In this article Sarita Cargas suggests that getting honors students used to analyzing controversies will contribute to their developing a disposition toward critical thinking. She goes on to say that the value of teaching critical-thinking skills complements the movement of many honors programs toward teaching more than just disciplinary content.…

This paper presents a rationale for the compatibility of cooperative learning and invitational education. Invitational education focuses on how teachers can invite students to see themselves as able, valuable, and self-directing in an interactive group situation. Specifically, the rationale demonstrates how cooperatively structured disagreement…

Structured Controversy, an instructional technique based on cooperative group learning, stimulates student involvement in issues concerning technology and society. The technique involves selecting a discussion topic; preparing instructional materials; preparing students for the discussion; the structured controversy itself; and wrap-up and…

In the cooperative controversy technique, two opposing sides are clearly drawn over a single issue, and learners on both sides cooperate to understand both sides and arrive at a personal position. Students respond enthusiastically to the exercise, are helped in exploring emotional responses to issues, and learn how, not what, to think. (MSE)

This document is part of series that seeks to help people think constructively about foreign policy issues, to improve citizen involvement, and to encourage debate on public issues. "Global Environmental Problems"; "The Human Factor in the Changing Environment"; "Public Policy and the Environment"; and "The U.S. Role in Global Environmental…

A discussion of ethics instruction in pharmacy practice argues that, because pharmacy students are still rapidly developing cognitively, faculty has an opportunity to help students mature and become socially conscious critical thinkers. The problem-solving process, dealing with alternative solutions, ambiguity, and flexible curriculum construction…

Provides historical information on Harold Rugg and the Social Reconstructionist movement. Contends the social issues-centered method should be used within social studies education. Discusses a social issues model that exposes preservice teachers to the social issues-centered model and focuses on a case study on California Proposition 187. (CMK)

This document is part of a series that seeks to help people think constructively about foreign policy issues, to improve citizen involvement, and to encourage debate on public issues. "Europe in Turmoil: 1914-1945"; "The Search for Security: 1945-1985"; and "Revolutionary Changes in Europe: 1985-1993" are the issues…

The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. This monograph is an attempt to analyze the environmental improvement efforts since that time, with emphasis on environmental education and environmental studies. It is claimed that environmental policies developed over the past 17 years have failed to incorporate adequately the human dimension in…

This document is part of a series that seeks to help people think constructively about foreign policy issues, to improve citizen involvement, and to encourage debate on public issues. The document examines the history of the conflict in Vietnam, both before and during U.S. involvement. Options that the document suggests for debate appear under the…

This unit was designed to develop mathematical applications in relation to a community resource issue. It should both motivate mathematics learning and provide meaningful problems for reinforcing understanding of mathematics content and skills, including ratios and percentages, linear equations, exponential functions, graphing, and the reading and…

This document is part of a series that seeks to help people think constructively about foreign policy issues, to improve citizen involvement, and to encourage debate on public issues. "The Arab-Israeli Conflict from 1920 to 1985"; "A Crossroads in the Middle East"; and "U.S. Thinking and the Politics of Peace" are the…

Describes how nuclear education has evolved into nuclear age education in an attempt to prepare young people to respond responsibly to world problems. Explains how positive and preventive emphases toward social issues have helped the growing acceptance of nuclear age and peace education. Discusses some remaining problems. (RT)

Reports on a study that focused on the psychological impact of nuclear education curriculum on middle school students. Concluded that instruction about nuclear issues rarely increases students' fear or worry about nuclear war. (RT)

This document describes an elementary teacher education program (TEP) for training elementary school teachers to include the environment in the content and methods of the early years of education. The major focus of this document is to infuse environmental content and methods in existing or planned courses of instruction in the TEP. The topics in…