The authors argue that deliberation should be an integral part of secondary civics classrooms and teacher education programs. Drawing on a wide range of research, they contend that teaching and learning deliberative skills has the potential to build individual and group civic capacity. They share some of the results of an evaluation of one…

Describes an approach for including social issues in United States history classes. Provides examples of how specific issues were integrated with common course topics. (JDH)

The purpose of this article is to use the vehicle of a controversial issue--abortion--as a means of illustrating the advantages of teaching such issues through a problem-solving method. Discussion ideas and resources are presented. (Author/JR)

Addresses the importance of teaching young people about foreign policy issues. Discusses state sovereignty and interpersonal and international conflict. Describes a reflective teaching approach in which a problem is identified, defined, and explored by probing questions. Suggests identifying value assumptions and alternatives, predicting…

Outlines a method for modifying the current social studies curriculum so it can be taught from an issue-centered approach. States that conventional courses in history and geography would be organized around the study of a select number of important issues and illustrates the way these classes would be taught using this approach. (SLM)

Contends that the problems approach is new to most teachers and is at odds with the dominant curricular trend that includes reliance on textbooks and content-oriented courses. Concludes that there is a formidable set of forces opposing the implementation of such a curriculum. (SLM)

Outlines two reasons that issue-centered discourse will be legitimized in the schools. Contends that the impact of societal problems will force schools to deal with social issues, and that the recognition of the hidden curriculum's influence will impel schools to capitalize on the learning taking place within their walls. (SLM)

Notes the current attempt to replace social studies with U.S. history and geography. Delineates the two strands of thought in the social studies reform movement and argues that there is a strong tradition of the social studies as a unified, issue-centered field of study. (SLM)

Reviews the history of social studies as an integrated, issue-centered field of study from its inception within the progressive movement to the present. Summarizes major curricular development projects within the issues-centered orientation and speculates on the decline of the problems approach in social studies education. (SLM)

Considers the taboo topics that social studies teachers avoid or de-emphasize, such as topics that tend to provoke strong emotional reactions. Addresses the reasons for the stifling of taboo topics and finds that the closer a topic is to students' lives the more likely the topic is labeled as taboo. (CMK)

Provides historical information on Harold Rugg and the Social Reconstructionist movement. Contends the social issues-centered method should be used within social studies education. Discusses a social issues model that exposes preservice teachers to the social issues-centered model and focuses on a case study on California Proposition 187. (CMK)

Argues that teaching authentic civic values in schools frequently requires teaching about controversial issues. Asserts that adequate teacher preparation and continued inservice education is essential for effective instruction about contemporary social problems. Includes two model lessons and a list of organizations that offer materials for civic…

Even though social studies teachers may value discussion of controversial issues, such practice is rare in most social studies classrooms. Nystrand, Gamoran, and Carbonaro (1998) reported that 90 percent of the instruction they observed in more than one hundred middle and high school classes involved no discussion at all. What teachers cite as…

Provides a valuable compendium of guidelines, advice, ideas, and teaching tips for integrating social problems, and social action throughout the social studies curriculum. Describes a social studies methods course that focused on AIDS, and what positive action or contribution the class could make towards this problem. (MJP)

Describes the procedures, preparation, and background material necessary for a class to produce an updated version of a living newspaper puppet play. These plays, originally produced by the Federal Theater Project, took a strong editorial position while examining and satirizing political issues. (MJP)