Election simulations are considered a viable tool to instigate democratic learning in schools. This paper reports an explorative qualitative inquiry into one type of simulation project: mock-elections (ME). Main objective was to gain an insight into the organization of ME-practices in eight schools in the Netherlands in 2012. Thematic analysis of…

In this paper, we report on teachers' use of curricula and other instructional resources to address Common Core State Standards (CCSS), as well as how use of instructional materials is related to instructional practice. We draw on data from the American Teacher Panel, a nationally representative sample of teachers who periodically provide…

The purpose of this research was to highlight the problems ESL students faced when studying social studies at Saint Joseph Bangna School. In particular, what improvements could be made to the kinds of academic exercises contained within the books & websites as teaching materials. It was designed around three research questions relating to what…

This paper discussed a study involving two groups of teacher candidates' implementations of a visual literacy curriculum in their preclinical field experience. The purpose was to explore whether the curriculum provided a viable way for them to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in teaching their diverse learners, including students with…

This content analysis study explored the impact of recent decades on the appearance, content, content emphasis and textbook features of 1970 edition and the 1992 edition of "Magruder's American Government." This volume has been the leading high school government textbook ever since it was first published in 1917. The study pre-selected…

This document contains specific exercises designed to help secondary students understand the spatial and temporal characteristics of hurricanes that affect the eastern part of the United States. Selected exercises require students to: (1) use maps; (2) interpret statistics; and (3) perform mathematical calculations. Introductory material is…

The evaluation methodology delineated in this paper is a work in progress. The purpose is to develop a method for evaluating social studies curriculum materials that encompasses the materials' comprehensibility and the perspective offered. The paper draws from past evaluations that focused on either comprehensibility or perspective but have not…

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…

The goal of this paper is to examine some erroneous ideas about teaching thinking skills and the use of computer tools, especially databases. The paper reviews: (1) the importance of databases to the teaching of social studies; (2) the teacher's role in aiding students to develop and use databases; (3) the reintroduction of effective teaching…

This paper focuses on the use of toys to teach Social Studies to elementary school students. The first section offers a literature review on play and the significance of play in a child's development. The remainder of the paper offers activities related to play in the areas of history, geography and economics. The object of the activities is to…

This paper describes a cyclical staff development program designed to help teachers, specifically social studies teachers, gain expertise with technology and learn how it can be infused into their classrooms. The cyclical staff development program has three complementary components: (1) skill development; (2)focus on instruction; and (3) material…

In an address to a symposium on children's book publishing in Canada, the author describes and critiques recent efforts of governments, school systems, publishers, and other organizations to promote the production, distribution, and use of materials distinctly Canadian. A sample list of children's books is appended. (Editor/SJL)

In a time of heightened concern for useful integrated studies in U.S. history, Merl Eppse's work is at the forefront of quality material. Unfortunately it has been largely ignored. Merl Eppse was one of the first educators to write a U.S. history textbook that presented the history of U.S. blacks in an integrated manner. He was the head of the…

In this speech, the author examines and traces past and present treatment of minorities in textbooks. The issue of whether textbooks should and do adequately represent the real world of minorities is emphasized. In the past, when publishers either omitted minorities from books or made misleading statements in textbooks about minorities, textbooks…

This paper discusses how to incorporate the science, technology, and society (STS) strand of social studies into the elementary education curriculum. The lesson's focus is on the impact of modern transportation, specifically the automobile, on the economic, social, and political life of people in Kano, Nigeria. The lesson is appropriate for…