Themes that should be included in an elementary and secondary peace studies curriculum are discussed in this newsletter essay. Social studies teachers must use great discretion as to what topics in the peace studies curriculum are taught at what level. The study of nuclear arms should be included in peace studies at the secondary level. Research…

A direct and definitive response to the creationist Noah's ark arguments is presented in this publication. Although the Bible is used as a constant reference point, the author does not engage in biblical criticism. The critique is rather directed at the leading creationist books and experimental studies that seek to scientifically prove that the…

Focusing on the practical applications of content area writing, and programs using writing assignments in all areas of the college curriculum, this serial issue has three sections. The theme article, "Writing across the Curriculum," discusses the writing across the curriculum movement, and examines ways two colleges have incorporated…

This review of the literature on disabilities considers: (1) their effect on individuals, families, and society; (2) their causes; and (3) their prevention. Individual subsections address such aspects as defining disabilities; causes of disabilities at various stages of the life cycle; emotional, social, legal, and practical aspects of effects of…

Four newsletter issues on college instruction cover large class instruction, working with teaching assistants (TAs), preparing a course syllabus, and practical approaches to dealing with cheating on exams. Specific topics include: deciding on content for large class lectures, selecting texts and readings, physical characteristics of the lecture…

The two articles in this publication focus on ways of teaching argumentation and debate in the college setting. The first article examines the place of the argumentation and debate course in the speech communication curriculum and suggests cognitive and behavioral objectives and assignments for use in such a course. The second article discusses…

The place of argumentation within the speech communication curriculum is the focus of this article. The article provides a rationale for an upper-level college course in the deliberation and decision making process currently taught at the University of North Carolina, and relates that rationale to broader concerns of argumentation theory. Various…

This issue focuses on teaching ethics in business education programs. Exploring the teaching of ethics in both high school and college, the newsletter first presents an overview of ethics and the study of ethics and makes a case for teaching ethics in business education courses. Following a short commentary on the difficulty of teaching ethics is…

The paper outlines the educational objectives of a course offered at the 1982 meeting of the American Academy on Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. The course addresses policy changes and trends in publically financed services to developmentally disabled persons. Topics covered in the outline are a continuum of care; historical…

The research reported in this paper identifies the "core curriculum" and "optional curriculum" suggested by widely used textbooks of elementary school mathematics and describes the influence of each on teacher autonomy in selecting the content of instruction. Preliminary analyses suggest that the "core curriculum" is generally consistent with…

A newsletter provides legal background and guidelines for celebrating religious holidays in the classroom. Material is divided into separate sections discussing the First Amendment, Supreme Court decisions regarding public schools and religious observances, specific "establishment clause" cases, specific "free exercise clause"…

In the face of widespread geographic ignorance, the article applauds the improved status of geography in the schools, describing it as the science best able to meet the challenge of ensuring that students' mental maps of the world are filled in with great and accurate detail. The field is defined through a multiple definition as both a physical…

Because students who do not read and write cannot participate effectively in a democratic society, the staff of the College Skills Program at Burlington County (New Jersey) College has designed a developmental skills program in reading and writing with a social science core. The program (Social Science 100) emphasizes reading, thinking,…

Focusing on the rationales and materials for teaching social issues in the English classroom, this thematic issue contains the following articles: "Introduction: Reflections of Society in Literature" (M. B. Fleming); "Addressing Social and/or Controversial Issues in the English Classroom" (S. Totten); "The Growing Threat to Quality Education: How…

An article on American health care which focuses on health care costs and benefits is combined with a lesson plan on health care issues to enable students to consider both issues of cost effectiveness and morality in decisions about the allocation of health care. The article covers the history of interest in health care, the reasons for the…