Our current political situation and the demographic realities of our country require Political Science educators to be more intentional about integrating Asian Pacific American (APA) histories and experiences in the Political Science curriculum. By including the multifaceted ways in which APAs have and continue to participate in American civil…

Instead of piling on one new reform fad after another, here at last is a book that boils down solutions for improved schools to the most powerful, simple actions and structures that ensure you prepare all students for college, careers, and citizenship. Best-selling ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) author and renowned…

America's sense of community is broken down; its sense of connectedness and the collective is "collapsing." That these senses ever existed is a matter for considerable debate. But, as the new millennium gains momentum and neoliberalism seeks expansion, the author argues that a focus on rekindling these concepts of community,…

Discusses to what degree an issue of the moment should be allowed to push aside a disciplined, reasoned pursuit of the announced goals of a course. (Author/PG)

Authors stress the need of students to know more human beings and to know more about human beings; and they list several ideas for the study of current events. (GB)

The major goal of social studies education is to provide students with the skills and knowledge essential for effective participation in society. As a supplement to more traditional social studies material, newspapers can help students make the connection between the classroom and real life. The social studies activities suggested in this guide…

In most school settings, textbooks, which can be static and frequently outdated, are the major source of instruction about societal and science issues. Educators, however, want students to be less reliant on the static, sometimes dated, information and didactic instructions found in those books and to be more active in gathering their own…

National Public Radio's educational staff is experimenting with radio in the classroom by dramatizing the issues of the Afghan crisis in an audiodisc presentation mailed to teachers around the country. The article includes samples of dialogue from the tape, student opinions, and why radio is the medium used. (CT)

The idea of using newspapers in education is not a new one; in fact, recorded references go back as far as the 1890s. During the first half of the 20th century educators and newspaper people increased the awareness of how current materials could maintain an important place in the school curriculum. Influential publications during this period…

Describes an upper-level undergraduate psychology course in which students applied psychological research to contemporary social issues. Students presented two reports on a controversial issue: one based on media reports and the other based on their own research. Reports that the experience gave students a better understanding of the strengths and…

Teacher education programs of U.S. universities hold great potential for promoting new ways of thinking about the formation of a united Germany and its future role in Europe. These programs are important because they influence teacher candidates as to how they will teach about the New Europe. Three recommendations are offered to expand the…

Presented in this document is a report of an innovative approach to social studies through the use of newspapers in the classrooms in Canada. Topic Today is a one-page newspaper of current affairs geared to grades 6 through 8, but applicable to secondary grades, developed to make available resources of current affairs found in regular newspapers…

Notes that there is a rich literature within social studies education promoting the teaching of controversial issues. Observes that, despite this, teachers continue to be cautious, only giving controversies a token nod in curricula. Suggests four reasons why controversial content continues to be difficult for teachers to implement. (DSK)

This document suggests that the main purpose of the study of current affairs in the social studies program in Alberta, Canada, is to add relevance, interest, and immediacy. It defines current affairs as the study of news events presented by the media. Because the study of current affairs must be tied to the achievement of social studies…