Using Cinderella to Teach How History and Culture Change Over Time

The public lands of the United States cover more than six hundred million acres and include national parks, national seashores, national wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, national forests, monuments, select lakes and seashores, underground mineral reserves, marine sanctuaries, historic and scenic trails, and national grasslands.

The twentieth anniversary of September 11, 2001, is this year, and although it is a sensitive topic to teach, coming together as a class to commemorate the event can lead to profound learning and impactful lessons in unity and empathy.

Why am I here? Where do I come from? Who am I? Questions like these are answered in part through stories handed from one generation to another.

What are some best practices in social studies that teachers can apply to the classroom this upcoming school year?

There is a direct relationship between culture and folktales.

Cowboys are found in many countries around the world.

While their urban counterparts were restricted to more traditional female roles in the late 1800’s, women of the American West were roping and riding broncs.

Dime-store novels and Wild West television shows helped construct the stereotypical images of the “white” cowboy and the red-skinned Indian “savages.

The cowboy is viewed as an American icon: rugged rider of the range; champion of the good.