States that developing the ability to think is the primary goal of social studies education. Examines the renewed attention that is being focused on this skill. Reviews the inquiry method, questioning, and discussion as means of promoting thinking in the classroom. (GEA)

This exercise shows how to turn the expository treatment of a topic or event into a mystery or puzzling situation that students are asked to solve. Once a puzzle is presented, students may pose only questions that can be answered yes or no. Three sample lessons are included to illustrate the process. (JDH)

Describes an approach for including social issues in United States history classes. Provides examples of how specific issues were integrated with common course topics. (JDH)

This article shows how to convert expository textbook material into puzzling mysteries for students. The five-step instructional process is illustrated with two sample lessons. Includes student handouts. (JDH)

Provides an inquiry lesson on aging for the intermediate grades. The goals of the lesson are to provide accurate information about the elderly, to enable children to assess their perceptions of the aging process, and to expose children to an unbiased look at the attributes, behaviors, and characteristics of the elderly. (JDH)

Content has dominated and will likely continue to dominate high school social studies education. Process, or learning how to learn, except in a minority of classrooms, will continue to receive only accidental attention. Reasons why are discussed. (RM)

Reseach on use of questioning in classroom teaching reveals that recitation is a poor method, but teachers use it anyway because it is effective in teaching curriculum that is largely textbook based. Teacher educators may be advised to help teachers learn to use recitation well. (MD)

Discusses inquiry and discovery methods in elementary school science education; emphasizes the importance of teachers knowing whether they are using the inquiry approach and to what extent. Presents a chart listing the steps involved in problem solving, indicating whether a step is teacher- or student-controlled. (BC)

Argues that the Socratic method is inappropriate for children because it teaches them to question adult authority before they have the necessary experience and is therefore conducive to cynicism. A traditional liberal arts curriculum, combining transmission of culture with open inquiry, is preferable to attempts to teach critical thinking. (TE)

Answering Richard Paul's critique, the author restates his preference for open dialog in the school about beliefs and issues, rather than excessive concern with techniques of critical thinking. Children learn worthwhile things without being directly taught, while an unintended consequence of teaching critical thinking may be a weakening of…

Science, technology, and society (STS) is currently underdeveloped in British secondary education. Indicates that, while integrated curricula present the best opportunity for future STS curriculum design, such models as "product,""inquiry," and "relevance" remain unexplored. These models are considered with…

Discusses optimal teacher actions in developing inquiry skills through Flanders Category System, (created to describe and classify classroom interactions), and Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, (created to identify levels of intellectual operations). Identifies different purposes served by different level questions. (Author/DB)

A review of a process-oriented multimedia kit for social science inquiry skills called "Data Box: Fort Bragg" from BFA Educational Media. The kit is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the development, structure, and functioning of a city. Available from: Subscription Officer, Government Printing Office, P.O. Box 203, North…

What is the nature of onsite and online mentoring which enables student teachers to design inquiry-based, technology rich learning experiences? In this case study, faculty and expert teachers worked with fifteen student teachers during an elementary school practicum. An online intelligent design environment supported the development of a community…

When a classroom is opened to inquiry-based learning, teachers can no longer rely solely on traditional end-of-unit tests. "Seamless Assessment" is a one-stop guide to strategies that mirror the investigatory spirit. Working with the popular 5E model as an instructional framework, the authors have designed methods for embedding formative and…