Peter the Great, whose reign saw the explosion of Russia onto the European scene, has become a legendary figure in history, as well as the subject of abiding controversy over the past two decades. Does he deserve the title 'The Great'? Was he 'enlightened' or 'barbaric'? Were his domestic reforms planned, or introduced as a direct result of the needs of war? Peter the Great answers key questions about his territorial expansion and domestic reforms. It reflects existing controversies and allows the reader to consider the views of a range of historians - Russian, English and American. The author avoids a narrative approach in order to focus on analysing issues that students are expected to address in their essays.

This book offers a brief historical sketch of the development of the elementary school curriculum, a defense of reading as a subject not to be confined to the mastery of skills, and specific constructive suggestions for the improvement of both reading instruction and the curriculum as a whole. For those elementary school pupils who will never enter college, the general curriculum--and the reading curriculum especially--must be revised with the aim of preparing these pupils for full, effective participation in American democratic society. To that end, the reading selections included herein are taken from actual classroom practice, with examples of how to direct the reading of literature, and a selection of materials on the subjects of geography, history, and civics.

The classic reference work that provides annually updated information on the countries of the world.