Stipulates that critical thinking requires classroom environments mutually created by social studies students and teachers. Suggests empowerment and cooperative learning become more than buzz words in environments conducive to critical thinking. Provides a list of questions for students and teachers to examine their roles in creating democratic…

Argues students' understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights is enhanced by reviewing historical decisions concerning ratification. Classroom discussion using "Original Intent" documents allows students to develop insight into the relationship between church and state and into judicial application of the Establishment…

Describes characteristics of "experts," arguing that community college students need to become expert learners. Discusses expert learners' types of knowledge, use of comprehension monitoring, motivation, and self-regulation. Discusses "direct instruction" and "metacurriculum" approaches for teaching learning-to-learn strategies. Reviews…

Describes a long-term, critically oriented teacher-researcher group, noting troublesome issues and the group's attempts to expand teacher-researcher collaboration into daily education settings. The article includes personal narratives by the members, which stress the importance of a self-reflexive stance for collaborative research to accommodate…

Provides a six-part lesson plan for use in secondary U.S. history classes. Illustrates the development of higher-order reading, writing, and thinking skills in assignments and projects dealing with the history of westward expansion. Specific skills addressed are comparison, contrast, prediction, and evaluation. Recommends cooperative learning…

Asserts that, although there is widespread agreement that civic education is a worthy educational goal, there is little agreement about its content or appropriate instructional methods. Maintains that effective moral education must involve discussion of substantive civic-moral issues and consideration of moral alternatives. Recommends using the…

Contends that a number of music educators believe that music should be taught in the same rigorous, sequential, and comprehensive way that other subjects are taught. Asserts that critical thinking skills and interpretation are essential factors in this process. Recommends cooperative learning and portfolios as appropriate instructional strategies.…

Discusses the use of individual and group journals as a way to develop students' abilities to critically analyze reading materials in a college level sociology course. Describes the process by which the journals are written and evaluated. Contends that the learning strategy improved students' analytical abilities and writing skills. (CFR)

Reviews research on citizenship education related to instructional strategies, instructional resources, and curriculum priorities. Concludes that students who work on student publications such as the school newspaper develop more effective decision-making and other critical-thinking skills. Proposes several action steps to improve citizenship…

A University of South Carolina program provides marine science students with learning opportunities that merge research and undergraduate study. In three semesters, students mastered complex scientific concepts and important professional skills such as critical and independent thinking, teamwork, and problem solving. Student/faculty and…

Two studies involving 213 third graders and 141 eighth graders tested the triarchic structure of human intelligence as applied to the classroom by emphasizing traditional instruction, critical thinking, and triarchically based instruction (analytical, creative, and practical). Results support the superiority of triarchically-based instruction.…

Introduces a new way for students to evaluate the quality of sites on the Internet. Takes the students through six main points to accomplish this evaluation in the classroom. By following these guidelines, students can develop their critical-thinking skills about the quality of accessible technology. (MJP)

Summarizes a class project that attempts to make students more aware of the pervasiveness of women's images in culture and how gender norms shape women's status in society. Class consists of innovative writing assignments, discussions, informal presentations, and collection of cultural artifacts. Includes descriptions of these activities and…

Examines three prevalent parental recommendations for reducing children's exposure to violence, noting that if delivered in an authoritarian manner, anticipated outcomes may not occur. Argues that child involvement in setting up family rules encourages self-awareness for children to monitor their own behaviors. Includes five examples of suggested…

Within a university course, a professor and two graduate students explored societal and individual implications of literacy in general and of information and scientific literacies: conceptualizations (or ideologies) of specialized literacies in society, injustices caused by a narrow view of literacy perpetuated by dominant groups, literacy as…