The purpose of this study is to provide the best possible learning environment for K-8 English Learners (ELs) in social studies content suggested by ESL teachers and school administrators in North Carolina. ESL teachers and school administrators share their perceptions of best practices and strategies that have been effective in addressing the…

A successful middle school team of teachers employed effective middle level philosophy to structure a curriculum around themes that were relevant, challenging, integrative, and engaging for their particular students and community. Realizing that their young adolescents were involved in tough, delicate issues in their out-of-school lives, the…

This study documented curriculum decisions made by an eighth grade social studies teacher as he prepared students for their high-stakes test. When considering how to best meet students' needs, the teacher described tensions between the pressures of standards and testing and his commitment to cultural responsiveness. Perceptions about these…

Discusses future implementation of a pilot course using computers to develop social studies skills. Specifically focuses on student use of databases for developing concepts and problem-solving skills. Maintains that computers will influence not so much what is taught, as how it is presented. (TRS)

Proposes discarding conventional history and geography classes and including community involvement and social studies courses that speak to the personal needs of students and assist them in grappling with contemporary political and economic problems. (Author/MLF)

This literature/research review was conducted to provide information to guide future work on the Western Canadian Protocol Social Studies K-12 Project and reflects the researchers' perspectives on topics and subjects reviewed. The review represents a broad synthesis of relevant research and literature in the key areas identified, not an exhaustive…

This paper relates pedagogical reasons for students not knowing what educators think they should know about social studies. In the past and the present, those who have sought to redress this discrepancy have generally placed more emphasis on changing the formal curriculum than on changing the method, even though the formal curricula have limited…

Five social studies leaders react to the social roles proposal of Project SPAN. Seven key, interrelated social roles are delineated as an approach to teaching social studies. Engle states that SPAN ignores the problem of definition; Patrick and Ratliff find the conclusions challenging; Shaver sees the proposals as regressive; and Helburn discusses…

The 60's was not a period of innovation in social studies curriculum. The profession demonstrated little conviction as to the function and potential of social studies in general education; rather, it responded to "what others wanted done." The social studies were discipline oriented, dominated by the scientific method (inquiry and discovery) and…

Simply put, human rights education is learning that develops the knowledge, skills, and values of human rights. Growing consensus around the world recognizes education for and about human rights as essential. It can contribute to the building of free, just, and peaceful societies. Human rights education also is increasingly recognized as an…

This curriculum framework informs the development of the Western Canadian Protocol Social Studies (K-12) Common Curriculum Framework for Francophone students in a minority setting. Most of the information presented in the framework is drawn from three unpublished documents (in French) that can be consulted at the Alberta Learning Library…

Suggests curriculum changes in the social studies to prepare students for responsible and effective participation in a global age. Teachers should emphasize that the United States plays a large role in world affairs, introduce new issues in world politics, and address the issues of world peace and human rights. (Author/KC)

Discusses reasons for declining interest in world history courses and suggests guidelines for reversing the decline. World history must concentrate on main themes and problems, be real to students, and be organized from a global perspective. Students should be encouraged to empathize with the history of their fellow human beings. (Author/KC)

The population of American schools has continually become more diverse over time and so too have the needs of the students as well as the responsibilities of teachers. One must include in this multicultural amalgam those who have learning disabilities (LD). Arguably, nowhere else in society are disabilities so openly recognized and acknowledged as…

A social studies curriculum to help learners become national decision makers with regard to human behavior and social interaction is being developed using a seven point model for curricular/instructional revision. (ND)