Describes the community participation facet of the eleventh-grade social studies curriculum for British Columbia. Proposes a four-stage model to identify, study, and propose recommendations about a community issue or problem. Suggests that social action based on empirical research improves social studies instruction. (CFR)

Argues that the behavioral or "human" sciences are fundamentally different in scope and intent from the natural sciences. Describes the use of controversial topics in undergraduate courses and provides a four-step process. Recommends using Karl Popper's falsification theory to help students think critically about issues. (CFR)

Studies concerned with factors related to perceptions of the elderly have found that educational attainment is the only variable to show a consistently positive relationship with the way people view the aged. The goal of this curriculum model is to develop a training program that incorporates racial/ethnic content relevant to practitioners in…

Elements of the Japanese educational system were examined to determine if they could be incorporated into U.S. practices. Research was reviewed in five areas, and annotations for each section were organized chronologically beginning with the most recent. The five areas covered were: (1) differences in test scores of achievement and cognitive…

Presented are the goals of the Marine Social Studies Project of the Curriculum and Research Development Group at the University of Hawaii. The successful implementation of the project in various states and a summary of participant reactions to a workshop are discussed. (SA)

Describes a secondary course in which cost benefit analysis is used as a basis for decision making about social issues. Explains how students were divided into task groups and assigned roles corresponding to local organizations. Includes data sheets, questions, and recommended instructional resources. (CFR)

Contends that historical fiction can generate lively discussions among students about relevant social science concepts and contemporary social problems. Discusses why literature is a preferable alternative to many history and social studies textbooks. Presents a literature-based unit for eighth-grade U.S. history. (CFR)

Contends that the end of slavery, women's suffrage, and the civil rights movement were watershed events of social justice in U.S. history. Provides reviews of two media-based sets of instructional materials that can help students understand the struggle by disenfranchised groups to become full participants in society. (CFR)

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the problems created by prejudiced attitudes, racist beliefs, and acts of discrimination from the casual racial or ethnic joke to the unrestrained violence of a lynch mob. It addresses such topics as the nature of ethnicity, stereotyping, aggression, and hate groups and individuals who promote ethnic…

Recommends organizing U.S. history courses around central ideas rather than chronological periods. Argues that this method affords a better grasp of the principal developments in the nation's history by treating issues in depth. Lists eight broad themes around which a U.S. history course can be constructed. (MJP)

An emerging focus on pre-college education in the 1980s is the interaction of science and technology in terms of their combined interrelationships with society. The characterizations of the science/technology/society (S/T/S) theme, as advanced by science educators, social studies educators, and environmental educators, exhibit similarities. It is…

Describes a curriculum-embedded focus for character education. Outlines a series of character-related topics (justice, responsibility, civic virtue) and combines them with corresponding social studies topics and activities (reviewing the origins of self-government, interviewing community elders) for each grade K-12. Includes reading list and…

Describes the focus and activities of the schools involved in California's "Partnerships in Character Education" project. In its third year, the pilot project has developed five separate school programs. Team members assess the environment of the school and design a program incorporating adult modeling and curriculum integration. (MJP)

Describes a course in global environmental politics. Argues specialized courses are needed that focus on the economic, social, and political dimensions of environmental problems. Argues such a course should be part of the core undergraduate curriculum. Includes a survey of course topics to prepare students for future challenges. (NL)

Posits character education as an integral element in transforming the mission and purpose of schooling. Discusses the grass-roots and collaborative efforts of educators in organizing information and support networks implementing character education. Maintains that character education is necessary to correct the antisocial messages and gratuitous…