Developments during the decade and a half following the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe indicate broad advancement in civic education for democracy. This digest notes the rising trend in civic education competency in Central and Eastern Europe, describes an increasingly accepted and used framework for civic education, and…

This digest argues that free, public libraries foster and fortify democracy and democratic citizenship. Because libraries offer services and materials representing many points of view, they allow citizens to fulfill their civic and personal responsibilities and to exercise their liberties. Particularly for former communist countries, libraries can…

Explaining that interest in law magnet programs has grown substantially in the 1990s, this ERIC digest analyzes these programs on the basis of information provided by 24 mostly urban magnet schools. The digest places law magnet programs within the broader context of law-related education (LRE). The primary purpose of law magnet programs is to…

During the past 30 years, there has been a global surge of democracy. For most people of the world today, democracy is the prevailing source of political legitimacy. In 2002, 121 of the world's 192 sovereign states could be recognized as democracies in terms of the minimal global standard for an electoral democracy. This digest discusses: (1) the…

A substantial amount of research and curriculum development completed over the past 2 decades can be used to improve the teaching of U.S. history to young children. This digest discusses: (1) insights from recent research; (2) insights from recent curriculum development; and (3) connections of research to curriculum development. The digest…

A guide to the vast array of available resources for law-related education (LRE), this annotated bibliography is intended to assist any one concerned with the civic education of youth, especially teachers and other members of the K-12 educational community. It offers information about the law, innovative teaching methods, and guides to national…

A guide to the vast array of ERIC available resources for law-related education (LRE), this annotated bibliography is intended to assist anyone concerned with the civic education of U.S. youth, especially teachers and other members of the K-12 educational community. It offers information about the law, innovative teaching methods, and guides to…

This book is intended for teachers and parents who want to give their students and children inspiring models to imitate in developing positive character traits and attitudes. In the book are individuals from today (like Bill Cosby) or people in the past (like Abraham Lincoln) who will inspire children. In all, the book portrays 75 people of…

"We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution" is a national civic education program that aims to help elementary and secondary students understand the history and principles of constitutional government. The program focuses on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights and fosters civic competence and responsibility among students in…

There is a necessary connection between civics and economics in education for democracy. This connection should be reflected in school curricula. This digest discusses: (1) federal legislation and programs promoting civics and economics; (2) the connections between civics and economics in the study of the U.S. Constitution; (3) the status of…

A recent report, "Educating Democracy: State Standards to Ensure a Civic Core," was issued by the Albert Shanker Institute of the American Federation of Teachers. This report comparatively analyzes and evaluates the standards for the teaching and learning of civics which state-level departments of education in the United States have…

Provides an annotated list of items from the ERIC database concerning the teaching of history. Includes documents dealing with social history, citizenship education, and the teaching of history through literature. Offers instructions for obtaining ERIC documents. (SG)

In February 1990, the President and state governors proclaimed a set of six national education goals to prompt profound improvements in schools and student achievement by the year 2000. These six goals reflect widely held concerns that most Americans have not been receiving the kind of education they need to meet the challenges of twenty-first…

Use of the mass media as a teaching instrument in the classroom has increased considerably at all grade levels in the past few years. The newspaper is the most widely used of the media, the direct result of a national campaign by publishers, known as "Newspapers in Education" (NIE). This initiative encourages the use of newspapers as an…

The youth summit, which engages adolescent students, public officials, and lawyers in discourse and deliberation about critical social problems and legal issues, is becoming a popular method of law-related education. This Digest discusses (1) the youth summit concept in law-related education; (2) examples of youth summits across the United States;…