Proposes a teaching/learning strategy for college level sociology courses on problem solving. The method involves directing students to assess the logical adequacy of statements selected from common sense, journalism, and sociology. Evaluation of a course based on this method indicates that it can help students develop rational thinking skills.…

After a brief review of the need for some experience in science for the nonscience major and a listing of what appear to be desirable objectives for that experience, details of a course which has been offered for the past four years are given. (Author/TS)

A manual is presented which provides a common, preliminary frame of reference for seminar participants who desire to develop procedures for studying major social problems through the use of the urban community as a laboratory. Broadly, the seminar concentrates upon providing access to data and facilitation data collection and analyses. Although…

One of a series of resources for teaching sociology at the postsecondary level, this volume discusses the background, problems, and course format for an introductory course on war as a social problem. Material is divided into seven sections. Section 1 provides an introduction to the course. Section 2 contains the instructor's personal background…

The scientific community needs to reappraise its actions and become concerned with the real world problems that threaten existence in society. These include world poverty, starvation, and declining quality of life. Geographers need to develop greater concern resulting in evaluating their research, curricula, educational goals and course content in…

Outlines are presented for the courses that make up the three-tiered general education program at Los Medanos College. Part 1 provides background on the Los Medanos model and includes a position paper on the criteria and format for a Tier I course. Part 2 provides outlines for Tier I courses, which focus on providing a breadth of knowledge in six…

This paper describes an undergraduate course for non-education majors which emphasizes rational decision making as advocated by John Dewey. The course, offered in 1976 by the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, had three instructional goals. These were to (1) provide students an opportunity to learn about…

Focusing on America from 1900 to the present, the major social, political, and economic developments in this century are presented in this course for grades 11 and 12. Large and small groups, panel discussions, and individual and group reports are all employed, with an emphasis on research techniques. Each student selects a major problem in 20th…

The report summarizes the background, objectives, developmental work, conclusions, and recommendations of Cardozo High School's urban problems program. A one semester elective civics course for seniors was developed. The objectives of the course are: 1) to develop knowledge and practical skills (comparative shopping, budgeting, housing) to cope…

This paper presents a new approach designed to help students understand the concepts around which introductory social and political science courses are typically built. The social science course, "Problem Solving in Society," includes an exercise requiring the class as a whole to select, and develop proposals to alleviate, a social problem.…

The guide outlines units of study for grade 9 in political science and economics. The major objective of the curriculum is to help the student become a useful citizen and develop the thinking process in solving the many problems of society. Students are presented with information through the use of readings, some of which are from primary sources,…