How can the Common Core complement and not conflict with school improvement efforts already at work across the United States? How can it be seamlessly integrated into accountability systems, teacher preparation and development, charter schools, and educational technology? This timely volume brings together prominent scholars and policy analysts to…

Discusses the use of propaganda devices in political campaigns as a vehicle for developing critical thinking skills in the social studies classroom. (FL)

Suggests ways that both individual teachers and schools can reduce the influence of teacher political bias in social studies teaching. (FL)

Presents ideas to aid high school social studies classroom teachers as they teach students the impact of media advertising for political candidates. Students are involved in activities to decide which candidate for president they would select on the basis of several media presentations. (DB)

To help high school students understand their political world, particularly in an election year, the article describes a teaching approach based on a comparison of political terminology to the transmission shift on an automobile. (DB)

Presents a selection of language arts ideas related to the presidential election campaign. Activities cover critical listening, role playing, vocabulary development, reading, oral speaking, and writing. (SJL)

Presents background information on Salvadoran history, politics, and religion. Provides a model lesson plan designed to help high school students to understand events leading to the current conflict in El Salvador and the rest of Central America. (Author/GC)

Australia is an independent nation-state, federally constituted under a democratic parliamentary system. Being part of the Commonwealth of Nations, with feelings of loyalty to the Crown, Australia is also a democratic monarchy. Its political structure is discussed. (RM)

Two social studies educators talk about the roots of their professional commitment, teachers who influenced them, politics, and social studies education. (RM)

Discusses ways of eliminating cultural, geographical, historical, and ideological misconceptions about the Soviet Union in secondary social studies classes. The author outlines four topics of study about the U.S.S.R. which he has found of interest to his students. (AM)

To help elementary school social students understand how a government works, the article describes an activity which requires a combination of government-related knowledge and procedural skills. The activity focuses on citizenship decision making and includes a mock presidential election. (DB)

Maintains that civics education in high school would be more interesting to students if it involved politics as well as historical abstraction. Examples of pertinent political issues are presented and discussion questions are suggested. (DB)

Many educators in high schools and colleges have taught about European history and politics in the context of the Cold War and the division of Europe into two blocs. The revolutionary changes in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union have made obsolete the superpower spheres of influence that divided Europe. This curriculum project contributes…

Describes ways to teach about the role of geography on politics in high school social studies. Students study the influence of waterways and other topographical features on politics. The influence of geopolitical theory on American and Soviet foreign policies is examined. (AM)

Two clashing positions about the social responsibility of educators and the main purpose of public schools are presented. According to the traditional position, the main purpose of public schools is transmission of a society's essential knowledge, skills, and values, which enables students to develop their capabilities to the fullest and to…