In this article, the author argues that questions about race should be raised in elementary social studies teacher education in order to better prepare teachers to enter their classrooms. In this study she explores how elementary pre-service teachers situate race within the social studies curriculum and how prepared they feel about discussing race…

This article presents the authors' critique of lessons proposed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21). The authors initiate a discussion about content that they hope will play out in schoolhouses and statehouses across the country. They take on a different task: they present a handful of lesson ideas from P21 that could enhance studies…

A model which secondary social studies teachers could apply to their content area suggests an interplay between the inductive and the deductive--where students first identify a proposition from an examination of evidence and then test the proposition to assess its power in helping students understand the complex nature of social reality.…

An outline of a unit used to teach the political science concept of model-building to both average and above-average high school students is provided. (DE)

The author presents a model which he feels satisfies the demand by special educators for "concrete" and "real-life" studies and, at the same time, is in accordance with the "Guidelines for the Social Studies" as stated by the NCSS Task Force. (Editor)

Describes a model to evaluate the extent to which students perceive that coursework will be helpful to some future aspect of their lives. Social studies was not perceived as highly articulated with future careers, marriage, or family life, but students who expected community work to be important to their future happiness were more likely to…

Explores the ability of social studies education to include balanced controversial issues within its textual materials. Suggests a code of content for the textbook industry and social studies educators, stating that the textbook industry should seek and develop ideas relating to controversial public issues and that personal opinions of authors in…

Provides a rationale for teaching about work in the social studies curriculum, despite concerns that career education is faddish and discourages upward mobility for disadvantaged children. A successful model developed by the Illinois Council on Economic Education helps students understand economic processes and the role of work in their lives.…

Criteria are described for selecting specific issues, events, and documents to be covered in history courses. Teachers should base content selection on basic concepts within the discipline, social needs and values of the class, pedagogical considerations, and the principle of economy in meeting multiple needs. (Author/AV)

In this article, the author presents a case study of three fourth grade teachers in New York, a state that administers an elementary social studies test, constructed by teachers, that relies on the use of documents in the majority of its questions. Throughout the 2002-2003 school year, the three teachers were observed during every unit of social…

The goal of the Marin Social Studies Project was to present a relevant and comprehensive design for American social studies education and to serve as a change agent by providing rational and viable alternatives to present practices. This paper documents the development of this curriculum design, defining the purpose of teaching and the nature of…

This brief guide is designed to help teachers learn how to integrate content and problem solving skills in the social studies curriculum. Problem-solving skills include analyzing an in-depth question/problem, selecting a format for recording information, gathering and recording information, and writing a summary. Materials in the guide include: a…

The course of study, an experimental model intended for use in secondary grades and higher education, centers on mankind in a global context. Main objectives of the course are to help students understand with cognitive depth the realities of global systems, interdependencies, and imbalances and develop conscious attitudes toward their own beliefs…

The identification and specification of affective objectives in the citizenship/social studies curriculum and the development of models of assessment techniques are discussed. Identification of citizenship objectives is comprised of: selecting target grades; organizing and classifying affective objectives; selecting and assigning priorities to…

The Teacher Enrichment/Awareness Curriculum Hierarchy (TEACH) stresses the interactions among and interrelatedness of subject matter (content and skills), teaching methods, the organization of the classroom instructional process, and instructional materials and resources. The model presented is used to help social studies teachers use a global…