Social studies teachers are constantly seeking ways to connect the past with the present, the near with the far, the familiar with the esoteric. One of the most powerful ways to create such connections is through the integration of current events into social studies lessons (Silverman 2003; Turner 1995). Current events promote students' oral and…

In this article, the author provides ways in which educators may start teaching globalism and globalization to their students. The author suggests that there are many opportunities to introduce students to the humane and encouraging aspects of a civil society by attending closely to current events that speak, with light and hope, to the changing…

In the current climate of high-stakes tests and teacher accountability, how do teachers avoid teaching to the test? With respect to high school social studies and English teachers, the answer lies with critically analyzing items in current events. By carefully reading news stories, students can determine an author's bias through his or her use of…

Timothy Draper's approach to teaching history is that the discipline essentially embodies the best of other humanities and social science disciplines. The processes of remembering, retelling, and reconstructing involve the higher domains of learning. Freed from the bonds of mere memorization of dates, the college history student analyzes,…

INCLUDED IN THIS GUIDE ARE OVERVIEWS OF THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM IN GRADES 5, 8, AND 11, WITH SUGGESTED TIME ALLOTMENTS FOR EACH UNIT. GENERAL OBJECTIVES AND SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED, REINFORCED, AND EXTENDED FOR THE 8TH GRADE ARE LISTED. UNIT OUTLINES INDICATE THE MAJOR TOPICS TO BE DEVELOPED, THE CONTENT, AND SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES. SPECIFIC…

Describes a three-part midterm exercise designed to demonstrate how using general semantics as an analytical tool can increase awareness and improve critical thinking about an issue. Explains each phase of the assignment in detail. Concludes with student responses to the exercise, indicating that the exercise is indeed helpful in analyzing current…

The newspaper is a source of up-to-date and compelling information that teachers can use to teach current events. In this article, the author discusses why it makes sense for social studies educators to use newspapers in their classrooms. He also presents information about the Newspaper in Education (NIC) program and explains how interested…

This document presents the proceedings of 16th Annual Research Forum held June 15, 2011, at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Included herein are the following 25 action research papers: (1) The Effects of Prompted Math Journaling on Algebra 1 Students' Achievement and Attitudes (Heidi I. Arnold); (2) Group Work and Attitude…

In order to achieve its goals, the Social Studies course should convey social events, which took place within or out of the school context, into the classroom environment. Current events can be very beneficial so as to transfer the social events into classroom environment in the Social Studies courses. In this study, semi structured interview…

Many teachers advocate teaching students to deliberate on controversial political issues as a powerful way of preparing them for political participation. Support for this approach recently came from a Civic Mission of the Schools report, which endorsed including political controversies in the curriculum. Specifically, it recommends that schools:…

Group discussion allows students to learn how to "talk to someone." Through group discussion, students can acquire or refine a broad range of attributes, from basic oratory skills to a more sophisticated development of communicative competence to embracing and valuing dialogic interchange and reflexivity. In this article, the author explains how…

Barbara Petzen began working as a part-time outreach coordinator at Harvard University's Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) a week before September 11, 2001. She was finishing her dissertation in Middle Eastern studies, specializing in the Ottoman Empire and Arab history, and thought it would be a good job to have while she completed her…

The major goal of social studies education is to provide students with the skills and knowledge essential for effective participation in society. As a supplement to more traditional social studies material, newspapers can help students make the connection between the classroom and real life. The social studies activities suggested in this guide…

In many social studies classes learning is made "relevant" by simply presenting contemporary issues and current affairs. However, when teaching about issues, certain decisions need to be made concerning content and techniques. The author makes a suggestion that the major content focus on not merely understanding the problems facing society, but…