The science and engineering practices in the "Next Generation Science Standards" seek to engage students in complex tasks including planning and carrying out investigations or engaging in argument from evidence. However, such tasks often require students to effectively collaborate. While our students get better at working together in an…

In this article, the authors describe a class activity that uses a combination of strategies to overcome obstacles students face when learning about the reproduction of inequality in everyday life. Based on Schwalbe et al.'s (2000) piece on "generic social processes," and following the idea of "making the strange familiar and the familiar…

In social studies classes, there is a longstanding interest in how societies evolve and change over time. However, as stories of the past unfold, it is often difficult to identify a direct link between causes and effects, so students are forced to accept at face value the interpretations of economists, political scientists, historians,…

Peer groups matter more than we think. In this paper we assert that peer group commitments and affiliations are often the primary social reference in determining the way young people think about and practice risk. It is, we argue, inappropriate to impose adult constructions of risk-taking and anti-social behaviour when trying to assert influence…

Describes student demonstrations on the night that U.S. planes bombed Iraq in the Persian Gulf War. Compares attitudes and feelings to the Vietnam War era. Concludes that the students incorrectly supported the Gulf War action. (CFR)

Reports on the use of small group instruction in a college sociology course. Contends that teacher-assigned groups using students' perception of their level of knowledge on a topic is an effective strategy. Maintains this technique helps enrich class discussions and improves student understanding of course content. (CFR)

Observations of the contrasts between Puerto Rican and Anglo nonverbal communication patterns, and their relevance in the classroom, are outlined and discussed. A general observation is that what is acceptable and permissible in one culture is usually not in the other, and teachers are urged to develop ways of making Anglo and Latin American…

Relationships among teachers, exceptional children, and their peers should be considered when determining causes of misbehavior and the strategies to correct them. Checklists outline possible teacher and student behaviors which contribute to student misbehavior, and such interventions as independent, dependent, and interdependent group…

Contends that what a society does publicly to entertain itself reveals shared values. Maintains that public entertainment in Worcester (Massachusetts) prior to the War of 1812 was limited largely to Sundays, court days, and the Fourth of July. Describes changes in entertainment and social values after the War of 1812. (CFR)