Technological change has proven one of the few constants of the early 21st century, providing social studies educators with the challenge and opportunity of preparing digital citizens in a global setting. This requires rethinking the type of social studies learning necessary in the 21st century. As the National Academies concluded in the…

Drawing on experiences in his social studies classroom, Houman Harouni evaluates both the challenges and possibilities of helping high school students develop critical research skills. The author describes how he used Wikipedia to design classroom activities that address issues of authorship, neutrality, and reliability in information gathering.…

This document discusses the use of process induction and the proactive action model to teach research skills across the social studies curriculum. Process induction is the ability of an individual to transfer schema related knowledge and skills to other situations and settings, to use knowledge and process skills in new and diverse instances to…

Described are methods that secondary students can use in social science research projects. They include case studies, interviews, questionnaires, and participant observation. (RM)

Addresses the importance of teaching students the research writing process. Suggests that identifying and selecting social concerns as subject matter will develop student interest while combining meaningful writing experiences with social studies lessons. Reviews an example of research based on social concerns from selection through writing. (DK)

Incorporating social studies, science, reading, writing, and the arts, this project encourages students in the elementary and junior high grades to create models of research and create the particular elements of the country through arts, crafts, foods, and dress. If the whole school participates and creates many different foreign lands, students…

Discusses personal reasons for using historical documents in history instruction. Proposes six reasons why the use of documents in the classroom yields positive learning results. Concentrates on how the use of documents motivates students to read. Provides an example of a document and explains how it is used in the classroom. (RW)

This research guide is designed to help teachers and students organize their thoughts as they begin to plan and carry out a research assignment where they review and use the resources of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum (Hyde Park, New York) or other resources for specific projects. The guide is divided into five sections: (1) the…

Discusses the use of computers in developing social studies skills. Lists social studies skills as those related to acquiring information, organizing and using information, and those related to interpersonal relationships and social participation. Includes addresses of vendors of computer resources recommended. Describes different software and how…

Describes how one fourth-grade teacher developed a Web site to build online research skills. The Day I Was Born helps students find interesting details about what was occurring in the world on their birth day. Suitable for grades 4 and up, it provides links to such sources as the New York Times Learning Network and History Channel On-Line. (SM)

The Proactive Action Model (PAM) is an approach to social studies education that involves students directly in research-type activities. Using the PAM technique, students may research a variety of social studies topics and follow a logical process of thought and inquiry towards a tangible product such as a report or presentation. This application…

One aspect of children's daily lives--the school itself--is often ignored as a source of readily available data for student activities. School-based research activities that require students to collect, organize, and interpret data are described. For example, students conduct research on how students travel to and from school?

An inquiry method for learning art history assumes that students will be more interested if they conduct their own research about artists, works of art, and cultures. The collection of the following types of information will help guide their inquiry: description of the work of art, techniques and materials used, where the artist lived, purpose of…

This lesson plan can be used in social studies, language arts, or library research. The instructional objective is for students to select a topic of study relating to Africa, write a thesis statement, collect information from media sources, and develop a conclusion. The teacher may assign the lesson for written or oral evaluation. The teacher…

This project seeks to bring an immediacy and interest to historical events through the use of Hollywood feature films. Some of the films used to promote interest in history are "Inherit the Wind,""All the President's Men,""The Birth of a Nation," and "Reds." Films used in the class should be available on videocassettes because they are less…