High school social studies teachers play an important role in fostering the civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions that students need to thrive after graduation. These efforts can also help counter Truth Decay--the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life. Although several factors, such as state standards and assessments,…

This book of essays offers an international perspective on how the concepts of war and peace develop in children and how, through overt teaching of conflict resolution and peacemaking skills in schools, a more peaceful world can be created. Following an introduction, the 14 essays in the book are grouped in 3 parts: (1) "Developmental…

Offers suggestions for using the "1896" website at Vassar College that includes 90 political cartoons, party platforms, candidate biographies, and other background materials on the election of 1896. Provides five approaches to teaching about the election that move beyond the basic facts of the campaign in order to develop students'…

Designed to be an integral part of the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course, this skills kit provides supplementary student activities for four documentary "Political Issues" units. The kit is divided into three sections on skills. The analytical skill section provides exercises on six analytical skills…

This teacher-oriented guide presents information and resources for use in increasing political literacy of K-12 social studies students. The main objective of the guide is to further civic literacy through increased knowledge and understanding of political structures and processes and of effective citizen participation. Emphasis is on helping…

The rationale, goals, curriculum components, instructional strategies, and curriculum development process of a two-semester, secondary-level political science course, "Comparing Political Experiences," are described in this paper. Developed as part of the High School Political Science Curriculum Project at Indiana University, the major…

This is the third unit to the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course which focuses on a specific, controversial, political issue. The unit analyzes the concept of political maintenance by studying the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) between 1918 and 1975 and its fight to secure mine safety standards. A documentary…

This teacher's guide to unit three of the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides specific objectives and instructional procedures for each of five activities that focus on the United Mine Workers of America (UWMA). In addition, the guide provides instructions for coordinating the use of the student book,…

The curriculum evaluation reviews content and teaching methods of various materials in civic and legal education. Twenty-one objectives of the Law in a Free Society project are identified and the adequacy of the materials reviewed to attain these objectives is discussed. Objectives include recognition of the following: (1) complexities of legal…

The unit supplement provides skill development activities for high school students in mass media techniques. It is intended to be used with a social studies curriculum unit entitled "Unit on Political Decision Making and Action Strategy Over a Local Environmental Problem," (ED 118 526). Teacher directions for using the supplement as a single unit…

This teacher's guide to unit 5 of the 12th-grade second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides specific objectives and instructional procedures for each of the five activities that focus on the case study of the Cummins Engine Company. In addition, the guide provides instructions for coordinating the use of the…

Unit two to the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course focuses on a specific controversial political issue: court-ordered busing in Boston. A documentary approach represents the core of instruction in this 12th-grade unit. This approach avoids lengthy narratives of a theoretical approach and yet is more in-depth than…

This teachers guide to unit two of the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides specific objectives and instructional procedures for each of the four student activities on the Boston busing controversy. In addition, the guide gives instruction for coordinating the use of the student materials, audiovisual…

This teacher's guide to unit four of the second-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides specific objectives and instructional procedures for each of five activities which focus on the smog problem in Riverside, California. In addition, the guide provides instructions for coordinating the use of the student text,…

This text presents high school students with up-to-date findings of social scientists about political behavior in order to increase their political knowledge and sophistication. Case studies which describe the various political activities of typical citizens and political leaders are used throughout the work. Simulations, games, political attitude…