Provides a sampling of items from the ERIC database on the subject of social studies as a discipline. Includes documents on proposals to improve social education and on return to traditional emphases in history and geography. Explains how to obtain copies of documents from the ERIC system. (SG)

Geography instruction provides a basis for more education and for life. A knowledge of geography is basic to the study of history, economics, political science, geology, biology, and many other disciplines. Geographical knowledge is essential for daily activities such as reading a newspaper or comprehending world events. (RM)

Discusses the educational reform efforts to reorganize the social studies curriculum in the United States. Criticizes a return to conservative, traditional approaches to social studies than emphasize history and geography while ignoring more contemporary ideas. Suggests that, to develop a discipline of social studies, more scholarly pursuit and…

To test whether elementary social studies texts have changed in response to the back-to-basics movement, a content analysis was made of selected basal texts series published between 1969-1972 and reissued between 1979-1982. Quantitative data, anecdotal data, and educational criticism were used to compare eight matched text series for knowledge…

A geographer responds to three themes found in the U.S. National Commission on Excellence in Education report "A Nation at Risk": (1) the return to basics theme, (2) the science and technology theme, and (3) the social science theme. The report recommends the adoption of "New Basics," which, in four years of high school, would…