A model for Continuous-Integrated-Sequential (C/I/S) curricula for social studies education is presented. The design advocated involves ensuring continuity of instruction from grades K-12, an integration of social studies disciplines, and a sequential process of refining and reinforcing concept and skills from grade-to-grade along the K-12…

This practicum introduces a program that increases the exposure time to music in the elementary classroom by integrating U.S. music with the teaching of U.S. history. A pretest and posttest were employed to identify increases or decreases in students' abilities to identify U.S. music and its relationship to specific lifestyles or periods of U.S.…

This paper summarizes an evaluation of the Interdisciplinary Seminars Program of the Honors Colleges at the State University of New York at Oswego. The Program, which was sponsored by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, involved teams of faculty and advanced students from the Honors College in the development of five…

After much discussion and several false starts, Nassau Community College (New York) has developed a two-course core curriculum designed to cover significant material from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities in practical proportions. The first course in the sequence, "Exploring Nature and Society," deals with Perceptions of the…

This ERIC Digest discusses heritage education in terms of: (1) what it is; (2) why it belongs in the core curriculum; (3) how it relates to social studies education; and (4) the qualities of exemplary heritage education programs. Heritage education is defined as an approach to teaching and learning about history and culture that uses information…

Although three types of foreign language program exist in elementary schools (immersion, partial immersion, and core courses), there is no conclusive evidence as to what length of instruction time results in greater student achievement. A logical approach to foreign language teaching at the elementary level is one that integrates foreign language…

In order to address the significant gap between the ideas emerging from the new economic history and the economics actually taught in secondary school classes, successful strategies from a series of summer institutes are described. Each topic begins with a discussion of basic concepts and recent developments in the economic theory of that…

Faculty development through peer observation, faculty revitalization through curricular change, and interdisciplinary work are addressed in this newsletter issue. The peer observation process is primarily directed toward fine-tuning or adjusting existing competencies, and usually focuses on factors such as questioning, clarity, organization,…

This unit uses a learning center approach to helping elementary students learn about Israel. Following a rationale for implementing an interdisciplinary approach to global education, the unit discusses methodology and management of the program, which consists of seven independent learning centers and one library research center through which…

This curriculum guide for secondary-level gifted students presents curriculum alternatives which are interdisciplinary and which emphasize a comprehensive study of major content areas through the humanities. The curriculum demands from the student complex learning, critical thinking, in-depth inquiry, creativity, and active participation. The…

The constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania includes a provision mandating a quality education for each child in the Commonwealth. This is the first of six units designed for administrators and teachers to serve the Environmental Goal, one of Pennsylvania's Twelve Goals of Quality Education. The goal states that quality education should…

This collection of materials examines and advocates the role of the humanities in society. First, the importance of advocacy in explaining the significance of the humanities is underscored, and the purpose and content of the collection are outlined. Next, the mission of the humanities in helping people understand their options and develop their…

Methods are offered for developing college-level peace and world order programs designed to stimulate critical problem identification and creative problem solving and to equip students for the political complexities of the struggle for peace. The manual is organized into four sections. Section 1 contains four essays by students in peace and world…

The origin of the Science-Humanities Program (NEXA) at San Francisco State University, California, is described. The overall goal of NEXA was to provide a model for reconciliation between the two cultures, science and humanities (philosophy, literature, history, and the arts). The first objective was to establish a sense of collegiality and common…

Four full days of classroom instruction, devoted to the modeling of effective curriculum integration, were designed for preservice elementary school teachers. The unit was the result of a conviction on the part of teacher educators that children learn best when learning is not separated into forty-minute periods of math, social studies, language…