Intended as an innovative methods text to aid teachers in training as well as teachers in practice, 36 essays written by "outstanding contemporary leaders in social studies education" selectively address important areas currently shaping a new, "more mature," social studies. Five essays in chapter I review current attempts to define social studies, with three authors specifically focusing on E.B. Wesley's classic definition of social studies. Eleven essays in chapter II focus on social studies skills and skill development. The section provides not only usable techniques but also a rationale arguing for a new attention to skills in social studies. Chapter III presents seven essays dealing specifically with initiatives in global education. Three essays giving a rationale for global education are followed by essays on the status of global education in Nigeria, Japan, and England, and a case study of two teachers with cross-cultural experience. The four essays in chapter IV examine initiatives for the gifted in social studies education, including social studies curriculum integration, role playing, the development and application of innovative materials, and implications of brain research for gifted education in social studies. The final section presents nine essays on social studies initiatives in other lands. Five essays focusing specifically on social studies in England are accompanied by reports on social studies in Nigeria, Canada, Poland, and China. (LH)