This curriculum is designed to assist Catholic school teachers and parish catechists in their efforts to foster a pro-life attitude in students in grades 9-12. Following an introduction is the curriculum, which features six lessons. These are: (1) The miracle of human life; (2) Responsible parenthood versus abortion; (3) Abortion is no solution;…

This curriculum is designed to assist Catholic school teachers and parish catechists in their efforts to foster a pro-life attitude in students in grades 5 and 6. Following an introduction is the curriculum, which features six lessons. These are: (1) The miracle of life around us; (2) Respect for all life; (3) The miracle of human life; (4)…

Historical, sociological, or dramatistical methodologies can be used to study social movements; however, the dramatistical approach is most useful in a course on the rhetoric of the gay liberation. More suited to examining a completed period, the historical approach has difficulty capturing a contemporary movement. Sociological methodology, which…

Classroom teachers are presented with a rationale and general information for teaching about controversial issues. Following an introduction, material is arranged in six sections under topical questions. The first section considers educational and social benefits of teaching about controversy. Motivation, application of social studies content and…

Presents a secondary level teaching unit on the role of rogues and entrepreneurs in Indiana and Florida from World War I through the 1920s. The unit helps students recognize the continuing struggle to maintain basic constitutional freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and religion. Discusses ways to develop the unit and includes a list of…

Issues teachers should consider before introducing the subject of nuclear arms into classroom teaching are raised, and tips for dealing with this sensitive subject are given. Sources of curriculum materials are listed, and problems with prepackaged curricula are pointed out. (PP)

Suggests instructional strategies for biology teachers confronted with creationism in the classroom and ways of dealing with the literal view of the public regarding the Bible. Supporting documentation (such as Christian ideas supporting scientific spirit and inquiry and definitions of the earth) is included in appendices. (JN)

Provides a brief quiz to test one's understanding of academic freedom. Reviews several court cases on teachers and academic freedom, highlighting the actions of the school, and outcomes of the cases. Includes suggestions for teachers for examining controversial issues in the classroom while accounting for the needs of all involved. (CMK)

Identifies issues arising from the inclusion of sex education in the school curriculum. Issues range from the questions of content and organization to those concerning teaching based upon moral considerations. Examines the primary school and the secondary school's curriculum. Calls for a program that is realistically tailored to the needs of…

Explains the motives behind the production of educational materials based on interactive methodologies (role-playing) and to present it to inservice teachers during updating courses. Observations of the didactic effect of the proposals and on the importance of encouraging a change in the teachers' way of thinking are presented. (LZ/Author)

Reflects on the teaching of college courses that examine multicultural issues. Suggests that tensions and emotions over controversial topics are heightened in the classroom by the physical presence of discussion participants. Proposes various ways that teachers can defuse potential conflicts and make classroom discussion of multicultural topics…

A year ago, an upstate New York college withdrew a speaking invitation to Wade Churchill, a University of Colorado professor who had characterized 9/11 victims as "little Eichmanns." Churchill's portrayal of 9/11 victims as a mixture of conscious and unwitting participants in a systemic evil of Holocaust proportions indeed was…

The racially tinged Confederate flag debate in South Carolina is viewed as a signifier of more popular struggles over the representation of "southern heritage" and under girds the social studies unit described in this paper. The unit was designed to teach the curriculum from a popular cultural, issues-oriented perspective using critical…

Today's fixation on math and literacy testing makes it tough for social studies teachers to deliver a challenging curriculum. But you can overcome those constraints and prepare students to actively participate in a democratic society with the ideas from this new volume in our "Priorities in Practice" series. Firsthand accounts from talented and…

This study explores pre-service elementary school teachers' understandings of evolutionary science and their feelings and concerns about teaching evolution in Canadian elementary schools. Data were collected through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Most participants reported acceptance of evolution as a scientifically factual…