Contends that the end of slavery, women's suffrage, and the civil rights movement were watershed events of social justice in U.S. history. Provides reviews of two media-based sets of instructional materials that can help students understand the struggle by disenfranchised groups to become full participants in society. (CFR)

Maintains that, although courts have ruled that poor people accused of crimes must be provided legal services, most court cases involve civil law. Presents a secondary school lesson in which students review 11 mock civil court cases and decide whether or not free legal counsel should be provided. (CFR)

Examines the role of conflict resolution in addressing bias-related incidents and hate crimes. The author discusses how one organization, Children's Creative Response to Conflict, is working to teach conflict-resolution skills to students and teachers to reduce bias-related violence. Recommendations for the creation of bigotry-free school…

Figural response items (FRIs) in science were administered to 347 fourth graders, 365 eighth graders, and 322 twelfth graders. Item and test statistics from parallel FRIs and multiple-choice questions illustrate FRIs' more difficult and more discriminating nature. Relevance of guessing to FRIs and diagnostic value of the item type are highlighted.…

This article argues that the U.S. dissemination system in education is unresponsive to organizational improvement needs, and that development of this bias is exacerbated by political, organizational, and programmatic thrusts in federal agencies. It is suggested that systems in the Netherlands and Denmark could provide useful models for adapting…

Argues that critical thinking is best learned where fellow students respond and react as well as replicate and evaluate. Suggests methods and techniques for doing critical thinking. Discusses thesis formulation, concept application, judgments and conclusions, cause and effect relationships, criteria identification, structure and function,…

Describes a two-day program within a developmental mathematics course utilizing group-building exercises and initiative problems (problems with physical solutions) to foster communication, problem-solving skills, and math confidence. Presents results of student evaluations of program showing increased interest and confidence in mathematics, and…

Provided is a teacher's guide for a problem-solving activity that establishes a link between number patterns and geometry by focusing on the development of recurrence relations established when generating central polygonal numbers. Reproducible worksheets and a 3.0 BASIC program for the activity are given. (MDH)

Suggests the need for a law and geography course to prepare future geographers to contribute to implementation of the law. Proposes a course outline, including an introduction, major existing research areas, and exploration of developing new research areas combining law and geography. Stresses the importance of social and environmental data in…

Illinois birth records in 1985 provide information about the educational levels of black, white, and Hispanic-American adolescents aged 15 to 19 years having first and second births. Age and ethnic differences exist in the relationship of first and second births to educational levels of young parents. (SLD)

Black-white differences in infant mortality rate are examined for 38 large metropolitan statistical areas for 1982 through 1986. The most important difference predictor was a "segregation index" (residential dissimilarity) apparently independent of variation in median family income and poverty prevalence but possibly reflecting…

The ability of the "Amsterdam News" to mold public opinion out of all proportion to its size is replicated by black newspapers all over the country. This discussion of major black newspapers, namely weeklies, shows how they are an important outlet for black urban communities. (SLD)

Opportunities for blacks in law enforcement careers are detailed. Local and federal law enforcement agencies are hiring members of minority groups. In a climate in which so many young African Americans are involved in negative behaviors, others should take the opportunity to try to provide positive role models. (SLD)

Demographic characteristics of juvenile victims of crime and a potential relationship between victimization and self-reported delinquency are examined for 877 adolescents from a large midwestern city. Lifetime victimization rates (LVRs) are higher for those involved in delinquency, and LVRs rise with age and higher levels of delinquent behavior.…

Ethnographically examines factors impacting academic performance of 23 Sioux Indian high school students in Canada during the transition from reservation elementary school to public high school. Factors affecting responses to environments without consideration of Indian culture are discussed in light of the withdrawal of 18 students from school.…