The present age is one of globalization characterized in part by rapid developments in technology and information systems. But information and technology have often been powerful forces for historical change. This institute will place the current information and technological revolutions in world-historical perspective through a set of case studies drawn from different cultures and contexts from antiquity to the present day. In examining the effects of information and technology on political, economic, and social development, the institute will explore several major themes, including writing and print/information technology; science and society; technology and warfare; and empire and the diffusion and consolidation of knowledge. Presented by professors from the University of California, Berkeley's History Department, and organized around the Content Standards for California Public Schools, these case studies will provide a number of useful tools and strategies for teaching information and technology in world history.

From the Foundation for Teaching Economics website:

"These widely acclaimed, cross-curricular programs help teachers incorporate economic reasoning into their high school American history courses. Program instructors provide economic explanations of pivotal historical events.

Participants learn interactive teaching strategies that incorporate the actual circumstances of historical periods of study. With EFIAH lesson plans, teachers can help their students learn by re-living history rather than just reading or hearing about it. A 'must take' course for any teacher of American history."

From the Foundation for Teaching Economics website:

"These widely acclaimed, cross-curricular programs help teachers incorporate economic reasoning into their high school American history courses. Program instructors provide economic explanations of pivotal historical events.

Participants learn interactive teaching strategies that incorporate the actual circumstances of historical periods of study. With EFIAH lesson plans, teachers can help their students learn by re-living history rather than just reading or hearing about it. A 'must take' course for any teacher of American history."

Participants in this course will explore American Indian history in North Carolina from the earliest evidence of human habitation in the state through first contact with Europeans, the Trail of Tears, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and into the present day.

Students often hold incorrect ideas about Native Americans and, in particular, know very little about the history and culture of American Indians right here in North Carolina. Archaeological finds, creation stories, the writings of early European explorers, government documents and treaties, stories handed down through oral tradition, indigenous crafts, newspaper articles, and more will enrich exploration of key issues in Native American history in North Carolina.

Moreover, thoughtful articles and lively discussions will allow participants to address modern issues such as the needs of American Indian students in North Carolina classrooms and present-day controversies such as the use of Indian-themed mascots in school athletic programs.

The Gilder Lehrman Summer Seminars are designed to strengthen participants' commitment to high quality history teaching. Public, parochial, independent school teachers, and National Park Service rangers are eligible. These week-long seminars provide intellectual stimulation and a collaborative context for developing practical resources and strategies to take back to the classroom.

This workshop is designed to prepare high school United States history teachers to teach this course in their high schools, to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history, and to develop the skills necessary for arriving at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and the skills for presenting reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. The teachers will also be introduced to the latest College Board changes to the test and scoring strategies.

Led by Patty Limerick, this seminar uses focused case studies to explore the larger picture of environmental history, a subject that has grown increasingly complex as historians deepen their understanding of the vast role of "anthropogenic change" (also known as "history") in reconfiguring the places and processes thought of as "natural." Much of the seminar explores the transformation of attitudes, from the assessment of North American landscapes and resources by early settlers to the recognition of the changing "baseline" of global warming, along with a reconsideration—and revision—of the usual polarity-pitting utilitarian approaches in opposition to preservationist approaches to the management of nature. With guest speakers drawn from the University of Colorado's widely respected environmental studies program, the roles of naturalists and scientists in shaping American thinking about nature will receive particular attention, as will changes in the production and consumption of energy, a fundamental matter in environmental history. The concluding field trip to Rocky Mountain National Park gives the themes of the lectures and discussions a down-to-earth grounding in a visit to one of the most popular units in the nation's public lands, while close attention to John McPhee's Encounters with the Archdruid provides a framework for drawing lessons from the past to enhance the quality of contemporary environmental decision-making.