The C3LC project produced a distinct body of knowledge and resources for teachers, which have been reflected in the contents of this special issue of Social Education. The project also provided important lessons about professional learning through teacher-driven collaborative inquiry. I will summarize some of the most important ones in this…

When the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards project began, there really was nowhere else to go but up. The project was up against great odds--a dearth of funding, a history of incivility amongst the disciplines within social studies, a knack for ending up in media battles over what should be taught in…

Civic learning for all students seems like a reasonable and important aim for all schools to achieve. If we believe that the future of our American democracy depends on a citizenry that is informed, engaged, and responsible, what better place to create future citizens than in schools? The Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools…

In this article, the authors discuss podcasting and provide ways on how to create podcasts. A podcast is an audio or video file that is posted on the web that can easily be cataloged and automatically downloaded to a computer or mobile device capable of playing back audio or video files. Podcasting is a powerful tool for educators to get students…

A position paper advocates the inclusion of a Black American element in bilingual-bicultural curricular materials for Mexican American children. Guidelines are given for determining the nature and scope of the proposed curriculum. Reactions to the proposal are made by four educators who are intensively involved in multicultural education: James A.…

Background information and ideas to help K-12 social studies teachers teach about local government are provided in this guide. Activities that involve the study of local governments may be a means by which positive attitudes and skills for citizenship education can be developed. Such activities can give students first-hand experience with the…

A full-dress simulation is an attempt to recreate a moment of history with as much attention to detail as possible. How to plan and execute full-dress simulations to teach secondary students about periods of U.S. history is described. (RM)

Oral history is a valuable teaching technique to use with elementary students because it provides a sense of self-identity; nurtures a concept of neighborhood; develops research and writing skills; and encourages a sense of curiosity, wonder, and excitement about history. Suggestions for beginning an elementary oral history project are presented.…

Describes field oriented teacher internship program for elementary education majors and discusses results of a questionnaire answered by cooperating teachers in this program. Results of the study provide direction for planning in-service courses for social studies teachers. (KC)

Reviews the status of competency-based high school graduation requirements in Oregon, Minnesota, and Alaska; explores problems of testing certain competencies; and presents a directory of 10 competency-based programs. (AV)

Checklists cover six important dimensions of computer use in social studies: (1) what a computer can do to achieve educational goals, (2) planning for implementation, (3) major modes of computer uses in education, (4) important qualities, (5) technical features of good educational computer programs, and (6) checking out software. (RM)

The teacher education standards presented here provide criteria by which to assess both preservice and inservice programs that seek to improve the quality of social studies education. They can be used as guides for either planning or reviewing existing programs. (RM)