This study focused on the use of journal writing and worksheets in the area of social studies within a suburban elementary school. The study was designed to determine if there was a difference in children's social studies test scores when they completed journal activities or when they completed worksheets. Subjects were 36 Tennessee fifth-grade students ages 9-11, mostly middle-class Caucasians. Two classes of students each had the opportunity to keep journals and do worksheets for equal amounts of time during the study. Each class had the opportunity to complete two units with journals and two units with worksheets. After four days of journals or worksheets, the subjects were given a unit test which came from the publishing company of the social studies curriculum, Silver Burdett and Ginn. The statistical analysis focused on the mean scores of the students' tests after they worked with either activity. Since four complete units were taught, all of the unit test scores were combined to find the results. Individual units were not examined because interest was in the teaching as a whole and not on the separate units. In analysis of the data, there was no statistically significant difference between the test scores of the subjects after they kept journals than with the test scores of the subjects after they used the worksheets, and as a result, there was no effect on social studies learning because of the use of journal writing activities. Contains 3 tables and a 31-item bibliography. Appendices contain two letters, a journal and worksheet schedule, and journal activities. (BT)