Current practices in implementing social skills instruction into elementary and secondary curricula are explored in this report. Two issues are addressed: (1) teacher reports of current and desired activities; and (2) the extent to which curriculum availability, other resources, teacher training, and values affect teacher activities.…

Maintaining that social studies classes should teach students to participate and acquire a feeling of political efficacy, the article suggests ways of introducing social participation into the formal curriculum. Ways of using students groups to promote participation are outlined. (DB)

A four-part series of papers on values education comprises this document. Part one presents a brief background of moral education in the United States, beginning with the Puritans, and including references to Horace Mann, William Holmes McGuffey, and others. Tracing its history, the author defines values education and its need in the school…

Collateral teaching offers an alternative to using commercially prepared social skills programs for learning-disabled students, by enabling teachers to instruct social skills that are required of their students as opportunities arise in normal contexts. Strategies for instructing social skills include coaching, modeling, reinforcement, cognitive…

Educators today have a renewed perspective: when schools attend systematically to students' social and emotional skills, the academic achievement of children increases, the incidence of problem behaviors decreases, the quality of the relationships surrounding each child improves. The challenge of raising knowledgeable, responsible, and caring…

This book, designed as an aid for teachers and curriculum developers, reports the findings of a study of children's social learnings and the ways they are acquired. Topics covered are: (1) a perspective on social learning--definition of social learnings, a view of social learnings, social learnings for democratic living, social learnings related…

Curriculum developers have a responsibility to fully understand national goals and to translate them into educational programs that will equip citizens to realize these goals. This topic is discussed in this manual for a basic training course in systematic curriculum development, designed for students in developing nations. A brief description of…

Reviews recent major transformations in the Portuguese education system. In an attempt to create a more democratic society, Portugal has initiated a citizenship education program. The program emphasizes the defense of fundamental rights, duties, and liberties; the role of the state in that defense; and public participation. (MJP)

This annotated bibliography cites ERIC documents and journal articles which focus on children's moral development. Entries include selected resumes from "Resources in Education (RIE)" from February 1974 through December 1975 and selected journal citations from "Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE)", July 1974 through December 1975. Each…

Offers some examples of integrating character education into curriculum and instruction through service learning and provides a rationale for incorporating service learning throughout the grades. Briefly summarizes educational research supporting service learning and identifies five critical elements of service learning projects. Provides a list…

Identifies 11 pitfalls to avoid when implementing character education in a classroom or school. Some pitfalls include reduction of literature study to the search for a moral lesson; the "do as I say, not as I do" mentality; and reliance on posters, slogans, and glitzy gimmicks. (MJP)

Describes a curriculum-embedded focus for character education. Outlines a series of character-related topics (justice, responsibility, civic virtue) and combines them with corresponding social studies topics and activities (reviewing the origins of self-government, interviewing community elders) for each grade K-12. Includes reading list and…

Calls for a renewed effort by educators, schools, and communities to teach character and civic virtue. Discusses the role of civic education within the social studies curriculum and the impetus for affirming democratic principles and ideals. Recommends incorporating character education within the traditional subjects of civics, history, and…

Provides a series of guiding principles for schools and other groups for evaluating and designing character education curricula. These include a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners and helps them to succeed, moral leadership from both staff and students, and development of a caring community. (MJP)

Provides a rationale for character education and emphasizes its need, based on the visions of America of Theodore Roosevelt, Alexis de Tocqueville, and others. Briefly lists some useful suggestions from the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development for adding character education to the curriculum. Includes a list of references. (MJP)