There is much that can be learned from a curriculum developed in The Netherlands, a country famous for having been "claimed from the sea." Nothing can be truer than that, but there is more to the story than just the physical aspect of claiming land from the water. The identity of the Dutch, the history of their maritime and seafaring…

How something begins can matter a lot, especially for young adults. "The circumstances under which a person enters a profession is predictive of how that person will view the profession for the rest of his or her life." The goal is for that view to be positive and long lasting for social studies educators. Can more be done to support…

When the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards project began, there really was nowhere else to go but up. The project was up against great odds--a dearth of funding, a history of incivility amongst the disciplines within social studies, a knack for ending up in media battles over what should be taught in…

Two new curriculum development projects, interdisciplinary in nature, are described in this article. Exploring Human Nature, the Educational Development Center project, is a social studies course for high school students which integrates biological science into its program. Conversely, the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study course, Human…

Offers energy education guidelines to aid social studies educators at all grade levels respond to increasing interest in energy-related topics. Guidelines are intended to serve as an outline of a multidisciplinary education program, a baseline from which to assess existing energy-related instructional programs, and a starting point for development…

The implications of the use of historical research in elementary grades are examined. The study of the family as a beginning for a historical research project is suggested. (JR)

Suggests strategies and activities related to energy education at the elementary level. The author stresses that learning experiences must be interdisciplinary and based on social and scientific information and concepts. (KC)

Stresses the unique needs of the middle school and calls upon educators and administrators to recognize and respond effectively to them. Advocates an interdisciplinary team structure, allowing small groups of teachers to work with the same group of students. (GEA)

Discusses California's Middle Grade Task Force and its report, "Caught in the Middle: Educational Reform for Young Adolescents in California Public Schools." Describes the 1987 revision of the California history-social science framework which emphasizes character development through studying the moral and ethical struggles of literary…

Discusses science and social studies integration to achieve technological literacy. Outlines elements that contribute to a successfully integrated social studies curriculum and its accompanying instruction. Four elements are presented: (1) clearly stated outcomes, (2) organizational strategy, (3) support systems, and (4) instructional strategies.…

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.…

Discusses a program at the John Eaton Elementary School in Washington, D.C. in which the students are taught about the People's Republic of China. Describes implementation of this interdisciplinary curriculum and concludes that the program helped promote better understanding of Chinese culture. (GEA)

Explores reasons for paying attention to content about science/technology/society (STS) in the social studies curriculum. Examines strategies for incorporating STS in the social studies. Expresses some cautions about interdisciplinary approaches to teaching STS. (DB)

States that a national survey indicated that 82% of British citizens reported learning nothing about the United Nations in school. Discusses efforts to improve education about the United Nations through the National Curriculum in England and Wales. (CFR)