The "College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards" (NCSS, 2013) places inquiry at the center of good social studies teaching and learning. Instead of social studies courses that emphasize rote memorization through the use of textbooks and lecture-based instruction, the C3 Framework asks teachers to…

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial was established in 2007 to serve, in part, as an organization devoted to educating young people and visitors to the memorial in an effort to ensure that the lessons, legacy, and sacrifices of World War II not be forgotten. After 32 years of teaching history at West Springfield High School in…

Civic learning for all students seems like a reasonable and important aim for all schools to achieve. If we believe that the future of our American democracy depends on a citizenry that is informed, engaged, and responsible, what better place to create future citizens than in schools? The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools…

When the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards project began, there really was nowhere else to go but up. The project was up against great odds--a dearth of funding, a history of incivility amongst the disciplines within social studies, a knack for ending up in media battles over what should be taught in…

The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress in Geography revealed that few American students can identify locations of current events, the scale of those events, or why those events are important. Social studies educators have found that by incorporating emerging technologies into their classroom--such as Geographic Information Systems…

An innovative program for schools that promotes respect and understanding between major religions enables students to engage with peers around the world via videoconferencing. Using videoconferencing and online community, "Face to Faith" enabled students from across the globe to learn from, with, and about one another. In the 2013-2014…

Numerous educators have noted that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful tool for social studies teaching and learning. Yet the use of GIS has been hampered by issues such as the cost of the software and the management of large spatial data files. One trend that shows great promise for GIS in education is the move to cloud computing.…

Philadelphia's Constitution High School (CHS) is committed both to the theory of education for democracy, and to its practice, as reflected by a school constitution, student elections, town hall meetings, and active student participation in school government. As its name indicates, CHS is a theme-based high school that focuses on history,…

This article describes the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This Arizona high school magnet law program offers the ideal 21st century education--one that teaches skills through core subjects and interdisciplinary themes, uses innovative learning methods, and emphasizes higher order thinking skills. Students agree that the program has helped…

Discusses how oral history can motivate elementary students in the social studies. Suggests oral history learning activities and procedures to help students recreate events from the past. (CK)

Social studies educators who are seeking to combine the power and utility of microcomputers with the new generation of video technologies have a sophisticated instructional tool at their disposal in the form of interactive video systems. Three current social studies projects employing such systems are described. (RM)

Outlines the response of public agencies to the Asian immigrant community in Dallas, Texas, and problems that exist for these immigrants. Relates the story of the creation of the "Blue Dragons" Explorer Post that provides social support and service opportunities for Asian-American teens. Includes suggestions for educators from "Blue…

To educate students about nuclear war, Educators for Social Responsibility sponsored a "Day of Dialogue" in schools October 25, 1982. What some teachers did in their classrooms on this day is described. Also discussed is what social studies courses need to do to help students become peacemakers. (RM)

Global Trends Workshops for secondary science and social studies teachers and supervisors conducted collaboratively by the Center for Environmental/Energy Education and the Tennessee Valley Authority's Environmental/Energy Education Program are described. The workshops helped teachers learn how to merge global trends with local concerns. (RM)

Describes field oriented teacher internship program for elementary education majors and discusses results of a questionnaire answered by cooperating teachers in this program. Results of the study provide direction for planning in-service courses for social studies teachers. (KC)