Talking with local merchants helps sixth-graders explore the impact of change in their community. (Editor/SJL)

Reviews and assesses the impact and direction of the Council for Urban Studies Centres (CUSC). Discusses CUSC's overall aims, staffing responsibilities, and program accomplishments. Appendices contain summaries of consultation services, interagency projects, and efforts in the promotion of urban studies. (ML)

Reviews programs in the state of Maine that are designed to inventory the natural heritage of critical areas, rare species, and exemplary natural features. Discusses how the information acquired by these programs is being used for public information efforts and educational programs in the schools. (ML)

Intended for local municipal officials and their advisors on public finance issues, this publication describes the legal environment surrounding bonds and examines some of the factors affecting the political feasibility of bond issues. Four categories of state controls of municipal bonds are discussed: limits on the amount of debt municipalities…

Global Trends Workshops for secondary science and social studies teachers and supervisors conducted collaboratively by the Center for Environmental/Energy Education and the Tennessee Valley Authority's Environmental/Energy Education Program are described. The workshops helped teachers learn how to merge global trends with local concerns. (RM)

Brief articles discuss global education with reference to local educational initiatives and needs, new textbooks, instructional materials, and resources. Inservice programs, university programs, and a global education project curriculum for elementary and secondary schools are also described. (KC)

Discusses a school district's plan to introduce into the curriculum civic writing activities directly linked to local history and community issues. Suggests that writing can stimulate students' civic responsibility through the academic skills of research and critical thinking. Addresses planning, implementation, assessment, and recommendations.…

Asserts that students have little knowledge about the operation of local government. Discusses a three-day interdisciplinary lesson about water management and local government for the elementary grades. Includes descriptions of laboratory exercises, homework assignments, and class discussions. (CFR)

Many school buildings are in dire need of renovation, expansion, or replacement. Brief case studies from around the country illustrate the importance of finding out why people vote for or against a construction referendum. Lists recommendations for a strategic campaign. (MLF)

Described are two approaches for using newspapers to teach local, regional, or state geography courses to college students. In the first approach, the instructor developed a manual to supplement an introductory geography course which examined spatial patterns of various phenomena as they are found in the Cincinnati (Ohio) metropolitan area. He…

Presents 10 ideas for service learning projects designed for elementary schools. Includes having students do local history projects complete with interviews and artifacts, learn about community volunteering, interact with the elderly, care for the environment, recycle materials, and hold canned food drives. (MJP)

Presents low cost ways that elementary teachers can develop classroom and school museums. Using objects and documents to record and display community events and traditions can help foster commitments to civic institutions and positive social values. Recommends creating wall murals, life ropes (personal event chronology), wall newspapers, and…

Outlines approaches for student evaluation in service learning projects. Maintains that most service learning project participants' goals fall into three broad areas: civic development, academic achievement, and personal or social development. Assessment in these areas can be accomplished through tabulation of service hours, student journals, and…

Maintains that the study of local wetlands provides an excellent means of integrating environmental studies, global studies, and other curricula into geography instruction. Seven tables list ways that studying wetlands illustrate the six essential elements of the National Geography Standards. Includes a list of 17 learning activities. (MJP)

Profiles Active Citizenship Today (ACT), a social studies service learning program for middle and high school students. In ACT, students explore their community, identify problems, examine public policy, explore their options, and take action. Includes unit excerpts from the ACT teacher's handbook. (MJP)