Many young people live in communities with historically interesting buildings, and tours of those historical sites can reveal much about life in the past. Something that students often overlook in the analysis of historic sites is the civic values held by the people who lived there. The ideas of architecture cannot be divorced from the people or…

We make five over-time comparisons of student knowledge of civics and government: a) knowledge among 4th, 8th, and 11/12th graders between 1975/6 and 1998 using two separate NAEP trend assessments; b) knowledge over the same period by comparing responses to individual items asked in the 1975/6 and 1981/2 assessments to responses on identical…

This article details the conception and development of the American Democracy Project, a project conceived by a group of chief academic officers in order to address the rising level of bitter partisanship in national politics, the growing disenchantment of college students with political and civic life, and public colleges' and universities' loss…

William Galston posed two dilemmas about parental rights and education in "Liberal Purposes". The first of these arises from conflict between the proper ends of civic education in a liberal society and the values that some parents will want to honor in the way they rear their children; the second arises from conflict between how the basic…

In September 1999, over 3000 Australian students in 115 schools representing all schooling sectors participated in the Australian component of the IEA Civic Education study. In this paper, the focus in particular is on Australian students' democratic values and on their attitudes towards participation and social action. The results suggest that…

To gauge the civic knowledge and skills of the nation's 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students, an assessment has been scheduled for 2006 by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This assessment will enable NAEP to report on trends in civics achievement from 1998 to 2006. The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), NAEP's…

Arranged alphabetically for quick and easy access, this book is a one-stop guide to the U.S. presidency from its beginnings at the Constitutional Convention through its evolution to the modern presidency. Included in the book is information on all the presidents and vice presidents of the United States as well as selected First Ladies, powers of…

Exploring ways in which a successful worldwide civic culture can be achieved, this book stresses the need to stay rooted in local communities and traditions while cooperating with and respecting those whose lives follow other patterns. The first part of the book deals with the current state of worldwide civic culture, setting a context within…

This paper suggests that the concept of "democratic citizenship education" must be expanded and deepened. The conventional conception excludes the key ideas of the social and cultural dimensions of citizenship and the central tension of social life--unity/difference. The paper features the following areas: (1) "Essentially Contested Concepts"; (2)…

This instructor's guide assists secondary social studies educators in making effective use of the five-part video series, "That Delicate Balance II: Our Bill of Rights." In the tradition of "The Constitution: That Delicate Balance," the series introduces students to the Bill of Rights and the controversies that have arisen over…

This booklet explores the question of what the role and task of schools should be in facing the changes underway in educational systems throughout Europe. The school's tasks always been that of teaching, educating and preparing children for life in society. Ethical and moral standards has been seen as part of that task. This area is also very…

This book developed from a series of lectures under the auspices of Oxford University Press and the New York Public Library in 1992. Neither an academic nor an U.S. citizen, the writer examines the clouded issues of "political correctness"; "multiculturalism"; and the politicization of the arts. The book is divided into the following sections: (1)…

This book provides a reflective analysis of the effort since 1991 of a group of Polish and U.S. educators to develop civic education programs for schools and teachers in Poland. The book contains 13 chapters and three appendices. Chapters include: (1) "Principles of Democracy for the Education of Citizens in Former Communist Countries of…

"Update on the Courts," a resource for civic education, helps teach secondary school students about today's important Supreme Court and other judicial decisions, the legal issues involved, and the impact of the decisions on the students' lives. This issue features a lesson on copyright laws, a case overview and lesson on sexual…

This bibliography cites over 150 publications on citizenship theory. Sources, arranged alphabetically by author, include books, journal articles, essays, reports, conference papers, and periodicals from 1916--October 1996. (CB)