Proposes constructive ways for discussing controversial issues in the social studies classroom. Develops an educational goal and a rationale for controversial issues discussions. Explicates six strategies for addressing controversial values issues, and discusses the problem of whether the teacher should disclose their position. (SLM)

Describes research conducted on the organization of information from many disciplines to teach social issues raised by nuclear technology. States that the social sciences provided the organizational base for most courses examined, courses emphasized moral responsibility and political choice, and syllabi emphasized technological, strategic, and…

Briefly reports, defines, and classifies central questions and issues in moral education. Traces recent theoretical developments in moral philosophy and moral reasoning and relates these to education for democratic values. Concludes with a recommendation to apply these principles globally. (MJP)

Implementation of an electronic-mail track as one option within a four-year medical humanities curriculum was seen by participating students as more educational than lectures, "live" group discussions, problem-based exercises, and formal papers. Participants made gains in computer literacy, critical thinking about ethical and social…

Asserts that one of the most important goals of education should be to help students become responsible citizens who want to be informed about contemporary events. Recommends instructional techniques and current event issues to encourage student curiosity and involvement. Includes an annotated listing of teacher resources. (CFR)

Provides annotations for 11 documents concerned with teaching about the Bill of Rights and related issues. Includes details for obtaining these documents through the ERIC system and provides other bibliographic information. (CH)

This article explores the global education controversy by examining challenges made on three global education programs; discusses the implications of the challenges for teacher educators in preservice, inservice, and graduate programs; and presents practical suggestions to help teacher educators enhance the quality of the educational process. (SM)

The creator of an undergraduate course on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) argues that one must teach both risk reduction and awareness of the deeper political and social issues. Education should help students combat powerlessness by active involvement in AIDS efforts. The techniques include risk assessment, student journals, required…

Compares two instructional strategies, prompting and direct instruction, to determine which produces dialogical reasoning in written essays concerning controversial issues. Participants were 45 sixth graders. Finds both strategies equally productive and concludes that the emphasis should be on providing thought-provoking, issues-oriented social…

Teaches race relations to college students using visual materials. Uses three films, "Gone with the Wind,""Mississippi Burning," and "The White Dawn," to illustrate how films depict history inaccurately and to help students unlearn false images. Includes questions for classroom discussion of U.S. racist culture. (NL)

Experiments with active and cooperative learning techniques designed to develop critical thinking and writing skills in large introductory level sociology courses. Finds debate and essay writing effectively modify students' opinions on social issues and help students develop these skills. Notes ethical issues involved in teaching critical…

Describes the experiences of one high school class as they attempted to sort out the conflicting representations of Christopher Columbus. The students examined several textbooks and other histories. They then conducted a mock trial to determine if Columbus should be considered a criminal, a hero, or both. (MJP)

Reports on the initial stages of an ongoing action-research project in multicultural teacher education. Viewing curriculum as the creation of culturally significant domains for conversation, the project inquired into how a secondary English-methods course centered on issues of cultural diversity and emerging professional identities was taken up by…

As part of her Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education course, Therese McLaren was asked to imagine how issues the Social Contexts of Secondary Education class was reading about and discussing impact upon the work of teachers. To that end, students were asked to think deeply about one of the topics addressed in the semester, and to frame a…

The American way of life rests on a foundation of rational thought and civil behavior. Simply put, the strength of America depends on its culture--the set of beliefs, values, and behavioral norms to which most citizens adhere. Most educators have always viewed schooling for character and citizenship as a fundamental purpose of public education.…