Presents a study of the use of serious subject matter in plays for youth by (1) tracing the trends of increasing advocacy and acceptance of such subject matter and (2) outlining patterns in the ways in which such subject matter is presented, focusing on original, contemporary plays, written by American playwrights. (JC)

This paper examines the rapid changes in technology that enables cloning of human embryos and explores the issues related to teaching students about the use of such technologies. STS adoption has made only minimal impact on mainline social studies curriculum, although the topic has been included in discussion for decades. The paper outlines five…

This four-part report from the Harvard Social Studies Project describes a secondary school curriculum based on an analysis of public controversy and developed to train students to examine, through discussion and argument, the kinds of disputes that cause social conflict. The first part of the report is a discussion of the curriculum approach which…

Efforts to contain the spread of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) have been slowed by numerous arguing factions, political, religious, and medical, all of which perceive the AIDS epidemic through a different set of symbols. The images can be more easily understood using Kenneth Boulding's Threat, Integry, and Exchange (or TIE) model. The…

Secondary students learn to deal objectively with domestic issues and problems in this quinmester elective course. Emphasis is upon providing students with an opportunity for indepth study in critical thinking on current controversial issues, using activity units as a principal teaching technique. The objectives are for students to identify and…

OPT, a newsletter consisting of a student and a teacher edition, is published monthly during the school year. Emphasis is upon presenting information and materials on current topics of interest for junior and senior high school students. The periodical, announced here on a one time basis, is unique for the following reasons: 1) it is an…

This book is one in a series designed to provide access to a wide range of selected articles from magazines, newspapers, and journals. This volume contains 55 articles by scientists, educators, researchers, and writers providing effective and useful perspectives on today's important topics in the study of global issues. Articles included in this…

This is one unit of the series described in SO 000 378. The essential ingredients are not the problems of American society themselves but the ability to recognize them, to view these problems in historical perspective, to mitigate or bring out effective change, to assign priorities, to investigate satisfactory problem-solving methods, and above…

This study examines the effects of school contexts, individual differences, and motivational goals and benefits on current events knowledge. A review of the literature focuses on motivation study of goal theory and self-efficacy. The sample includes 798 students from nine high schools (grades 9-12) in diverse geographical locations and of various…