Suggests that social studies classroom teachers should use the process of rational decision making to teach students how to think at higher intellectual levels, become more creative, clarify values, and increase moral development. Learning activities are described. (DB)

Describes five elementary level social studies activities designed to increase student awareness of sex role stereotypes and an appreciation for sex fairness. Magazine/newspaper and textbook scavenger hunts, a role play/guessing game, and a decision-making activity are included. (AM)

Describes seven activities for teaching secondary social studies students about court juries. Students observe and discuss the actual selection of a jury, play shadow-jury in an actual court case, interview jurors, research student courts, and survey and discuss student opinions on jury-related issues and court decisions. (AM)

Demonstrates how social studies classroom teachers can personalize historical events by getting students to empathize with historical individuals. Describes an activity which investigates factors influencing immigrants to North America. Students are involved in acquiring data, applying data, reaching a conclusion, taking a position, and analyzing…

Developed for California high school teachers, this guide is designed to help them clarify the role of the state government and improve students' understanding of the democratic process through their acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes. The guide provides the tools necessary to help students inform themselves about: current economic,…

Advocates an activist, child-centered learning environment which will allow young children an opportunity to develop communication skills, rudimentary skills of critical analysis, and citizenship values such as responsibility and respect. Describes learning activities which will foster early citizenship development and provides two lesson plans…

Activity requires secondary students to make an entrepreneurial decision concerning a conflict between long-term and short-term results. Students read a dilemma story involving an automobile manufacturer. They must write down positive and negative consequences for alternative decisions on a "Human Consequences Matrix" and an "Economic Consequences…

Presents details for a game to familiarize secondary level students with the decision-making behavior of firms in a competitive society. Students representing firms must choose one of four options to deal with government invervention in their industry's pollution of the environment. (KC)

The authors present activities that help students understand collective behavior in historical and contemporary settings. This topic is particularly appropriate for social studies content areas such as sociology, psychology, American history, and world history, yet it can also be included in the curriculum of other subject areas, such as language…

This secondary level unit, designed for use in a social studies or introductory economics course, has students participate in decision-making activities about global auto production. Although Japan-United States interaction is emphasized, the concepts, terms and activities employed in the unit apply to other countries as well. The unit includes 11…

Provides a lesson plan for senior high school which uses writing to help students learn about World War II. (JDH)

The use of social studies instruction to train children to engage in creative decision making is described. (CK)

Presents activities in creativity for use in secondary social studies courses. The activities involve students in laying out alternatives for ethical decision-making, for accomplishing a task, or for problem solving. (RM)

Discusses the ability of young children to engage in critical decision making. Reviews the steps in the decision-making process. Presents a lesson plan requiring children in grades four through six to analyze and decide whether the United States should take control of a mythical island. Provides instructions on procedures, handouts, and evaluation…

This document presents a critical thinking/decision-making model to help students in grades K-12 understand East Indian culture. It is divided into three sections. Section 1 provides background information about India from the 15th century BC to the present. It briefly discusses religion, independence, political organization, social institutions,…