Discusses the transition to democratic government in the Republic of Latvia and the role of civic education in that process. Describes Latvia's history and demography, the Latvian constitution and government structure, the process of democratization, and the role of civic education organizations like the Democracy Advancement Center. (DSK)

Presents an overview of civic education for democracy in Poland. Focuses on the largest, most comprehensive project, Education for Democratic Citizenship in Poland (EDCP). Discusses the context of civic education, project origins and goals, international partnerships, project funding, project-developed curricula, teacher-education activities, and…

Explores topics related to civic education for democracy in post-communist Hungary. Includes discussions of the context and history of civic education in Hungary, challenges to the emergence of democratic civic education and principal approaches to it, and the roles of international civic education partners in this process. (DSK)

This article will follow Gerda Lerner's line of thinking in regard to the conceptualization of women in history, since women as a group are not necessarily "visible among those making decisions." The challenge, according to Lerner, is to examine the traditional sources in social studies history for "androcentric bias... [and] seek…

Observes that the international civic education program Civitas has been of great benefit to both the Czech Republic and cooperating U.S. states. Discusses background factors in the Czech Republic, civic education projects underway in that country, and a program introduced into Czech civic education as a result of the partnership. (DSK)

Outlines the status of democratic civic education in Russia, particularly the need to educate teachers about democracy. Discusses the need for civic education reform, international cooperation in meeting those needs, dissemination of information on civic education, curriculum development and teacher-education projects, and the importance of…

Asks whether it is possible to develop an international, cross-cultural consensus on the meaning and characteristics of democracy and which common elements of these should constitute education for civic democracy. Outlines an international project, Democratic Citizenship: A Framework, in an attempt to answer these questions. Discusses possible…

Describes a project, Comparative Lessons for Democracy, to develop and publish lessons for high school students. Lessons compare institutions and processes of constitutional democracy in the United States and five post-communist countries involved in the Civitas international civic education programs: Latvia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary,…

A long recommended central purpose of civic education has been preparation of students for responsible democratic life. The authors of this paper contend that teaching students the domain-specific process of historical thinking and the habits of mind that are incorporated into this discipline-specific act will contribute to students' ability to…

This article summarizes interviews with three people who helped begin the U.S. law-related education (LRE) movement: Isidore Starr, Vivian Monroe, and Arlene Gallagher. The interview questions cover obstacles to early LRE efforts, challenges for LRE today, and whether LRE has made a difference in social studies and civic education. (JDH)

Describes the international civic education program, Civitas, including background on its creation, national and international significance of and need for the program, program goals, elements for systematic implementation of civic education, program organization, program products and their effectiveness, and illustrative examples of program…

Becoming a competent civic educator--one who can inspire and prepare students for informed, responsible, and humane participation in civic and political life--requires ongoing study of the content, pedagogy, and resources of civic education. Many elementary, middle, and high school teachers (and their students) would benefit from effective…

Discusses the philosophy of Core Knowledge that was developed by E. D. Hirsch and provides a description of the Core Knowledge curriculum sequence. Examines the history and language arts Core Knowledge curricula that foster civic virtue and the relationship between Core Knowledge and character education. Describes one program focusing on character…

Assesses the role that constitutional studies play in law-related education (LRE) and the impact that the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution has had on LRE. Includes a brief analysis of how the Constitution was taught in civics classes prior to the reforms of the progressive education era of the early 1900s. (JDH)

Traces the history of social studies curriculum in Africa, emphasizing three curriculum traditions: citizenship transmission, social science, and reflective inquiry. Discusses the Kenyan experience of integrating social studies into the curriculum, focusing on the change from a colonial educational system to one that reflects Kenyan values and…