Understanding history involves being able to construct knowledge about the past from historical traces left behind. In this article, the author describes a five-step strategy using historical obituaries to recreate the social landscapes of the past and raise critical consciousness regarding power relations in different contexts. The strategy is…

One of the most effective methods for teaching social studies events, concepts, and issues incorporates the fine arts into lesson plans. The fine arts, such as photography, architecture, paintings, tapestries, and sculptures reflect the core cultural values, political ideals, and religious beliefs of a civilization and offer excellent…

Elementary schools have a significant role in creating democratic attitudes and attainments in children. During elementary education, children are prepared for life, becoming familiar with rules in social life in addition to gaining academic knowledge and abilities. In this article, the importance of educating children about democracy in…

For democracy to thrive, students increasingly need to participate in democratic education. During the first half of the twentieth century, two education reformers individually developed, refined, and implemented two different forms of democratic education. In this article, the author describes the purpose of public schooling and how John Dewey…

Multicultural children's literature is a passport to foreign cultures. Because we live in a global and multicultural society, it is important to help children understand cultures different from their own. Many educators use picture storybooks to introduce the social life and customs of other societies. This article highlights four realistic…

Working with two teachers and thirty-four high school seniors, the authors developed procedures and assessments to teach ethics in an American high school civics class. This approach requires high school students to discover an agreement or convergence between Kantian ethics and virtue ethics. The authors also created an instrument to measure…

An elementary social studies program should help a child develop an awareness of significant personal social values. Values pertinent to the child from age 4 to 11 are pointed out. Four principle activities in which the child must engage to develop each of these values into behavioral patterns are discussed. (Author/RM)

Teachers who endeavor to build tolerant attitudes in their students often fall into the trap of political correctness. Political correctness can suspend free reflection on the differences inherent in otherness, which is the subject of tolerance, and creates an ideology of the generalized, abstract Other. As a result, teachers prefer to talk about…

Provides a brief annotated bibliography of children's books which may be used to foster greater understanding of the five most popular holidays celebrated in U. S. public schools. The holidays are Columbus Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and St. Valentine's Day. (JDH)

Iranians are torn between a desire to change and to modernize and a resistance to depart from well established modes and patterns of life. (Author)

Tradition is a powerful psychological force in human affairs which can be harnessed for either progress or reaction," as demonstrated by resulting change in various historical events and conflicts. (Author)

The concepts of friendship, rules, property, obedience to authority, truth, promises, and sharing are appropriate for inclusion in values education materials for elementary students. Interviewers questioned 180 children in grades K-5 about their level of understanding of each concept and their perceptions of each concept's importance to their…

The content and strategy for population education are areas of concern for educators throughout the world. Each country should create and maintain population programs which fit the individual needs of their countries. In addition, population education should be presented in value free approach, in which alternative viewpoints are presented for…

In this article, the author emphasizes decision making rather than mere remembering as a tool for teaching social studies. Decision making should be emphasized at two levels: at the level of deciding what a group of descriptive data means, how these data may be summarized or generalized, what principles they suggest; and also at the level of…

Using examples from Germany, the USSR, and the United States, this article explores the inconsistency of nationalism and chauvinist pride with the commonality of human nature as represented in the values, convictions, creeds, morals, and ethics of the people in these countries. (JDH)