry, and development of scripts and films. (TES)

This last article in a four-part series describes database selection behavior of end-users of the EasyNet Scan feature in the categories of people, news, and general reference. Databases are ranked in descending order of selection, the value of multifile search strategies is confirmed, and plans for further investigations are presented. (LRW)

Describe the experiences of a writing teacher as she completed a biography-writing assignment along with her students. Notes that teachers can gain insights into (and an understanding of writing they assign) by doing the assignments along with their students. Notes that many students, even reluctant writers, produced memorable biographies of…

Presents data from a study of middle school library circulation of biography titles in two school years. Analyzes circulation counts, periods when biographies were checked out, favored subjects, and popular titles. (HB)

Describes a one- to two-week project where students create a biographical scrapbook to document the life of a chosen scientist. When sources are not easily found, students are encouraged to use their imaginations to create birth certificates, news articles, letters, and interviews. (PR)

Recounts the pedagogical history of the Anglo-Welsh Adams family that spans the 1840s to the 1930s in England and Wales. Comprises summarized biographical details of relevant family members and offers generalizations drawn from this longitudinal case study. Argues that this study highlights neglected aspects within educational history. (DSK)

Presents an annotated bibliography of Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) resources related to the history of the United States Supreme Court. Materials selected include books, academic journals, theme issues, workbooks, and curriculum guides. Includes information on locating, ordering, and reproducing these resources. Also provides…

Examines the social and intellectual development of Anne Jemima Clough, an early participant in the women's education movement in England. Explores Clough's decision to work for change within the established gender system, rather than outside of it. Suggests that Clough deserves greater historical recognition than she has received. (DSK)

Discusses how the author remembers Lawrence Kohlberg and how she came into a long-term conversation with him that influenced the course of her research. Emphasizes the impact that bringing women into studies of child development and psychology had on these fields. (DSK)

Describes 33 books that give children insight into living in the great Midwest and into westward expansion, including books by and about Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the nature of the prairie, famous figures of the Midwest, picture books, and novels. (SR)

Describes six books appropriate for use with high school advanced or honors biology classes. The stories describe scientists who persevered against existing preconceptions in science or society at three levels: (1) prevailing mainstream scientific ideas; (2) gender; and (3) nationality or race. Presents ideas for using biographies as part of a…

Presents an annotated bibliography of 38 outstanding reference sources published in 1999 suitable for small to medium-sized libraries selected by the American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association's (RUSA) Reference Sources Committee of the Collection development and Evaluation Section. Categories include, general, language…