Recently, there has been a movement to put religion and its influence on history back into the social studies curriculum. This ERIC Digest discusses: (1) reasons for including religion in the curriculum; (2) how religion is currently treated in the school curriculum; (3) guidelines for teaching religion in the classroom; and (4) resources…

Education about national security has always been part of the social studies curriculum in U.S. high schools. But its focus has been simply chronological and episodic with major attention given to war, particularly the decision to enter it and the conduct of U.S. military forces. Little attention has been given to the evolution and structural…

Since 1980, an increasing number of state and local education agencies have reintroduced a world history requirement into their secondary curricula. This ERIC Digest examines five key questions related to that trend. Questions raised, together with some salient points made in the discussion of each, are as follows: (1) What is the background to…

Due to data released in several reports in recent years, concern has been growing regarding the status of undergraduate science in two-year colleges, four-year colleges, and universities. Recommendations of reports on this topic are summarized. Types of programs and activities that have been developed with precollege schools and students; current…

Recognizing the need to strengthen education about Africa in United States schools and to enable teachers to present complex issues about apartheid, political stability, and cultural conflict, this digest addresses the issue of how teachers can improve their teaching about Africa. The article poses 3 questions: (1) Why is it important to teach…

Intended for administrators and policymakers as well as teachers, this digest explores issues affecting high school literature programs. The digest first explores whether a literature curriculum can be based upon the results of limited surveys of high school reading interests. Next, the digest addresses the question of what literature to include…

Given the global significance of Soviet-U.S. relations, elementary and secondary school students should learn about the Soviet Union, but most students graduate from high school with little knowledge and many misconceptions about this country. It is important to teach about the Soviet Union because of: (1) its emphasis in the U.S. media; (2) its…

A discussion of numeracy (the ability to cope confidently with the mathematical demands of everyday life), focuses on provision of numeracy instruction alongside English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction for learners with low literacy skills. It looks first at considerations and methods for assessing student numeracy needs, including the…

This digest discusses the need for teaching about the Vietnam War, possible reasons for the negligible treatment the subject receives in social studies classes, and some instructional approaches to the material. Currently, students lack a systematic and detailed knowledge of this turning point in U.S. history. The impact of the Vietnam War on U.S.…