What distinguishes students' sense-making of the past from historians' thinking is that historians know how to determine the validity of competing truth claims, a rather complex intellectual skill that requires a sophisticated set of heuristics and strategies. One way to help students learn how to determine the validity of competing truth claims…

The purpose of this book is to explore what happens--and what can happen--in the higher education, and even secondary school, classroom when course content meets or collides with students' religious beliefs. It also considers the impact on learning in an environment where students may feel threatened, angry, misunderstood, or in which they feel…

This study examines how student practice of scientific argumentation using socioscientific bioethics issues affects both teacher expectations of students' general performance and student confidence in their own work. When teachers use bioethical issues in the classroom students can gain not only biology content knowledge but also important…

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…

One reason for a lack of religious literacy among undergraduates and members of society at large is the virtual absence of religion in high school textbooks. Thirty high school textbooks approved for use in North Carolina in the fields of United States and world history, economics, home economics, and biology were reviewed. The review revealed the…

This guide offers answers to questions parents may have about discussing the Persian Gulf War with their children. The following questions are among those chosen: Should children watch programs about the War in the Persian Gulf? Won't it just scare children more if we talk about it? How can I listen to my children in the most effective and helpful…

In recent years, it increasingly has been recognized that schools must change in basic ways if children are to be educated so that they are prepared to live in a peaceful world. This recognition has been expressed in a number of interrelated movements: "cooperative learning,""conflict resolution," and "education for…

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidance in designing and implementing law-related education (LRE) awareness and staff development sessions for the Law Related Education National Training and Dissemination Program. It assists in explaining the rationale and essential characteristics of LRE and guides the user in discussing the benefits of…

The question of human origin has always been disputed by evolution theorists. This book provides a comprehensive survey of the debates over human evolution from the time of Darwin to the 1940s. Part 1 discusses the early controversies, noting that they focused on philosophical issues rather than causes or details of the evolutionary process. A…

During a time when the values in society are changing, knowledge is rapidly expanding, technology is changing, and the use of science and technology is increasing, there is a need to review the role and nature of a biology program for the schools. Such a review was conducted by the K-12 Science Working Party of the Manitoba Department of…

Designed as supplementary reading in American government or social studies courses, this compilation of articles is intended to help students gain a better understanding of the judiciary's role in the Illinois legal system. The first of three sections contains articles about judges and the court system. The second section examines the criminal…

This guide explains how and why the videotapes, "There's a Nuclear War Going On Inside Me" and "What Soviet Children Are Saying about Nuclear Weapons," were made and provides background information and activities that will aid in using the tapes. Chapters I and III contain interviews with producers of the videotapes. Topics are…

The purpose of this booklet is to clarify what can be taught about religion in public schools while remaining within constitutional guidelines and using teaching material that is pedagogically sound. The first section, "Religion is a Fact of Life," covers the historical background, the current situation, and issues to resolve in teaching about…

Elementary and secondary teachers and parents can use these resource materials to educate students about the issues related to war and peace. There are three major parts. The first part discusses how to implement a "day of dialogue," during which the dangers of nuclear war are examined. Included are tips on how to organize, meet resistance, and…

In this booklet, one of a series intended to apply economic principles to major social and political issues of the day, an analogy is drawn between the dire predictions once made about the energy crisis and those now being made about a budget crisis. Concerns about the deficit have centered on inflation, interest rates, and growth of the economy.…