The handbook examines issues facing the increasingly interdependent world and suggests areas of knowledge which educators must consider as they develop and implement curriculum to help students deal effectively with the future. The document contains eight articles. The first article identifies problems facing society as rapid change, economic imbalances, technological advancement, crime, pollution, and population increases. The second article explores the relationship of mass communication to education. The third article identifies threats posed to humans by environmental pollution. The fourth article examines the impact of science and technology on society and discusses factors which may limit advances of society, such as population, energy, food, and mineral resources. The fifth article concentrates on global dimensions of citizenship and suggests that people will have to live with major uncertainties and problems that have no solutions. The sixth article evaluates the capability of curriculum to respond to social problems caused by population pressures. The seventh article discusses the nature and learning of human values. The final article reviews various functions of education in a changing society and concludes that major educational objectives should be to encourage reflective reasoning, accelerate change, and develop students' ability to think critically. (Author/DB)