A recent report, "Educating Democracy: State Standards to Ensure a Civic Core," was issued by the Albert Shanker Institute of the American Federation of Teachers. This report comparatively analyzes and evaluates the standards for the teaching and learning of civics which state-level departments of education in the United States have…

The court system touches the lives of many children in the school system, some through divorce, and others through their own illegal behavior. Principals and administrators need to infuse a functional knowledge of the legal system so that these children will be better able to cope and deal with life events that cause them to be placed in contact…

This report evaluates a project undertaken in the Czech Republic to create lesson scenarios to revise the existing social studies curricular framework for the third form of secondary school (ages 17-18) with special reference to the overarching objectives for civic education reform started in 1989. These objectives included the elimination of…

Talking with others, especially people with different viewpoints, about matters of public and common concern is a basic pro-democracy skill and act. For that reason, teaching young people how to participate more effectively in discussions of controversial public issues (CPI) has long been a major goal of social studies educators. In most social…

Ways of enhancing knowledge of political institutions, processes and positions are the focus of many prescriptions for improving civic education and civic engagement among young people. A recent data source including a rigorously developed test of knowledge, provides an opportunity to empirically compare the performance of students in the United…

Viewing all students as potential voters, the author asserts the need for including political education in school curricula and suggests the viability, as well as form, of its inclusion. (JH)

The Bureau of Indian Affairs' responsibility in protecting the interests of the American Indians is explained. (FF)

Two major programs that emphasize the learning process, The Intergroup Relations Curriculum for K-6 pupils, and the High School Social Studies Program are analyzed. (SM)

Project 18 is a course developed to encourage student involvement in the political system. It attempts to teach the importance of an active, concerned citizenry for the democratic process. (Author)

The Woodbury materials center around a mock election in a hypothetical community. Students are given background data of the sort astute and active political campaign personnel would ferret out. A statistical outcome rpovides the students a means of evaluating the effectiveness of their strategy as the game progresses. (JB)

Part of an eight article review of "Student Involvement .

Americans are cynical about their ability to effect changes through the political process and this cynicism increases in times of economic distress. "Civic education" in schools, which instills and reinforces civic values, knowledge, and skills such as communication and information processing, can help to rectify this situation. (AOS)

Describes the rationale and objectives which define the relationship between content and skills of the Civic Education Social Studies Curriculum. The curriculum is a project of the Carnegie-Mellon Education Center in cooperation with five Pittsburgh and two Bakersfield, California high schools. (KC)