States that the Founders' legacy is our well-modeled government which is limited by law to protect the life, liberty, and property of individuals. Reviews some of the Founding Fathers' thoughts regarding the proper role and structure of our government. Advocates improved citizenship education and introduces the theme articles in this issue. (JDH)

Places the recent democratic Latvian elections in the context of that country's historic oppression by the Soviet Union, its resulting demographic character, and the emergence of pragmatic political parties. Analyzes the issues, parties, and coalitions that resulted in Grantis Ulmanis' recent victories. Prospects for continuing democracy appear…

In 1994 the Center for Civic Education published "National Standards for Civics and Government," content standards clearly defining what students should know and be able to do as the outcome of civic education in school. This standards project has been an attempt to standardize the best in civic education and to make the Standards…

This ERIC Digest on teaching about the Bill of Rights in the schools examines the status, the deficiencies, and means to improve citizenship education. Currently, the Bill of Rights is taught at least four times during the elementary and secondary grades. Constitutional rights and liberties are stressed in K-12 curriculum goals for social studies…

This guide is designed to provide background material and teaching strategies for the study of the Supreme Court and the New Deal Era. There are suggested activities, discussion questions, a list of suggested readings, vocabulary, a list of key players of the era, and a list of components and key events tied to The New York Times from that time…

Reviews the trend toward democracy in former totalitarian states. Emphasizes the need of newly democratic countries to establish strong civil societies in which nongovernmental institutions and associations flourish. Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of emerging democracies. (MJP)

Suggests methods of teaching about the voyages of Columbus to develop students' knowledge and cognitive skills. Presents five keys to accuracy and balance in teaching about Columbus: emphasize biological and cultural exchange; apply the major geographic themes; examine events in their historical context; present multiple viewpoints; and use…

Directed to secondary school teachers of history, government, and civics, this book is designed to fit common educational objectives in secondary school curriculum guides that call for teaching and learning about the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. The volume is intended to encourage careful reading, analysis, and classroom…

The third unit to the first-semester course, "Comparing Political Experiences," provides 16 activities to help 12th-grade students acquire in-depth knowledge of various kinds of political activities, such as decision making, leadership, communication, and participation. The activities and readings are divided into six sections which…

To maintain the legacy of freedom from the Age of Enlightenment, educators must effectively teach about the interrelated ideas of modern science and constitutional democracy in both social studies and science courses. The United States most directly and fully exemplifies the civic and scientific ideas which have developed as a result of the Age of…

This document addresses the questions of what teachers have achieved during the U. S. Constitution Bicentennial celebration in the areas of curriculum development and instruction and whether or not the celebration has been accompanied by educational renewal and improvement in secondary schools. Persistent problems in teaching and learning about…

This teacher's guide was designed to accompany 16 short video programs that trace the social and cultural development of the United States and show that today's society is the result of diverse historical events, ideas, and people. The guide provides program summaries, ideas for discussion, review questions, and extra credit projects. Spanish,…

This teacher's guide to unit one of the first-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides teaching instructions to meet the unit objectives. After an introductory review of the general objectives, the guide outlines specific instructional objectives and procedures for each of the 18 activities described in the 12th-grade…

This teacher's guide to unit 2 of the 12th-grade first-semester "Comparing Political Experiences" course provides teaching instructions to meet the unit's objectives. After an introductory review of the four main course objectives and 13 specific objectives, the guide outlines instructional objectives and procedures for each of the 18…

This teacher's guide was designed to accompany six 30-minute video programs on the fundamental constitutional principles that form this nation's foundation. Each lesson in the guide contains an introduction to the main ideas of the program, a program summary, and suggested activities to carry out before and after the program. The topics emphasized…