This paper consists of preliminary notes for a lecture on the commonalities between the history of constitution-making in the Republic of Mexico and the United States. The paper discusses the first Mexican Constitution of 1824 and notes that Mexico has had many different constitutions. It also notes that, despite the U.S. and Mexican shared…

These social studies content standards for the state of Ohio provide a set of clear and rigorous expectations for all students in grades K-12. The seven standards clearly define a balanced program of knowledge and skills necessary for active citizenship. The seven standards are: (1) "Content Standards History"; (2) "People in…

This document defines what Kansas students should know and be able to accomplish in civics--government, economics, geography, and history. The document focuses on knowledge and skills related to the human experience and is intended as a framework for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and teacher preparation. In democratic societies, a working…

In a recent survey sponsored jointly by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement and the Council for Excellence in Government, several questions regarding young people's attitudes towards civic education and community service requirements were asked. These included questions asking if students were favorable or…

Like no other region on the globe, the Caribbean Basin has served as a testing ground for U.S. foreign policy. Of all the countries in the region, Cuba has been the scene of many of the United States' most riveting foreign policy dramas. The teacher resource book and student text probe the complex, often troubled, relationship between the United…

This annotated bibliography offers resources for teaching the social studies for grades 7 through 12. Subject areas include: (1) grade 7 - culture of Canada and Japan, as well as multicultural and bilingual Canada; (2) grade 8 - the geography of Canada, the United States, and the case of Brazil in South America; (3) grade 9 - economic perspectives…

Working with postmodern ideas, this book questions the search to define and measure quality in the early childhood field and its tendency to reduce philosophical issues of value to purely technical and managerial issues of expert knowledge and measurement. The book argues that there are ways other than the "discourse of quality" for…

This teacher's training guide is the companion volume to "Sytemes politiques et economiques," to help high school students learn about political and economic systems. Divided into seven sections, section 1 offers directions and suggestions on how to use the student volume including how to utilize the cartoon drawings that accompany the…

This lesson plan imagines the student as part of a delegation to a special meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-sponsored Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council being held in Brussels, Belgium, where the topic of discussion is a proposal by several NATO members to invite independent republics of the former Soviet Union to become…

In this lesson plan, students role play members of the Cabinet of the President of the United States. Cabinet members must define and defend their highest priority programs for the coming fiscal year. Students must identify a pressing current issue before their particular Cabinet department and prepare an action plan, with possible alternative…

This teacher resource text and student text are part of a continuing series on current and historical international issues, placing special emphasis on the importance of educating students in their participatory role as citizens. It examines the relationship between public policy in the United States and the ecological health of the planet.…

This book presents a variety of social studies activities for elementary students. The activities are divided into broad social science disciplines but can be adapted to an interdisciplinary format. The activities are wide-ranging in ability level and complexity but can be modified to fit any teaching need. Each activity follows the same format…

This lesson presents an overview of the origin and procedure of the Independent Counsel Statute enacted in 1978 by the U.S. Congress. The lesson explains that the statute was drafted to eliminate the conflict of interest that might arise when the Department of Justice is ordered to investigate important government figures and that it gives the…

Paper presented at the Fifteenth Duke University Conference on Teaching the Social Studies.

A group of representatives of colleges in western Massachusetts is developing curricula related to nuclear issues. Teaching such issues provides content for promoting liberal arts goals incorporating perspectives of science, engineering and social/political science, and provides opportunities to enlarge students' understanding of the whole domain…