This study assessed some of the cognitive and affective elements for both the traditional and mini curricula. The hypothesis, stated in the null form, was there will be no difference between students in the mini-course curriculum and the traditional curriculum on a number of stated cognitive variables (focusing on critical thinking and reading comprehension) and affective variables (focusing on attitudes toward social studies and teachers). Five hundred eleventh grade students from two comparable high schools served as the sample. Two cognitive and three affective instruments were administered on a classroom basis in the 1971-72 school year. Pre- and post-tests of all instruments except one were administered. Two-way analyses of variance with curriculum model (mini-traditional) and sex (male-female) as independent variables and the cognitive and affective measures as dependent variables were employed. Findings indicated that: 1) Males in the traditional curriculum made significantly greater gains on critical thinking and on vocabulary and level of comprehension; 2) Mini Curriculum students gained significantly on evaluation of arguments; 3) No differences in the amount of pre-post change in motivation toward education or in attitude toward school subjects was found; and, 4) In the post-test Mini curriculum students were found to have more positive attitudes toward teachers. (SJM)