Bradley Commission on History in Schools Records, 1982-1992

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Series I: Administration, 1982-1990

Series I documents the management and organization of the Bradley Commission from its inception in the mid-1980s through the publication and publicity of its guidelines for history education. The series includes all incoming and outgoing correspondence as well as internal memos, funding applications, and meeting minutes. It also contains articles on relevant topics that the commissioners used as background materials and models for their work.



Box 2 Folder 15 Art Samples, circa 1988



Box 7 Folder 21 Bell "Bell's Quarterly: A Newsletter on Curriculum Ideas in History and the Social Sciences for Teachers from Grades 6 to 12,", 1988



Box 1 Folder 9 Bradley Commission First Proposal, 1987


Box 1 Folder 10 Bradley Commission Second Proposal, 1987-1988


Box 1 Folder 8 Bradley Foundation Proposal - First Drafts, 1986-1987



Box 2 Folder 11 Commissioner Essays, 1987


Box 2 Folder 12 Correspondence - Kenneth T. Jackson, 1987-1988



Box 1 Folder 18 Correspondence - Letters of Agreement, 1987

Letters from commissioners agreeing to join the project


Box 1 Folder 3-7 Correspondence Incoming, 1986-1990



Box 2 Folder 26 Correspondence Outgoing, 1986-1987



Box 3 Folder 1-13 Correspondence Outgoing, 1987-1990



Box 1 Folder 17 Dissemination Reports, 1988-1989



Box 7 Folder 14 Egan "Teaching History to Young Children,", 1982


Box 7 Folder 25 Gagnon Articles, 1987-1988


Box 7 Folder 26 Gagnon French, 1981-1988



Box 1 Folder 16 Guidelines Reports, 1987


Box 1 Folder 12 Guidelines Reviews, 1988



Box 7 Folder 24 Hertzberg "Frederick Jackson Turner on 'The Significance of History' for Teachers,", 1987



Box 2 Folder 17 High School Graduation Requirements, 1987



Box 7 Folder 23 Hoone "Planning for Local Heritage Projects,", 1988


Box 7 Folder 15 Howard and Mendenhall "Making History Come Alive,", 1982


Box 7 Folder 11 Kirkendall "The Status of History in Schools,", 1975-1987


Box 7 Folder 10 Larkins and Hawkins "Trivial and Noninformative Content of Social Studies Textbooks in the Primary Grades,", 1987


Box 7 Folder 28 Materials from Commissioners, 1980-1988


Box 7 Folder 22 McNeill "Why Study History,", 1985


Box 7 Folder 29 Meeting Materials, 1987 June



Box 8 Folder 1 Meeting Materials, 1987 October


Box 8 Folder 2 Meeting Materials, 1987 December


Box 8 Folder 3 Meeting Materials, 1987 March


Box 8 Folder 4 Meeting Materials, 1988 June


Box 8 Folder 7 Memo States Using Guidelines, 1987


Box 8 Folder 5 Memos to Commissioners, 1987-1989



Box 7 Folder 16 National Council for Social Studies "In Search of a Scope and Sequence for Social Studies,", 1983



Box 8 Folder 6 Organizing Themes Report, 1987



Box 1 Folder 11 Possible Commissioners, 1987



Box 7 Folder 30 Pre-Meeting Materials, 1987 October


Box 7 Folder 20 Ravitch "Tot Sociology: Or What Happened to History in Grade Schools,", 1987



Box 1 Folder 14 Requests for Reports, 1989-1990


Box 1 Folder 15 Requests for State Info, 1986-1987



Box 2 Folder 16 Scott Widmeyer - Consultant, 1988



Box 7 Folder 12 Sewall "American History Textbooks: An Assessment of Quality,", 1987


Box 7 Folder 27 Supporting Organizations, 1988


Box 7 Folder 13 Woodward "Beyond Textbooks in Elementary Social Studies,", 1986-1987



Box 1 Folder 13 Work Plans, 1987

Series II: Surveys, 1987-1989

Series II contains the surveys that the commission sent to hundreds of elementary and secondary social studies and history teachers. They asked teachers about their experiences in teacher training, how much history instruction their students received, the obstacles they faced, and their recommendations for future improvements in the field. The series also includes the results of the survey and reports and presentations of the data.



Box 4 Folder 4 Elementary Survey Charts, 1988


Box 4 Folder 2 Elementary Survey Results, circa 1988


Box 4 Folder 7 Preliminary Survey Results, 1988


Box 4 Folder 1 Survey Correspondence, 1987-1989


Box 4 Folder 6 Survey Drafts, 1988


Box 4 Folder 9 Survey of Elementary School Teachers, 1988


Box 4 Folder 10-17 Survey of Secondary School Teachers, 1988


Box 4 Folder 3 Survey Reports, 1988


Box 4 Folder 8 Surveys Returned/Remail/Delete, 1988


Box 4 Folder 5 Surveys That Are Not Completely Entered, 1988

Series III: Publications and Presentations, 1985-1992

Series III documents the results of the Bradley Commission's project through materials related to its publications, press, and symposia at which its results were discussed. There were two main publications from the commission, which are represented in the collection. Their 1988 guidelines for history education were the formal results of their investigation. The collection includes those published guidelines alongside drafts, reports, and reviews. In 1989 they also published a book titled Historical Literacy: The Case for American Education with essays from most of the commissioners. Drafts of each chapter, and the final publication, are contained in the collection as well. The commission also publicized its recommendations through two symposia in 1990, one for World History and one for American History. These are documented through administrative planning materials and videos of the conference sessions. In addition to these materials, series III contains press clippings about the commission and its work. Materials from specific publications or events are grouped together.



Box 2 Folder 1 Bradley Commission Guidelines for Teaching History in Schools, 1988



Box 7 Folder 1-9 Guidelines for Teaching History in Schools Drafts, 1988 May-September



Box 2 Folder 13 Draft Notes - Paul Gagnon, 1987-1988

Paul Gagnon notes on drafts of Bradley Commission Guidelines.



Box 7 Folder 17 Bradley Commission Vital Themes Article in Ohio Council for the Social Studies Newsletter, 1988



Box 2 Folder 14 Commissioned Papers, 1988-1989


Box 2 Folder 2 The History Teacher, 1989



Box 5 Folder 1 Historical Literacy: The Case for History in American Education, 1989


Box 5 Folder 2 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 1 Jacksons, 1989


Box 5 Folder 3 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 2 Building a History Curriculum, 1989


Box 5 Folder 4 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 3 Ravitch, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 5 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 4 Hertzberg, 1989


Box 5 Folder 6 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 5 Why Study History, 1985-1989


Box 5 Folder 7 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 6 Craig, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 8 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 7 Kammen, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 9 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 8 McNeill, 1988


Box 5 Folder 10 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 9 Crabtree, 1989


Box 5 Folder 11 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 10 Bender, 1988


Box 5 Folder 12 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 11 Rabb, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 13 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 12 Dunn, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 14 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 13 Nash, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 15 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 14 Obstacles Teachers Confront, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 16 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 15 Wilson & Sykes, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 17 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 16 Ribar, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 18 Historical Literacy Drafts - Chapter 17 Reed, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 19 Historical Literacy Drafts - Unpublished Chapter Bingham, 1988-1989


Box 5 Folder 20 Early Drafts to MacMillan, 1988


Box 5 Folder 21 Book Promotion, 1989-1990



Box 2 Folder 4 Library of Congress, 1991


Box 2 Folder 6 Los Angeles Times, 1989


Box 2 Folder 3 Magazines and Articles, 1990


Box 2 Folder 5 New Leader Review, 1990


Box 2 Folder 8-9 News Coverage, 1988-1989


Box 2 Folder 7 News Release, circa 1988



Box 7 Folder 18 Photographs, 1988



Box 5 Folder 22 Press Conference, 1989 November



Box 2 Folder 10 Press Release, 1988 September



Box 7 Folder 19 Publicity, 1987-1988



Box 1 Folder 1 Presentation Notes - Joe Ribar, 1988


Box 1 Folder 2 Presentation Notes - Elaine Wrisley Reed, 1989-1991



Box 2 Folder 20 American History Symposium, 1990


Box 2 Folder 21 American History Symposium Pre-Registration Packet Originals, 1990


Box 2 Folder 25 American History Symposium Videotaping, 1990


Box 2 Folder 22 World History Symposium Presenters, 1990


Box 2 Folder 23 World History Symposium Participants, 1990


Box 2 Folder 24 World History Symposium, 1990


Box 2 Folder 19 World History Symposium Handouts, 1990


Box 2 Folder 18 Video Releases, 1990



Box 6 Folder 1-3 A Symposium on Historical Literacy: The Case for History in Amerian Education, 1990 March 22


Box 6 Folder 4-6 A Symposium on Historical Literacy: The Case for History in Amerian Education, Edited Master Tape, 1990 March 22


Box 6 Folder 7-11 Bradley Commission on History, Washington Hilton, Original SVHS with Dolby, 1990 March 22


Box 6 Folder 12-16 Bradley Commission on History, Washington Hilton, Control Track Window Dub, 199 March 22


Box 6 Folder 17 A Symposia on Historical Literacy, Graphics/Titles and Music Bed, 1990 March 22, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 18 Bradley Commission Session I, 1990 May, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 19 Bradley Commission Session II, 1990 May, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 20 Bradley Commission Session III, 1990 May, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 21 Bradley Commission Session IV, 1990 May, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 22 Bradley Commission Session V, 1990 May, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 23 Bradley Commission Session VI, 1990 May, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 24-25 Friday Welcome - Saturday Breakfast, 1990 May, 2 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 26-27 Western Civilization & World History, 1990 May, 2 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 28-29 Teaching Islamic Civilization in the Middle Ages, 1990 May, 2 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 30-31 Using Literature to Teach the World's Past, 1990 May, 2 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 32-33 Lunch - The Philadelphia World History Project, 1990 May, 2 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 34 Teaching Ancient India, 1990 May, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 35 Teaching Medieval Society of Europe, 1990 May, 1 videocassettes (VHS)


Box 6 Folder 36 National Council for History Education Colloquium Program Clips, 1991-1992, 1 videocassettes (VHS)