Like many who entered the teaching profession in the 1970s, the author entered a profession that was in transition. Over the more than 30 years she spent in the classroom, the author has had a front row seat during this evolution. It has been a roller coaster ride at times, but she believes our schools will emerge stronger for it. Who we teach,…

Getting students involved in the process of inquiry takes much more than pointing out a problem, offering sources, and setting them on their way. Fortunately, there are a number of teaching strategies that can be instrumental in engaging students in the process of inquiry. As a teacher of world history in the seventh grade, House of Avalon, at…

Students often report that social studies is their most boring and least favorite subject. As a child, Woodrow Wilson was bored by history, later describing his early studies as "one damn fact after another." Of course, Wilson went on to become an eminent historian, but only after he learned to reach beyond the "closed catechism" of "questions…

A framework for teaching critical thinking skills is presented, and specific strategies that can be used at key places in this framework are outlined. The framework requires that teachers employ direct, systematic instruction in critical thinking skills prior to, during, and following student introduction to these skills. (RM)

In light of the goal of the Social Studies, the development of good citizens, the author explores the character of a necessary and sufficient" social studies program and its relationship to the Social Sciences. (JB)

This article describes in detail how the inquiry teacher performs in the classroom and what the possible alternatives in the process are. The major goal is to clarify the components of inquiry teaching and to indicate the exact junctures where major decisions need to be made. The operations subsumed under instructional decision are spelled out and…

This position statement by the National Council for the Social Studies establishes standards for selection, preparation, and assignment of teachers. It indicates teacher responsibilities in the teaching-learning process and in the relationships which the teacher has with students, community, and profession. (VW)

Presents a strategy for using oral history in the classroom and includes steps involved in an oral history project. Provides examples of an oral history project about discrimination focusing on the experiences of Latin American women. Includes teaching suggestions. (CMK)

Provides an introduction to the Serious-Fun model. Describes how it can be applied to social studies at the middle school level. Addresses some barriers that could undermine the model's application and ways for making social studies more interesting and relevant to students. Lists different activities according to Bloom's taxonomy. (CMK)

Compares inquiry teaching practices with the more recent classroom approaches generated by scholarship on women and feminist theory. Develops the concept of feminist pedagogy and illustrates its practice in a unit on western settlement from a United States history course. (JDH)

Focuses on the use of classroom discussions as a teaching strategy and addresses the barriers to good classroom discussions. Explores the work of two teachers who successfully integrated discussion into their classrooms using two different techniques: (1) a seminar; and (2) a deliberation. Discusses the differences between seminars and…

Discusses the major global trends that citizens of the new millennium must address and why critics question globalization. Asserts that a new conception of "citizen" is required, describing a form of citizenship education called multidimensional citizenship. Considers how to provide schools that are centers of citizen education. (CMK)

Cites numerous research studies stating that the textbook remains the dominant tool in social studies, causing a low regard for the subject by many students. Looks at reading research to provide instructional procedures that social studies teachers can employ to enhance students' understanding of the written materials they encounter. (KO)

A multiethnic interdisciplinary model for teaching the Bicentennial is proposed. A short synopsis of the role of blacks and Indians in the Revolution is included. (JR)

Focuses on the problem in labeling children "at risk" because it may be detrimental to their futures. Provides examples of two middle school social studies teachers who have adapted their teaching to meet the needs of all classroom learners by getting to know each student personally. (CMK)