The purpose of this guide is to help study circle leaders design a study circle course and develop the reading material for the discussions. Benefits for the participants and the sponsoring organization are discussed. Three issues in planning the study circle program are addressed: goals, participants, and time frame. Key characteristics of…

Current history textbooks include Christianity in their discussion of U.S. history. A study systematically examined the content of secondary U.S. history textbooks to evaluate the portrayal Christianity. The content of 10 of the nation's most widely used secondary U.S. history textbooks was analyzed. All excerpts dealing with Christianity in…

Staggering statistics and dramatic headlines about the destruction of rain forests, the world's richest ecosystems, are only a small part of the devastating story of global deforestation. This volume provides comprehensive coverage of this complex scientific and political catastrophe-in-the-making and examines the costs and the consequences, in…

This book presents an analysis and critique of the historical context and forces that have shaped and still continue to influence contemporary mainstream American education. Its central argument is that the nation itself, not the schools, has entered into a decline, and that the education of youth for the sake of national economic superiority is a…

Recognizing that the teaching of writing has always been political, this collection of essays by teachers, scholars, and theorists intends to promote discussion of what it means to study and teach writing and reading at a time when the academy itself is struggling to define the educational needs of an increasingly diverse student population. The…

This curriculum unit uses the U.S. policy options in the Middle East following the Persian Gulf War as the focal point for discussing present and future policy goals. The range of views presented about postwar policy in the Middle East reflects differences in underlying beliefs about the proper role of the United States in the world and about the…

An updated version of a 1984 publication, this 49-item annotated bibliography focuses on rhetorical analysis of American feminist rhetoric published in communication journals. The selections date from 1962 to 1988. (NKA)

Discussion of "Sex, Power, and Politics" course at the University of Southern California in which the videotaping of class sessions is used to reduce classroom controversy while studying controversy. (ND)

Article inquired into the teaching of politics in the high schools of Northeastern Ohio during the winter-spring months of 1972-1973. (Author/RK)

With proper inquiry into pertinent source material, a teacher can spark discussion and intelligent analysis of current issues on days when planned curriculum is not productive. Preplanning and questions for a discussion on Vietnam are offered as an example for teacher preparation. (DE)

A study examined mass media use and ability to predict public support for two heavily publicized Florida referenda--casino gambling and a statewide lottery. It was hypothesized that (1) voters who read newspapers that publish election public opinion poll stories will be better able to predict support for the issues than voters who rely on friends…

More than 200 years after its founding, the U.S. government continues to thrive on argument, dispute, and debate. For citizens to be fully engaged in the political process, they must continue to participate in the tradition of public discourse exemplified by the ratification debate of 1787-88. College-Community Forums are designed to further…

Television politics, emphasizing emotions over rational decision making, has been accused of warping the political process, especially in the election of the president. In the incomplete medium--the collection of dots--that is television, the viewer completes the circle of communication, filling in the image with his or her own attitudes. The…

The paper takes the position that the study and understanding of the United States Constitution should be a critical part of citizenship education, especially as its Bicentennial approaches. Several factors suggest that the Constitution has become the most durable document of its kind in history, and that its teaching should be centered in both…

A study explored the use of seven political information channels available to eligible voters during the 1986 off-year elections. Specifically examined were (1) the degree to which various political information channels were used during this election, (2) which of these information channels respondents depended upon most for information about the…