Purpose: Science education literature has indicated that teachers do not always feel comfortable teaching socioscientific issues (SSI) that are infused with several social domains. In order to address this problem in teaching SSI, this study is designed to understand and describe the experiences of a science teacher and a social studies teacher,…

Jamestown is at the heart of any teaching and learning of colonial American history. Stories of John Smith and Pocahontas are learned by elementary and secondary students across the United States. In Virginia, Jamestown is first taught in third grade and revisited five more times from historical, political, economic, and geographic perspectives.…

A publication designed to help primary school teachers teach geography is critically reviewed. An integrated approach for studying the local environment to learn about issues and distant places is presented. Discusses a spiral approach for teaching which indicates what to teach at what age. (DC)

The author describes a California studies course that integrates history, geography, culture, and current events. (DE)

Asserts that students have little knowledge about the operation of local government. Discusses a three-day interdisciplinary lesson about water management and local government for the elementary grades. Includes descriptions of laboratory exercises, homework assignments, and class discussions. (CFR)

In this lesson plan, the city of Malibu (CA) is at the mercy of the weather phenomenon El Nino. The press secretary for the Mayor of Malibu recognizes an opportunity to turn this potential natural disaster into a re-election campaign. A task force will be assembled to protect the lives and property of the community. Students role play members of…

Considering that the lower ability student in the seventh and eighth grades faces problems of emotion, identity, and self-motivation, there is a need for a more activity-based, exploratory curriculum that gives students responsibility for their learning and living. An interdisciplinary local studies approach was adopted for this six-week unit…

Part of a sequential series of curriculum units in environmental education for grades 4 through 12, this curriculum guide for grade 9 focuses on identifying problems, formulating hypotheses, considering alternatives, and making decisions in environmental education. The activities include the showing of films, making environmental decisions,…

The primary objective of this sourcebook is to help the teacher relate causes and consequences of population change to other social and environmental issues already being explored in the classroom. Sources suggested here are for use as supplementary material to be integrated into existing curricula. Divided into main sections that cover…

Part of a sequential series of curriculum units in environmental education for grades 4 through 12, this sixth grade curriculum guide focuses on man's effect upon the environment. Extensive classroom activities and field trips introduce the student to population, technology, pollution, natural resources, responsibility, career opportunities, and…

Part of a sequential series of curriculum units in environmental education for grades 4 through 12, this curriculum guide focuses on environmental problems in the United States for eleventh grade students. This unit is designed to make the student aware of how the problems of the past become critical problems of the present. Activities foster an…

Describes a middle school curriculum that integrates service learning and civic responsibility skills into the core academic program. The "CityYouth" curriculum consists of 32 multidisciplinary lessons divided into four units of eight lessons each. Examines how schools have incorporated the units into community activities. (MJP)