In this study, we reflected on the process of designing and implementing a civics curriculum model focused on increasing upper-grade secondary students' involvement in local civic activity. We prioritized examining the challenges and possibilities of institutionalizing partnerships between teachers, students, community leaders, and local…

The "College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards" (NCSS, 2013) places inquiry at the center of good social studies teaching and learning. Instead of social studies courses that emphasize rote memorization through the use of textbooks and lecture-based instruction, the C3 Framework asks teachers to…

Here the author shares his attempt to add, without financial cost, substantive and dynamic international experiences to the secondary social studies teacher education program he facilitates. He provides thick descriptions of (1) the overarching goals of a collaborative, online, international learning project, (2) the curriculum materials he helped…

Social studies professionals advocate linking discipline-based content to citizenship learning goals. However, research suggests that students rarely encounter inquiry-based instruction in their geography coursework and have few opportunities to explore how geography impacts civic decision making. In this article, we present a problem-based…

School librarians know the importance of collaboration. They cannot run effective school library programs unless they work closely with classroom teachers. They have learned that deep collaboration is a fluid process that evolves over time. Only as connections are made and relationships are forged can real instructional progress occur. Yet it…

This paper describes one attempt to promote and extend the use of the computer to enhance instruction in the social studies at the secondary level, through simulation and data-base inquiry. (Author)

The interdisciplinary social studies materials for sequential use in grades nine through twelve and designed to help each student develop into an independent thinker and a responsible citizen are assessed. Most class activities are organized around directed discussion working toward the objectives of inquiry skills, knowledge, values, and…

This article evaluates a project with an inquiry-based methodology in which high school students experience and attempt to solve the same type of urban problems faced by professional geographers. (SM)

Explores the role of law-focused education in the social studies curriculum. Discusses four perceptions generally held in legal education programs: (1) law is important on the American scene; (2) the meaning, application, and impact of the law must be explored; (3) law plays a continuing role in dispute resolution; (4) law must be guided by…

The program description gives basic information on the one-year social studies course focusing on anthropology, designed primarily for intermediate-grade (4-6) students but applicable to secondary students. While the long range objective is for students to contemplate the nature of man and the forces that shape his humanity, some terminal…

Principles, objectives, methods, and materials for this elementary and secondary social science program are described in the booklet. Principles of this program are that social studies: is a body of knowledge to which all students should be exposed; should be taught with an interdisciplinary, conceptual, inquiry, problem-solving approach; ought to…

Impetus for curriculum change in the field of social studies stems from the increasing momentum of social change, together with new developments in the social sciences and new discoveries in learning theory. Principles which characterize the suggested program modifications include focus on concept formation, a multidisciplinary approach to…

The description provides information on the elementary social studies one-year program designed for use as the basis of curriculum or as a supplement to an existing program. A long term goal is for students to develop democratic human relations. Terminal objectives include affective and cognitive developments, helping students to understand the…

This final report submitted by the Committee on the Study of History at Hampshire College describes the Amherst Project, a research and development project devoted to fostering the newer inquiry approaches in the study of United States history. The project's main focus has been on secondary schools, but has also encompassed junior high and adult…

Self contained multi-media kits for grades 1 through 6 involve students directly in the learning process. Emphasis is on non-verbal learning which takes place when youngsters examine real objects and engage in learning activities. Involved in the discovery and inquiry process, students hypothesize, classify, and categorize. In an interdisciplinary…