A model for sequencing intellectual skills through the use of learning hierarchies is provided. Applications of this model to social studies education are included. (DE)

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOUGHT PROCESSES UNDER OPTIMUM TRAINING CONDITIONS WAS STUDIED. OPTIMUM WAS DEFINED TO INCLUDE (1) A CURRICULUM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOUGHT, (2) TEACHING STRATEGIES FOCUSED DIRECTLY ON MASTERY OF NECESSARY COGNITIVE SKILLS, AND (3) A SUFFICIENT TIME SPAN TO PERMIT A DEVELOPMENTAL TRAINING SEQUENCE. CHILDREN FROM 20…

Written in 1973, the document describes the application of Jean Piaget's pedagogical principles to an elementary and secondary social studies curriculum: Social Encounter and Research Curriculum for Humanization (SEARCH). In Part I, it is stressed that SEARCH is the first innovative curricular program that strives to teach the major concepts of…

Reports on the results of an experiment testing 58 elementary school students tasked with chronologically ordering a set of nine historical pictures and thinking aloud about their efforts. Provides increased evidence regarding the kind and sources of children's historical knowledge and how they deploy that knowledge. (MJP)

Proposes using instructional games as a means of reaching students with varying learning styles. Describes several games involving problem solving, role playing, and simulations. The games incorporate aspects of Sternberg's theory that intelligence can be conceptualized as analytic, creative, or practical. (MJP)

Uses test questions from the Basic Economics Test (BET) to reveal that elementary students are capable of understanding economics concepts. Maintains that neither ethnic background nor parental income makes a difference in economic learning. The most statistically significant determinant of improved scores was the extent to which a concept was…

Asserts that using children's literature to present life stories can reinforce young children's understanding of life span and help them better understand how goals formed in childhood may help determine an individual's future. Briefly reviews and recommends 15 children's books focused on life stories and decision making. (MJP)

Recounts the case of a learning disabled sixth grader mainstreamed into a social studies class. Describes a variety of instructional strategies and activities that capitalize on the student's strengths to facilitate learning. These include critical thinking maps, semantic maps, simulations, and kinesthetic learning. (MJP)

Describes inquiry learning as defining a purpose for inquiry (the problem), postulating tentative answers or solutions, testing various hypotheses, drawing tentative conclusions, and applying those conclusions to new situations. Asserts that acquisition of these skills supports democratic citizenship. Outlines the inquiry approach used for a…