In addition to the continuing need for citizens who can address the challenges of "human" communities, growing concerns have arisen regarding "all" life on the planet. Indeed, one of our most urgent conditions is the decline of the environment upon which all life depends. Yet, despite our concerns, there remain vastly differing…

Today's political environment continues to become more polarized as Americans find themselves taking sides on controversial issues. While this is certainly not new to the American democratic experience, the way we as a country are combating it is. With the nation engulfed in a political maelstrom, people are forgetting how to have a civilized…

This article reports on a study that asks how might an elections simulation influence students with strong polarizing political beliefs? The elections simulation asks students to take on roles as candidate teams, political party leaders, interest groups, and media outlets in a mock presidential election. Students not only learn about elections but…

The purpose of this article is to synthesize research on the benefits and use of games, role-plays, and simulations, whilst providing examples practicing teachers may wish to use in their classroom. Therefore, the article presents a discussion of key previous research on the use of games, role-plays, and simulations in secondary history…

In many parts of the less developed world it is women and girls who are expected to provide water for their family. Frequently, young girls are unable to complete school or get jobs because water scarcity means they are forced to walk miles daily to obtain this most basic need. Since the creation of the United Nations Millennium Goals, progress…

The purpose of this article is to empower those interested in teaching students powerful and engaging social studies. Through the lens of Supreme Court simulations, this article provides educators with a viable, classroom-tested lesson plan to bring Problem-Based Learning into their classrooms. The specific aim of the lesson is to provide students…

The inclusion of technology in the classroom is an increasingly important feature of effective instruction. The implementation of Common Core Standards in many states also requires teachers to consider new pedagogical strategies to support meaningful learning. This article explores the intersection between technology demands and curricular change…

This article considers human rights education at the elementary school level in the United States. It explores some of the benefits of including human rights education in the elementary curriculum and provides suggestions on how to incorporate it. The article focuses on a discussion of the book "A Life Like Mine: How Children Live around the…

Presents a simulation which can be used in any secondary social studies course to teach about the Equal Rights Amendment. It can be played with as few as ten and as many as 40 students. Playing time varies from three to seven class periods. (RM)

Discusses the value of structured simulation games in elementary social studies. Suggestions are given for using simulation games in the classroom, stressing the importance of the briefing and debriefing activities. Teaching instructions for four role-playing simulations are included. (AM)

Sixth-grade students relive the history of the fall of Rome in a simulation game. An example of student comparisons of Roman and Barbarian strategic advantages indicates how the game increased their understanding of the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. (AM)

The author presents five classroom activities that involve students in the settlement at Jamestown. Activity 1 simulates the problems encountered on the "Godspeed," a fifty-two-foot foot boat with fifty-two passengers traveling across the Atlantic in 1607 for three slow months. In Activity 2, students plot their route, ocean currents,…

In this teacher developed simulation, secondary students, in the roles of justices and attorneys, bring to trial a selection of cases adjudicated by the U.S. Supreme Court. (RM)

Most agree that the event now simply known as 9/11 proved to be a turning point in U.S. history. Nothing will ever be the same again politically, legally, and socially. Besides being the most devastating workplace disaster to occur in New York City and the nation, it was a moment that defined a generation and rivals similar generation-defining…

In this article, the author describes how the study of past and present prisoner of war (POW) situations can provide an excellent academic opportunity for students to evaluate virtues and values in the short and long run. Using case studies of past and present POW situations, students can categorize and analyze the historical nature of the…