Context is everything. Very little in art or in history (or in life) happens in isolation, although works of art and events in history have been studied this way. This is especially true of the arts, which are so intrinsically connected to the cultures from which they emerge. This essential interconnectivity was also the premise behind the design…

In "Reinventing the High School Government Course," the authors presented the latest iteration of an ambitious AP government course developed over a seven-year design-based implementation research project. Chiefly addressed to curriculum developers and civics teachers, the article elaborates key design principles, provides a description…

Describes the process of changing from industrial arts to technology education through the building of a solar hot dog cooker. (JOW)

Discusses how the Reggio Emilia approach was introduced to college students and faculty, laboratory schools, and the community. Describes field experience courses and curriculum design courses. Discusses the concept of building curriculum from the interests, questions, and problems posed by students. (DLH)

While applied sociology has gained much popularity over the past decade, attempts to document empirically the use of sociology have produced disappointing results. Possible reasons for these results include lack of knowledge about how information is used in the decision making process, methodological bias stemming from the fact that those who…

Discusses the value of a capstone course in applied sociology as the culmination of the undergraduate sociology curriculum. Points out advantages of joint faculty-student projects for the course and presents the relative merits of two different formats: solo versus team projects. (Author/GEA)

Three concepts critically important in developing curricula for young children are play, thinking/creativity, and sustained interest. Through play, children explore the world; practice discovered relationships; and establish meanings for concepts, words, ideas, and actions. Teachers should actively focus on the learning potential of play.…

A new curriculum helps students appreciate their vested interest in preventing the crime and violence that is affecting them, their classmates and their education. Organizations described include Teens, Crime and the Community, and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention plus several project descriptions. (SI)

An English instructor notes that educators must re-examine their methodology and allow for students to be engaged as full partners in the learning process. She provides examples of activities and projects from a course about the intersection of language and culture and suggests that self-directed learning will equip students for college level…

This publication provides art educators with a plan for becoming effective advocates for school art programming and management. Chapter 1 is designed to stimulate change in programs that train art educators, to offer practical guidelines and techniques for obtaining operational support for school art programs, and to describe various marketing…

Proposes new directions for K-6 social studies, including a curriculum model focused on key concepts, questions to guide student inquiry, and civic action projects. Summarizes informal feedback from elementary students, pre- and inservice teachers, and social studies education professors revealing consensus about the need for a new framework and…

Seven authors contributed to a bulletin about using community studies to teach about the interrelationship of the local community with larger economic and social systems. "Young People and Community" (R. Beery and Mark C. Schug) addresses the need for the social studies curriculum to consider the local community, an area which is rarely covered…

Asserts that science and society are becoming increasingly dependent upon each other. Maintains that the social studies classroom provides an excellent opportunity to present science that is easily understood and relevant to students' lives. Presents six ideas for incorporating science into the existing social studies curriculum. (CFR)

The results of a colloquium of specialists in postsecondary pedagogy from 12 countries concerning the extent, importance, and encouragement of student independent scientific research are reported. Emphases include the need for training in research methodology, the importance of the student-faculty relationship, and interest in strategies for…

Maintains that the National Council for the Social Studies national standards advocate understanding of and participation in democratic citizenship by all students, including those at the elementary level. Provides recommendations for developing a democratic classroom and building a democratic school community. (CFR)