Digital Commons Network^™

“Learning To Ask The Deeper Questions Behind The Image That Most People Don’T See:” Teaching Critical Visual Literacy To History Teacher Candidates Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Heather Koopmans, Richard Hughes

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Despite the ubiquitous role of images in teaching history, few teachers have formal training in how to help students critically read photographs, paintings, and other images. The essay centers on research on how Critical Visual Literacy, which focuses on how images reflect complex issues of power in society, can assist emerging teachers in helping students think historically and better engage visual evidence associated with curriculum mandates to broaden historical narratives

Review Of Book Bridging The Transition To Housing: A Homelessness Prevention Framework, Edited By Carrie Anne Marshall, Rebecca Gewurtz, And Skye Barbic, 2026. New York And London: Routledge, Paper, 282 Pages, Thomas Hansen

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This review discusses the aspects of a "bridge to transitioning the unhoused into housing.  The book explains the Canadian model for helping the homeless enter housing and uses the approach called "Housing First" at the core of the process.  Features a variety of goals to assist the unhoused (sleeping rough) to successfully transition back indoors and manage their personal needs and objectives.  Cites studies and research informing the model.

Using Scenario-Based Generative Ai In A Social Studies Methods Course, Timothy Lintner, Ellis Reeves

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly transforming the landscape of educator preparation. This shift is especially evident in social studies. As emerging technologies like AI reshape how social studies is taught and learned, it is essential to incorporate them into course design and student outcomes. Simply put, we must ensure that the next generation of social studies educators can effectively use AI to create real-world, scenario-based learning experiences that foster inquiry and encourage student action-taking. This article examines how AI-supported, scenario-based learning was strategically integrated into a secondary social studies methods course at the University of South Carolina Aiken. From concept …

‘There Is No Continuity’: Assessment Of Pre-Service Teachers' Ability To Analyse Historical Sources In Two Ghanaian Public Universities, Anitha Oforiwah Adu-Boahen

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The paper examined student-teachers’ understanding of change and continuity in History. Using a convergent parallel mixed method approach, one hundred and thirty-five (135) student-teachers from two public universities examined images depicting classroom settings in Ghana’s educational system from different periods. Respondents were expected to show and explain the continuities and changes in the different periods in Ghanaian history. They were to focus on the disparities in ‘change’ and ‘continuities’ in classroom settings in the Ghanaian educational system over time. Again, student-teachers were expected to transform their knowledge of these changes into historical understanding by writing an interpretation from the sources. …

Using The Past To Better Understand The Present: Contextualizing Today’S History Wars, For Ourselves And For Our Students, Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This essay considers our contemporary moment in the context of the long history of the so-called "history wars" in the United States. It identifies four historical moments with ties to the present, and makes use of primary documents to discuss each time period. It also considers the ways in which historical activists such as Frederick Douglass and W. E. B. Du Bois advocated for honest history in the past, and the ways in which we might argue for nuanced historical thinking in the present. Teachers may find the documents of use for their own classrooms, and a brief appendix at …

The End Of Unmeasured Exploitation: How A.S.M., C.A.S., And S.I.A. Challenge Digital Attention Capitalism, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Digital attention capitalism generates value through the capture and monetization of human attention, yet it has historically lacked standardized mechanisms for measuring attention-related harm. This paper argues that the Attention Safeguard Models (A.S.M.), Cognitive Attentional Standards (C.A.S.), and Sociological Impact Assessment (S.I.A.) collectively challenge this system by introducing an integrated framework for classifying, measuring, and evaluating digital attention harm and its societal consequences. C.A.S. provides standardized measurement of digital attention harm, A.S.M. identifies and classifies patterns of attentional disruption and manipulation, and S.I.A. evaluates broader impacts on institutions, communities, civic engagement, education, social cohesion, and inequality. Together, these systems transform …

Waterfall Ice, Seth Zisman

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Robinson Creek Trail, Paul Willis

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Buffleheads On Meadow Lake, Grace Mattern

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Eagle Lauds, Grant Clauser

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Los Quetzales, Ii Chiriqui, West Panama, Marcyn Del Clements

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Adamant, Ian Ramsay

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Water, Robin Chapman

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

A Peak Ahead, Christine Woodside

Appalachia

Water's ways, and welcome to the next editor-in-chief.

Books And Media

Appalachia

Reviews of: The White Mountains Almanac by Frank Vazzano, illustrated by Sarah Kaizar; Farther: Eight Months on America’s Triple Crown Trails, by Heather Anderson; A Fabulous Thru-Hike: 3,100 Miles on the Continental Divide Trail by Derick Lugo; A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore by Matthew Davis; Surviving the Trail: Five Essential Skills to Prepare Every Hiker for Adventure’s Most Common Perils by Dr. Rob Scanlon; Follow the White Blazes: A Journey of Recovery while Backpacking the Appalachian Trail by Eagle Trail Dancer; The First Traverse, a short film by Chris Shane; Temporary Shelters …

New And Notes

Appalachia

Maine’s Barnard Forest is protected. Commercial logging goes forward in part of the White Mountain National Forest. A look back at Christine Woodside’s editorship of Appalachia. A tribute to outgoing longtime poetry editor Parkman Howe.

In Memoriam

Appalachia

No abstract provided.

Research

Appalachia

Twice in Bloom: The Mystery of Diapensia’s Late-Season Flowers.

Scientists study why the tiny alpine flowers sometimes bloom again in the all.

Alpina

Appalachia

Reports of mountaineering in the greater ranges of Patagonia, Nepal, Tibet, Saudi Arabia, North America, and Madagascar include a wintertime solo of Cerro Torre, an 86-year-old’s summit of Manaslu, and a discussion of climbing permits on Everest. Nepal tourism officials list eight more high points as 8,000-meter peaks. Two men from France climb Jannu East. American Jim Morrison skis down Everest. Chinese climbers scale peaks in the area known as East of the Himalaya. Sentencing of three criminals. First ascents in Saudi Arabia. And more.

Accidents

Appalachia

Reports of rescues and accidents in the White Mountains of New Hampshire from the warm seasons of 2025 opens with a note about “the eleventh essential,” which is “a “mind of winter.” New Hampshire Fish and Game officers rescue a man stranded in cold rain after wandering along the Garfield Ridge Trail. A hiker is stranded by early-May snow on the Kilkenny Ridge Trail. The Cog Railway assists in a rescue of a woman who had tried to reach Lakes of the Clouds Hut in cold June weather. Rescuers assist a sick man off the Franconia Ridge. A man takes …

Skyline Sketches: The Voice On The Buttress, Jane Parhiala

Appalachia

A stranger redeems a woman’s scary technical climb with an indifferent boyfriend

Skyline Sketches: I’M Not Having A Baby, So I Climbed A Very Tall Mountain, Caroline Santinelli

Appalachia

The writer heads to Kilimanjaro after her concept of life at age 32 takes a turn.

Letters

Appalachia

Praise for William Geller’s Winter/Spring 2026 piece, “Chesuncook, through the Life of Addie.”

Wasson Peak: “Very Pleasant Man. He Said He Had A Fracture”, Elissa Ely

Appalachia

A hiker realizes her friend handles certain fears uniquely.

A Forager’S Guide To The Wilderness: Understanding The Land Through Eating, Anderson Smith

Appalachia

The runner-up in the 2025 Waterman Fund Essay Contest.

Chasing Redemption On The Long Trail: From Emergency Room Patient To Vermont End-To-Ender, Derick Lugo

Appalachia

His previous end-to-end attempt had fizzled in illness, so he goes back to get it right.

Climbing As Healing: In War-Torn Ukraine, An American From Pennsylvania Leads A Climbing Program For War-Affected Children, Natalie Berry

Appalachia

A journalist gets to know young climbers and their families as they explore rock in Ukraine.

Homage To Vintage Gear: Remembering Timeless And Anecdotal Accessories, Lisa Fine

Appalachia

A backpacker’s cookset and knife played major roles in adventures and emergencies over decades.

John Kelley: Runner And Conservationist., Steve Fagin

Appalachia

A runner pays homage to his long friendship with an Olympian.

Ken Nichols: A Curmudgeon Climber Committed To His Ethics., Stephen Kurczy

Appalachia

An unusual and enduring friendship with Connecticut’s most famous climber.