This symposium, presented by the James Buchanan Foundation and the Lancaster County Historical Society will examine the political crisis of the 1850s and the presidency of James Buchanan. The symposium includes a keynote event and three panel presentations, as well as an in-service program for secondary teachers.

What was life like on the Pennsylvania frontier? How were captives adopted into the Seneca Nation? Who was Mary Jemison? What was life like for her? What does it mean to be a Seneca? G. Peter Jemison, the rest of the staff of Ganondagan State Historic Site, the Friends of Ganondagan Education Committee and some special guests will present a look at Mary Jemison and the Senecas.

The workshop will cover life in a Scotch-Irish household on the Pennsylvania frontier; the influence of the French and Indian War and the process of captivity, adoption, and identity formation; life in a longhouse; Seneca genealogy; and a visit with Mary Jemison (as portrayed by Gretchen Sepik). Participants will receive a folder of information, a ticket for a return visit to the site, and a 10% discount coupon for use at Ganondagan's Gift Shop (where resources on the Haudenosaunee and Mary Jemison will be available for purchase) for the day of the event. They will also meet the staff and receive information about booking a group visit to Ganondagan.

Sponsored by the National Park Service, Gettysburg College, and Mount St. Mary's University, the Academy presents an in-depth perspective of Dwight D. Eisenhower as president and world leader. Sessions introduce effective strategies for teaching the Cold War in the classroom and include:

* New scholarship on the Eisenhower Presidency.
* Field trips, lectures, and discussion on the 1950s including the Cold War, civil rights, and popular culture.
* A visit to the Eisenhower National Historic Site to get an intimate glimpse into Eisenhower's life and times.
* Opportunities to learn about and use primary source documents, film and video footage, and the World Wide Web as research tools.
* A walk through historic Gettysburg exploring Eisenhower's life and times in the community.

This workshop provides a varied program of lectures, demonstrations, analysis of documents, independent research, and group work that introduces teachers to the holdings and organization of the National Archives. Participants will learn how to do research in historical records, create classroom material from records, and present documents in ways that sharpen students' skills and enthusiasm for history, social studies, and the humanities. Each participant selects and prepares to research a specific topic, searches the topic in the records of the National Archives, and develops a teaching unit that can be presented in his or her own classroom.

"An NCHE team of Yohuru Williams, Tom Connors, and David Byrd will explore the topic of Postwar America: Civil Rights, the Sixties, and the Rise of Conservation at this Continuity and Change: America in the 20th Century colloquium."

"Discover what archeology is and how we learn from what others have left behind. Participants will become archaeologists as they participate in the Archaeology: History Found in Pieces program, visit Franklin Court and hear how archaeology was used to learn about Franklin and how it plays an important role in how we interpret Franklin today. Educators will learn about teaching with primary source documents and objects, discover how archaeologists and curators use these clues to piece together history, and have the opportunity to explore Independence Park Institute’s newly opened hands-on student learning labs."

"The decision to declare ourselves an independent nation was not one that came quickly or easily. Come and learn about the politics of the American Revolution as you visit places like Carpenter’s Hall, Independence Hall and the Declaration House. Learn about the risks that were taken and the compromises that were made. Educators will go home with education materials, teacher guides, and new ideas for teaching the American Revolution in the classroom and beyond."

"Learn about material culture, see 18th century objects rarely seen by the public, tour the Todd and Bishop White houses, and talk with a curator and museum educator! Teachers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey will earn 3.5 professional development credit hours while taking a behind-the-scenes look at Independence National Historical Park. Educators will learn about teaching with primary source documents and objects, discover how curators use these clues to piece together history, and have the opportunity to explore Independence Park Institute’s newly opened hands-on student learning labs."

"At Independence National Historical Park educators will learn what paper meant to the founding of our country and 18th century America. See a printing demonstration at the Franklin Court Printing Office. Then explore the Independence Park Institute’s newly opened Benjamin Franklin: Man of Many Talents Learning Lab where teachers will try setting their names in type as well as many of Franklin’s other activities. At each location, teachers will learn about education programs and field trip opportunities."

"This 2008 summer workshop was created for high school history teachers interested in developing a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped America in the Industrial Age. Using Pittsburgh as a model for the forces that shaped the Industrial Era, participants will hear guest lectures from some of the foremost scholars of the period. Participants will also visit a number of historical sites from Gilded Age mansions to steel mills to the location of the Homestead Strike to get a firsthand look at the region. Teachers will leave with a better sense of the time period and ways to bring the issues alive for students in any part of the country."