A newsletter provides legal background and guidelines for celebrating religious holidays in the classroom. Material is divided into separate sections discussing the First Amendment, Supreme Court decisions regarding public schools and religious observances, specific "establishment clause" cases, specific "free exercise clause"…

The United States Supreme Court has to date decided four major cases dealing with curricula or the rights of students. The Court (1) declared unconstitutional a law that prohibited instruction in evolutionary theory, (2) upheld the right of students in school to express their views on controversial subjects, (3) extended protection under the…

Designed to be incorporated in the secondary social studies curriculum, this teacher-developed learning module focuses on the issue of racism. The objectives include student definition and identification of racism and formulation of ideas and strategies to resolve the problem. The packet includes a teacher to student introduction of the unit and…

This publication consists of a nuclear energy assessment battery for secondary level students. The test contains 44 multiple choice items and is organized into four major sections. Parts include: (1) a knowledge scale; (2) attitudes toward nuclear energy; (3) a behaviors and intentions scale; and (4) an anxiety scale. Directions are provided for…

The values that are the foundations of the democratic system should be defined, taught, learned, and then put into action in the classroom. The issues associated with teaching values are so complex and controversial that many schools avoid dealing with them. These issues include: (1) teaching about religion; (2) teaching about citizenship and…

Historical, sociological, or dramatistical methodologies can be used to study social movements; however, the dramatistical approach is most useful in a course on the rhetoric of the gay liberation. More suited to examining a completed period, the historical approach has difficulty capturing a contemporary movement. Sociological methodology, which…

Classroom teachers are presented with a rationale and general information for teaching about controversial issues. Following an introduction, material is arranged in six sections under topical questions. The first section considers educational and social benefits of teaching about controversy. Motivation, application of social studies content and…

Among the various attempts to identify the social roots of antifeminism, two theories in particular are prominent. The first argues that for both men and women, anti-abortion and anti-Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) sentiments have disproportionate appeal among lower socio-economic status, rural, and older constituencies. The second asserts that for…

The two general concepts of how living organisms originated are defined: namely, common ancestry evolution and the abrupt appearance of completed organisms on earth. The fossil record is examined from the deepest first fossil-bearing rocks to the top of the geologic column. Evidence obtained from fossil museums is presented so students can…

Students must make decisions about their lifestyle, future careers, academic pursuits, and classroom and school issues. Learning to make effective decisions for themselves and for society is an important aspect of competence. They can learn decision making through interacting and solving problems with others. A central ingredient for successful…

This booklet, one of a series intended to apply economic principles to major social and political issues of the day, focuses on the relationship between growth of the money supply, growth of productivity, and inflation. Provided first is a definition of inflation along with discussions of price indexes, the value of money, and the concept of…

In the 1960's Max Rafferty, a conservative California teacher, principal, and superintendent of public instruction, expressed many ideas which the New Right has been able to put into effect in the 1980's. The influence of political and religious conservatives is seen in movements for public school prayer; advancing private over public education…

Nationwide surveys were administered to public administrators and librarians at the building and district levels in public elementary and secondary schools, and mail and phone surveys of textbook officers in the 22 states with statewide adoption procedures, to gather data on challenges to library and instructional materials. Specific information…

This paper gives a brief history of the Reverend Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority campaign against humanism in public school education. The document describes the successful textbook evaluation strategies of Mel and Norma Gabler of Texas, on which Dr. Falwell relies heavily, and lists 20 organizations protesting textbooks, library books, and…

Describes McCloud's efforts to improve coverage of the Vietnam War in the junior high school curriculum. Presents answers to the question "What do you think are the most important things for today's junior high students to understand about the Vietnam War?" from people such as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Tom Hayden, and Robert S.…