Describes the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), a national information network in the field of education. Printed indexes are explained as well as online searching of the ERIC database. Online searching is emphasized, including search strategies, database vendors, cost considerations, gateway services, and CD-ROM versions. (LRW)

Describes a geography lesson that computer and social studies teachers present together to teach elementary and secondary school students about computers and help them place the technology in a social context. (MBR)

Discusses use of PFS File, a database management system under development by the Kansas State Department of Education, to store and sort individual education program (IEP) records and generate report information from these records. File design and range of reports that can be generated are reviewed. (MBR)

Explores classroom microcomputer applications in elementary and secondary social studies. The utility of drill and practice and tutorial programs is reviewed; computer spreadsheets to project election tallies and databases for use in analyzing voter data are described; and economics and election simulations are compared. (MBR)

Discusses types of software most useful in social studies classes--games, simulations, and word processing, database, spreadsheets, and graphing--and introduces applications software through descriptions of four learning activities from different parts of the social studies curriculum: introducing databases, writing historical journals, tracking…