The National Commission on Social Studies in the Schools was formed in 1987 by the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the National Council for the Social Studies to study the state of social studies in the schools and to make recommendations for curricular change. The Commission's curriculum report, "Charting a Course: Social Studies for the 21st Century (1989). is based on an exhaustive examination of the social studies curricula in the past and present. This digest outlines the essential elements of the Commission's curriculum report on goals and general recommendations for the social studies: (1) development of civic responsibility and citizen participation; (2) development of a global perspective through an understanding of students' life experiences as a part of the total human experience, past and present; (3) development of "Critical Understanding" of the history, geography, and the pluralistic nature of the civil institutions of the United States; (4) development of a multicultural perspective on the world's peoples through an understanding of their differences and commonalities throughout time and place; and (5) development of students' capacities for critical thinking about the human condition. Curriculum recommendations for grades K-6, and grades 7-12 are presented along with recommendations about teaching strategies. A 9-item reference list concludes the digest. (DB)