The study guide is designed to be used with other instructional materials in a one-semester curriculum program which is linked to topics outlined in the American Issues Forum calendar. It is intended for use at the local level. This course seeks to develop new understandings of the problems and realities of contemporary America. Ways in which American values and assumptions about national character can be tested by a people's activities are explored. It examines phases of America at work and at leisure, the nation's self-conceived role in the international scene, and the social institutions which have directed and shaped American character. Four units, which correspond to units in the reader and newspaper articles, comprise the study guide. They are Working in America; The Business of America; America in the World; and Growing up and Pursuing Happiness in America. Each unit includes key concepts to consider, discussions of the newspaper articles and readings in the reader, study questions for the readings, and an annotated bibliography for each of the units. (Author/ND)