States that the Founders' legacy is our well-modeled government which is limited by law to protect the life, liberty, and property of individuals. Reviews some of the Founding Fathers' thoughts regarding the proper role and structure of our government. Advocates improved citizenship education and introduces the theme articles in this issue. (JDH)

This California examination teacher guide provides essential information and preparation guidelines for teachers and serves as an instructional aid in the classroom. The guide deals with the disciplines of economics, government/civics, and United States history. Each discipline area is divided into five main sections: (1) "Test Content"…

This paper--part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002--addresses social forces that affect the school curriculum regarding legal rights of public-school students. It identifies areas of concern and recommends methods for ensuring that the legal rights of students are…

Viewed as a first step in the development of a consensus framework for the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in civic education, this paper focuses on the major questions that should be considered in designing a civics assessment. The paper aims to bring major questions of designing a civic education assessment tool to the…

Thirteen authors reflect on different ideas of communitarianism and citizenship and on the ways those ideas find application in the fields of education, politics, and social welfare. Looking beyond communitarian ideology, the volume offers a more detailed discussion of citizenship in contemporary society. The essays are: (1) "Beyond…

This brochure presents highlights from "What Democracy Means to Ninth-Graders: U.S. Results from the International IEA Civic Education Study," a report that analyzes the U.S. results of the 1999 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study, Phase 2. The study was designed to assess…

Ethics and social responsibility are the subject of both curriculum materials and research in adult and vocational education. State academic standards and curriculum frameworks address citizenship and personal and social responsibility. Ethical and legal issues for specific occupations are addressed in curricula issued by states, professional…

The lessons in this handbook are multidisciplinary, integrating social, legal, economic, and political content presented in new and thought-provoking ways. The lessons may be used in existing courses for grades 8 and 9 or in creating an interdisciplinary course focusing on civic education. The lessons are entitled: (1) "'More Than Just a Set of…

In this high school U.S. government and U.S. history curriculum unit, students examine in depth the establishment of the state of Israel. Detailed activities are provided to teach students about the role of the United States in the creation of the nation of Israel. The materials include informational handouts for students, background information…

The hypothesis that enhanced knowledge of assessment rubrics by teachers and thus by students results in improved student achievement was studied in the context of the development of mandatory high school assessments for the Maryland State Department of Education. Rubrics were under development to score constructed-response items in the content…

During the month of December, 1914, representatives of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce conferred with the Commissioner of Education in Washington concerning the possibility of a survey of the San Francisco public school system under the direction of the Bureau of Education. At that time the Commissioner of Education drafted a statement of…

How shall a project be organized so that the subjects in the school program shall properly function and shall contribute to the effective working out of the central idea around which the project must concentrate? How shall an untrained teacher be able to formulate her subject matter in terms of projects unless she understands the function of each…

Criticizes the assumption that citizenship education is the defining mission of social studies. Cogently analyzes the defects of this argument, including a lack of related scholarship, inconsistent application from the schools, and little evidence of positive benefits. Proposes a curriculumwide integration of citizenship education. (MJP)

Provides a historical overview of the activities designed to standardize and/or improve civics education. Briefly reviews reform movements, guidelines, and educational studies contributed by private institutions or the government. Lists the eight objectives for political science developed by the Committee on Pre-Collegiate Education in 1971. (MJP)

Presents a learning activity encouraging students to obtain a greater understanding of the relationship between symbols and the apparent dimensions of political phenomena. Students design symbols to represent objects, activities, issues, or meanings. Includes a list of student symbolic representations of law and justice issues. (MJP)