Includes index.

Grades 9-12.

Diane Hart is a writer and consultant specializing in history and social studies. She is the author of several social studies textbooks as well as resources for teachers, including Authentic Assessment: A Handbook for Educators. She has written texts for special needs and limited English students that are used not only in schools, but also in prisons, adult literacy, and citizenship classes. Recently she has been developing materials for video, multimedia, and the Internet. A former teacher and Woodrow Wilson Fellow, with a master's degree in history from Stanford University, Diane remains deeply involved in social studies education. She is an active participant in the National and California Councils for the Social Studies. --Book.

Bert Bower has truly experienced the classroom from every perspective. He began his career as a classroom aide, then taught social studies for eight years, and finally earned a PhD in Curriculum and Teacher Education from Stanford University. For the past 20 years he has been crafting innovative K-12 social studies programs by collaborating with teachers and trying out new ideas in the classroom. His goal is to defeat the "silent violence" of stand-and-deliver teaching that leaves youth passive and bored by creating programs that teach students to ponder and participate. Bert combines proven teaching strategies with cutting-edge technology to successfully reach all learners in the diverse classroom, even the students who sit in the back of the classroom and rarely speak. Bower is co-founder and Executive Director of TCI. --Website.