The energy crisis is a topic with which teachers can incorporate economic, social, and political concepts into the social studies curriculum. Describes energy education materials prepared by the National Science Teachers Association which emphasize background information for teachers, knowledge and skill development for students, and use of local…

To become an integral part of the school program, local resources must be identified, documented, and cataloged at the school or district level. A form for collecting data and sample activities and ideas for using these community resources in interdisciplinary social studies/language arts courses in the elementary grades are presented. (RM)

Science teacher Don Wertz and social studies teacher Larry Taulman grew up in Johnson County and lived next to Edinburg and Camp Atterbury when it was in operation. What became known as "The Atterbury Files" began when these two teachers started gathering information for a field trip to the old army base that had been active when they were…

This guide to the city resources of Charlotte, North Carolina, is also useful as a model guide for other communities. Listed for each of the 145 subjects from "accounting" to "zoning" are community business men and women, organizations, institutions, and individual citizens willing to provide real-life illustrations of subjects often only read…

The Water in Africa Project was realized over a 2-year period by a team of Peace Corps volunteers, World Wise Schools (WWS) classroom teachers, and WWS staff members. As part of an expanded, detailed design, resources were collected from over 90 volunteers serving in African countries, photos and stories were prepared, and standards-based learning…

Utilizing the local cemetery as a resource for the study of local history, this outdoor education resource packet is multidisciplinary and is designed to be adapted to different age and class groups. The resource materials presented in this packet include the following: suggestions for pre-trip activities (social studies and history discussions,…

The Young Historians project provides abundant opportunities for students in grades one through six to apply basic reading, writing, listening, speaking, and computing skills learned during reading and math and to learn firsthand about their own heritage and the many resources in their own community. (RM)

Intended for middle school social studies classrooms, this publication features articles that spotlight diverse and innovative learning activities. This document includes the three issues of the "Middle Level Learning" supplement published in 1999 and the three that were published in 2000. Articles and classroom activities highlighted in this…

This teacher guide and student community research guide unit are intended to help students learn to conduct research in their community and to communicate the results of that research to classmates and others. The unit, which can be used in conjunction with a video, helps students learn about community research, oral history, and folklore…

Developed by a graduate seminar class, this guide is intended to help teachers use museums to integrate the arts into the elementary social studies curriculum. Although many of the resources included pertain specifically to Pennsylvania, the guide can serve as a model for educators in other states. Many different resources are provided. There is…

This resource book provides facts and activities about Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. The book introduces the structure and functions of government and connects the study of Washington's key places, people, and purposes to students' own communities. The activities are interdisciplinary and accommodate different ability levels and learning…

Contends that imagination and creativity go hand in hand and that creativity can and must be cultivated among students at all levels of education. Presents a classroom approach where students are the experts on a variety of global issues and projects. Includes 7 tables illustrating the approach and 21 descriptions of student roles. (CFR)

A high school project growing out of efforts to involve students in a German-American tricentennial celebration and designed to make student-centered activities educationally meaningful to both social studies and German language students is described. The project had the following objectives: (1) to view, through an interdisciplinary approach, the…

The guiding principles incorporated into this program are: 1) to develop a kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum in a logical sequence to provide continuity and progression in the program; 2) to have the program enhance the instructional goals of the school system; 3) to link the subject areas that relate most closely to conservation,…

The purpose of these plans, developed by biology teachers, social studies teachers, and high school students, are: 1) to develop a systematic method of becoming informed on issues not solely based within traditional disciplines; 2) to provide students with an opportunity to help determine the direction and content of their studies; 3) to aid in…