Based on the experiences of Hiroshima, Japan, observations are made concerning the need for social studies educators to address questions of improving the quality of human life in the face of diminishing resources, global pollution, and the threat of nuclear war. Calls for education that is based on cooperatively lived experiences. (KO)

Identifies issues arising from the inclusion of sex education in the school curriculum. Issues range from the questions of content and organization to those concerning teaching based upon moral considerations. Examines the primary school and the secondary school's curriculum. Calls for a program that is realistically tailored to the needs of…

A study of 110 first-year University of Virginia medical students taking a required course in medical ethics found that the curriculum had little effect on student attitudes toward certain ethical questions or on their factual knowledge regarding particular ethical and legal issues. (Author/MSE)

In reader responses to a previous article, it is suggested that cultural content is less important than the method by which material is presented to students; McCarthy argues that students must be free to develop good evaluative thinking. (two references) (LB)

Explains the motives behind the production of educational materials based on interactive methodologies (role-playing) and to present it to inservice teachers during updating courses. Observations of the didactic effect of the proposals and on the importance of encouraging a change in the teachers' way of thinking are presented. (LZ/Author)

Legal and educational aspects of the debate over religious expression entering the college classroom are examined, particularly as they relate to inclusion of creationism into science instruction. It is concluded that the central question is not whether creationism is religious, but whether it is true, and that truth benefits from open debate over…

Describes and discusses an epistemological approach to the education of science teachers that emphasizes similarities in knowledge and modes of acquiring knowledge among children, scientists in their historical contexts, and student teachers. (ZWH)

Reflects on the teaching of college courses that examine multicultural issues. Suggests that tensions and emotions over controversial topics are heightened in the classroom by the physical presence of discussion participants. Proposes various ways that teachers can defuse potential conflicts and make classroom discussion of multicultural topics…

Interviews with 11 white and black faculty members in 4 social work schools examined strategies used to ease personal discomfort when teaching about racial oppression, extent to which content and terminology about racial oppression were used, student attitudes, and reactions of other faculty and administrators. (SV)

Provides lists of historical works dealing with the Columbian quincentenary. Includes publications about Christopher Columbus, the Mediterranean in the late fifteenth century, the spirit of exploration of the period, pre-Columbian America and its societies, and the impact of European contact with America. Urges a broad teaching approach to…

Presents results of a study of school administrators to determine support for the responsibility of social studies teachers to deal with controversial issues. Examines the influence of administrators on teacher decisions. Concludes that expressed support for dealing with controversial issues and critical thinking may appear more substantive than…

In the current conservative climate of higher education, questioning students' political beliefs is imperative for a real democratization of knowledge. Oppositional pedagogy pressures the assumptions of the existing system--the dominant knowledges and institutional and social arrangements derived from them--and enables students to change their…

Describes a class project involving citation verification generated by a student's skepticism of the accuracy of a text. Emphasizes the importance of spontaneity and student interest in the success of such a project. Urges teachers to be alert for a spontaneous, student generated challenge to the credibility of texts in use. (DK)

Presents a unit on evolution and creation theories in which students explore the legal issues surrounding the teaching of evolution and creation in biology. Students write preliminary essays, study conflict resolution techniques, and conduct a moot trial of the Scopes case of 1925. A course outline is provided. (MDH)

The "hot potato technique" (HPT) is described as an effective way to engage high school English-language students in class discussions. HPT involves using newspapers and magazines to stimulate participation. (LB)