Foreword

In 1977, the National Archives began a collaboration with the National Council for the Social Studies that has been applauded ever since by classroom teachers and administrators, as well as by the two institutions themselves. Among the products of this collaboration has been a feature article in Social Education, the journal of NCSS, which was originally titled "Document of the Month" and is now called "Teaching with Documents." Highlighting one National Archives document in each article, "Teaching with Documents" also provides practical suggestions for using the document in several classroom settings. It has proved to be one of the journal’s most popular departments.

That popularity is due, no doubt, to the enthusiasm and skillfulness of teachers who have become increasingly aware of the educational worth and the excitement of using documents in the classroom, where students can examine and comment on a letter, a report, a photograph, or a map created by someone who has participated in a significant moment of history. This interest has been one of our great satisfactions at the National Archives. It was therefore a natural step to compile these articles into one publication, convenient for teachers to use wherever they are.

DON W. WILSON
Archivist of the United States