Among the many demands made on secondary schools, none is more important than that of civic education. It has been said that "the wholesome development of the secondary school student cannot be considered aside from the school's obligation to train for American democracy." The American school exists to support the individual and the American way…

This mastery test is designed to accompany the introductory unit to the second-semester 12th-grade "Comparing Political Experiences" course. The 27-item multiple-choice test was developed by the National Evaluation Systems, Inc. in conjunction with the project directors to determine whether the unit objectives have been achieved. Since…

An introductory college course in American Government and Politics was designed to enhance the potential enjoyment of political participation, and to establish a national connection between policy, candidate, and value preferences. The participatory, issue-oriented course resulted in 88 percent general election turnout, 71 percent primary turnout,…

Suggests eight criteria for developing instructional materials and approaches to political education in elementary schools. These criteria include enabling children to see political influences in their daily lives, reflecting the diversity which is characteristic of American society, and reflecting the fact that children are becoming citizens of a…

Discusses the ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education (ERIC/ChESS). Identifies three trends pertaining to the teaching and learning of history, geography, and civics in elementary and secondary schools. Examines pertinent issues in each trend area, and states that through regular use of ERIC/ChESS resources, teachers can…

Provides a lesson plan for high school students which addresses how the electoral college elects the President and Vice President of the United States. The content of the lesson is divided into five interrelated parts which are distributed to separate groups of students. The students must share their group work to complete the lesson. (JDH)

Maintains that citizens in a democracy have a patriotic responsibility to speak out against policies with which they sincerely disagree. Lists examples of notable American dissenters, provides guidelines for responsible dissent, and presents the comments of three prominent citizens regarding the influence of common people on government policies.…

Provides 3 learning activities based on actual court cases which are designed to introduce students to the concept of judicial review, its limit and process. (JDH)

Briefly reviews the history of the judicial branch of the U.S. government. Maintains that the 1803 U.S. Supreme Court decision in "Marbury v. Madison" established the Court's authority to not only interpret the Constitution, but also to apply the Constitution to acts of other separate but equal branches of government. (JDH)

Provides a 49 item crossword puzzle which focuses on concepts and terminology related to the U.S. Supreme Court. (JDH)

A personal account of the author's efforts to reform and influence the teaching of social studies, this article reviews the philosophy underlying a number of curriculum projects developed in the 1960s and 1970s and maintains that drastic revisions of the traditional curriculum were ill-advised. Concludes with recommendations for research and…

Outlines a proposal whereby students between the ages of 16 and 26 would give two years of national service in the government agency of their choice or in the nonprofit private sector. The proposal would be especially useful, the author argues, for noncollege-bound high school students and dropouts. (JBM)

Both the classical humanist and modern social science approaches have much to contribute to civic education. Compartmentalized approaches should be renounced in favor of broader, integral, aggressive, and scholarly examinations of how education already embodies and broadcasts multiple models of the social world and conceptions of values. (PP)

Formal education in civics should not stop with high school but should continue in collegiate general education. As liberal individualism among faculty at research-oriented universities has flourished, education for citizenship has nearly vanished. (PP)

Public education in Minnesota must help students gain the knowledge and skills that are necessary to, in Thomas Jefferson's view, protect and maintain freedom. The Social Studies Standards in this document attempt to do just this by specifying the particular knowledge and skills that Minnesota students will be required to learn in the disciplines…