Computers can be used in a variety of ways in the social studies classroom: (1) as a productivity tool to relieve the teacher of the many bookkeeping tasks and allow for more time to be spent on instructional tasks; (2) in business applications such as data base files, electronic spreadsheets, word processing, computer graphics, and to store large…

Explains a social studies lesson for third graders that uses KidPix, a computer software graphics program to help students make maps and map keys. Advantages to using the computer versus hand drawing maps are discussed, and an example of map requirements for the lesson is included. (LRW)

This guide lists 21 software packages considered to be worthy of further consideration by other reviewing agencies and schools by a group of 12 computer coordinators from educational software preview centers and evaluation agencies. These software products have been selected as not being likely to appear in the reviews produced by major software…

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…

Outlines three lessons designed to increase students' involvement in social studies classes, excerpted from the author's book, COMPUTERS, CURRICULUM, AND WHOLE-CLASS INSTRUCTION. Student surveys, supported by database and/or graphing software, are used to study immigration, banking and technology, and interpreting graphs and bias in information.…

This guide reports the opinions of a group of five computer coordinators from educational software and preview agencies about software products that seem promising, but have not necessarily been tested. The 22 software packages reviewed include applications for math, language arts, science, social studies, health, graphics, authoring, and database…

Describes the Minnesota Education Computing Corporation (MECC) Computing and Information Collection, a collection of software products for students in grades 4-12. These products are designed to support individual course content objectives and introduce and practice information literacy skills. Curriculum applications in language arts,…

Developed to help educators locate microcomputer software programs they may want to preview for students in grades K-12, this guide lists commercially available microcomputer software programs that have been favorably reviewed by members of the Educational Software Evaluation Consortium. Programs are arranged alphabetically by title within…

Examines the literature on the effectiveness of computers in social studies instruction and learning. Topics include drill and practice, tutorials, study guides, games and simulations, inquiry and problem solving, graphics, and word processing and writing. Contains 58 references. (LRW)

The Montgomery County Public Schools Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) Program began in 1968, was federally funded for its first three years, and since 1971 its activities have been supported through local funds and an outside grant covering the lease of the computer for the project. During the last three years validated CAI materials developed…

Provides descriptions of 44 award-winning computer software packages that are designed to be used in areas such as science, mathematics, computer literacy, creative arts, language arts, social studies, computer tools, and graphics. (TW)