This book aims to provide history teachers with examples of how other history teachers choose to teach history in their classrooms and with suggestions for developing teaching methods. Thus, all of the chapters draw from theory as well as studies that the authors conducted in a number of American elementary and high school classrooms. The first chapter focuses on the sociocultural context for studying history. Here the implication is that history is important to study because history tells us who we are and who we can become. Within this understanding the significance of history learning lies in its ability to foster critical thinking about present-day societal issues because history can be explained through narratives that connect the past with the present and because history is controversial as there are many interpretations of one event.

In contrast, chapter two explains theories of learning with a specific focus on “disciplined inquiry.” Levstik and Barton highlight learning to mean “in-depth understanding” and thus discourage rote learning. Rather, they encourage teachers to provide a space in which students can ask meaningful questions and search out the answers to those questions. They maintain that instruction must be based on students’ prior knowledge and experiences and that teachers’ must activate their prior knowledge by fostering inquiry. Drawing from this discussion, in chapter three the authors focus on “building communities of historical inquiry” with an emphasis on introducing students to particular methods of historical inquiry and language. They argue that for children to be enthusiastic about this kind of learning four things are required: 1) questions perceived by them as worth discussing; 2) questions that are complex and do not have simple answers; 3) sufficient resources for students to be able to answer these questions; and 4) an opportunity to use their imagination and creativity to understand the past.

In chapters four and five the authors continue to narrow the discussion to historical inquiry about personal histories. In line with their discussion in chapters two and three, Levstik and Barton argue that one of the best places to begin instruction of historical inquiry is with the students’ own past. As such they provide suggestions for how to organize learning activities that would make such an inquiry productive and effective with a special focus on balancing this kind of instruction with curricular requirements.

Chapters six to nine focus on different ways in which teachers can implement the scaffolding method. As such, chapter six emphasizes the move from local history to global history and vice versa, chapters seven and eight highlight the move from interest to research questions to inquiry and meaning making, and chapter nine is concerned with how students can create historical narratives using sources other than the textbook.

Levstik and Barton dedicate chapters ten and eleven to concerns about relating present-day issues to historical events with a focus in chapter eleven on emphasizing how social relations and ways of thinking change over time. In contrast chapters twelve and thirteen are specifically focused on teaching American history and on how teachers can use art for historical study. Lastly, chapter fourteen is centered specifically on assessment.