The National Standards, along with recent research on history learning, have influenced curriculum guides, textbook revisions, and new instructional materials in various formats. Different methods of teaching history produce different history learning outcomes. Readers of the National History Standards will have little doubt about what content they should teach. The standards will doubtlessly be used to support curriculum development and related testing efforts. Beyond the fundamentals of quality curriculum planning and teacher support, there are a number of classroom teaching practices that can help students develop competence and interest in the study of history.
Teachers can greatly enhance history instruction by the use of children's literature.
There is a substantial supply of elementary-level historical fiction, biographies, and special purpose reference works related to history. Teachers should work with their school media centers and public libraries to identify the titles of books that may be used to invigorate history learning. Such books should be displayed attractively, used frequently, and discussed as a part of the regular classroom routine. Instruction about the past is aided by the sounds and images of history offered through laserdiscs, videotapes, films, and filmstrips. Although overreliance on these resources is a fault, careful selection and meaningful integration of them with ongoing history instruction can do much to enhance students' knowledge of the past.