The purpose of this Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI) report is twofold: to provide an analysis of the enrollment trends for African American and Latino students among graduate professional programs in the fields of medicine, business, law, and public affairs, and to present other relevant data pertaining to African American and Latino students…

The North Dakota Close Up experience is based upon the belief that students need to have an understanding of the roles of state and local governments, of politics and law, and of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy if the U.S. experiment in self-government is to survive. This document is designed to help students and…

This book grew from a working conference on "Citizenship for the 21st Century." The purpose of the conference was to develop specific recommendations to guide the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE) and the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) in their efforts to improve civic education for young adolescents. The conferees reached consensus…

This ERIC digest discusses civic education in U.S. schools in terms of: (1) its meaning; (2) its place in the curriculum; (3) its effects on learners; and (4) suggested methods of improving it. Civic education involves the development of skills in making decisions about public issues and participating in public affairs and encompasses the…

Jefferson Meetings on the Constitution are designed to provide a forum in which citizens can make the Constitution more fully their own through discussion of its principles and the way these principles shape the operation of the U.S. system of government. This document is a guide designed to stimulate reasoned discussion of rights and the…

This publication is the result of a project in New York State to increase public awareness of themes related to the U.S. Constitution using the medium of the arts. Designed as a photo essay, the volume reflects the activities of thousands of students in the Statewide Mini-Imagination Celebration Program. In efforts to understand the impact of…

"CIVITAS" is a curriculum framework that specifies core ideas for civic education in the U.S. constitutional democracy. It reviews what adults should know and be able to do to as effective citizens. CIVITAS was developed by the Center for Civic Education in cooperation with the Council for the Advancement of Citizenship and with support…

This report presents the results of an achievement and enrollment study of the law and public service magnet program at the Northeast Law and Public Service Magnet High School (Kansas City, Missouri). Achievement test scores for students in the program were at or slightly above those of the district as a whole for the 1990-1991 year. It also was…

Promoting change in civic education means rethinking what are the important aspects to teach about the Constitution, law, and democracy to equip students to be effective and affective citizens. The scope of instruction needs to broaden to include specific comparisons between the U.S. federal system of law and constitutionalism with counterparts in…

Provides an overview of the mission and activities of Kids Voting USA. The nonprofit organization promotes student awareness of the importance of voting through civic education programs. Kids Voting USA has projects in 40 states involving debates, craft activities, information gathering, and mock elections. (MJP)

Questions whether attitudes towards gun control are influenced primarily by exposure to high crime rates, prior victimization, and fear of crime, or result from membership in social groups hostile to gun ownership. Maintains that support for gun control is more a product of culture conflict than a response to crime. (MJP)

The lessons in this handbook are multidisciplinary, integrating social, legal, economic, and political content presented in new and thought-provoking ways. The lessons may be used in existing courses for grades 8 and 9 or in creating an interdisciplinary course focusing on civic education. The lessons are entitled: (1) "'More Than Just a Set of…

This booklet describes the relationship of service learning to the social studies and examines public policy issues as a crucial step in the service learning process. Service learning is defined and explained using the ACT (Active Citizenship Today) approach whereby students: (1) define and focus on their community; (2) research community…

Presents a lesson plan that accentuates honesty as a central tenet of moral behavior. The first handout requires written answers to open-ended questions based on the students' personal convictions. Subsequent handouts contain quotes, arguments, and "Six Reasons for Being Honest." A class discussion follows. (MJP)

Organized around the theme of influencing public opinion, this booklet provides teachers and lawyers with classroom materials for elementary grades K-3 (Level A), intermediate grades 4-6 (Level B), middle school grades 6-8 (Level C), and high school grades 9-12 (Level D). In addition, each level contains pages for the lawyer (marked by the scales…