This paper presents findings from a longitudinal study that examined the extent and types of challenges to curriculum in California school districts. A survey of school districts conducted in 1990 yielded 421 usable responses. The second survey, sent in 1991, elicited 379 responses, a 37.5 percent response rate. Findings indicate that the number…

This paper identifies five difficulties in teaching the analysis of social problems, and proffers "mind maps," a concept that refers to the ways in which students create a visual representation of their thinking patterns, as a possible solution. In constructing mind maps, especially for a Social Problems course, the following four steps…

In the past few years many movies have addressed social issues such as AIDS, parental estrangement, aging, battered women and children, and racism. Teachers of teenagers can capitalize on these kinds of serious films in two ways: by assuming that students have thought about some serious issues and by building on that assumption. Three movies of…

Because it has been overworked, underanalyzed, and undefined, critical thinking has come to mean anything or nothing. The best work on critical thinking imagines it as an act of composing and revising. Definitions of critical thinking have undergone a historical evolution--from general problem-solving "skills" to a complex of…

A study examined curriculum decision-making in the classrooms of accomplished teachers of English in grades 9 through 12, focusing on aspects of structure, content, and ways of knowing and doing that combined to create a sense of a "curriculum" rather than a series of disconnected lessons. Four classrooms were studied each semester for…

Designed for educators of children in kindergarten through grade six, this resource guide provides activities related to the concepts of peace and conflict. The activities are not, for the most part, sequenced and can be used singly to introduce concepts or to supplement other lessons. The activities also can be grouped into a unit of study, and…

This paper discusses the issues that should be addressed in an undergraduate course dealing with the psychosocial implications of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). These issues are: (1) the medical aspects of HIV infection and transmission; (2) death and dying versus life and living; (3) homosexuality; (4) intravenous drug use; (5)…

Designed for a minimum amount of teacher supervision, this guide consists of introductory practice and evaluative activities for teaching secondary school students about critical judgment. A sample grade ladder and calendar help students self-schedule and keep track of their grade and points. The activity unit is preceded by a teacher rationale,…

The focus of the curriculum in the elementary schools today is on reading, writing, and mathematics, an emphasis reinforced by state competency testing programs. This trend is lamented by science and social studies educators who argue that one of the major goals of today's education should be to produce citizens who are technologically literate.…

The issues of reproductive choice and domination of women through the use of reproductive technologies have placed feminists at odds with the medical profession and consumers. Inspired by the Feminist International Network of Resistance to Reproductive and Genetic Engineering (FINRRAGE), this collection of 21 essays advances a critical analysis of…

A rationale for skeptical and controversial teaching about world economics is presented by maintaining that the nature of economics is controversial and that ideology and nationalism are dominant obstacles in economics education. Following an introduction, the first of six sections discusses major stereotypes and perceptions in economics. The next…

The University of Minnesota organized a conference ("Evolution and Public Education," December 5, 1981) to help clarify issues in the creation/evolution controversy and to examine arguments of the proponents of scientific creationism. This six-part book, a revised version of a resource manual compiled for the conference: (1) discusses the theory…

A study was conducted: (1) to determine the proportion of average 6th-grade students who, when given prompts, could produce an incipient form of dialectical reasoning; and (2) to test a unit of instruction developed to teach dialectical reasoning as an appropriate learning strategy for exploring public controversies. It was hypothesized that if…

Information and a framework that permits teachers to plan and initiate a successful sex education program for students with mental disabilities is provided. A major aspect of sex education should be its focus on social relationships, emotions, choice-making, and responsibilities to self and others. Sex education should not be viewed as a…

The "Participation in Government" course is intended to be a culminating activity for social studies students in New York State high schools. Designed to have students apply prior knowledge in the determination of positions regarding vital public issues, the course is particularly crucial for non-regents students, for it will, in many…