Literacy educators are troubled by the isolated nature of many contemporary reading programs. Too often in middle school classrooms, students read alone, take computerized tests, and do not engage in authentic dialogue with peers. In this article, the authors argue that reading texts individually, while necessary, is not sufficient, and through…

Several years ago, after a career of teaching biochemistry and introductory biology, the author decided to offer a course for biology majors on biological explanations of social phenomena (Biosocial Problems in Contemporary America). His goal in examining these topics was to help students develop critical-thinking skills that would allow them to…

This article, based on an interpretive study, examines what happens when a team of teaching fellows and their supervisor attempt to address what they have identified as a "pedagogical crisis" in a social foundations of education course. Student proclivities had resulted in extreme polarization regarding contested social issues. By using a…

This article demonstrates the potential for critical inquiry in twenty-first century primary classrooms. The authors (two university professors and a first grade teacher) present an overview of theory/practice relationships in Mary's (teacher) multiethnic classroom with an emphasis on critical literacy, technology and multimodal learning. Readers…

Crimes committed by juveniles are among the most urgent social problems. Juvenile crime is as prevalent as crime itself is, and it has not been solved completely in any society and cannot be solved through law enforcement measures alone. In this article, the authors discuss the dynamics and structure of juvenile crime in Russia and present data…

Education is the first step toward making changes in habits and practices that are currently threatening the environment. Across the country, evidence is abundant that people are willing to change their habits once they understand the consequences of their choices. Greater numbers of communities are instituting recycling programs. This book is…

This document presents the development of an instrument designed to assess student attitudes toward science and technology, and their understanding of certain social issues surrounding science and technology. The document contains two parts. Part 1, the Description of the Project, includes the following sections: (1) "The Project in…

This paper contends that former Secretary of Education William Bennett's "war on drugs" (he now directs the government's campaign against drugs) is not being waged against those who sell and use drugs, but against the civil liberties of everyone. The paper maintains that under the guise of ridding society of what President Bush called…

This report condenses discussions held at the 1990 Reporters' Workshop on Literacy, attended by about 40 journalists and other professionals. The workshop's purpose was to help journalists dig beneath the traditional "Johnny can't read" stories to report on the serious social implications of illiteracy in America. Following an…

The diverse research on the patterns and characteristics of violent behavior in the United States is assessed by a panel of experts in this monograph. The monograph describes what is known about certain types of violence, details insights into risk factors for violence in individuals and situations, and recommends new research efforts with short-…

This report describes the extent and causes of widespread hunger in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean using case studies of Bangladesh, Brazil, and Mozambique and profiles of 42 other countries. Current evidence points to more than half a billion people who chronically lack enough food for a normal life and an equal…

The marriage of the humanities to public discussion of major current issues is an invitation to understand how various points of view are embedded in one's history, values, visions of the future, and an understanding of what is right, wrong, and necessary. The essays in this volume examine three issues: abortion, economic competition, and racial…

This compilation of journal articles on cocaine includes a report describing cocaine as the recreational drug of the middle class, statistics from the United States Department of Health on health consequences of cocaine use, an article on "speedballing" (use of cocaine and heroin in combination), and a discussion of the various ways…

Introduces a general theory of sociobiology which a biology teacher would find useful as a basis for course development. (LS)

Describes research conducted in the area of conflict and conflict resolution. Includes research on both controlled laboratory studies and real world situations such as familial discord, labor arbitrations, and international relations. (MLH)