Community-related activities, such as interviewing long-time residents, checking primary sources, identifying and mapping historical sites, studying local artists and craftspeople, writing a community profile, using different media, and organizing a school/community week can help establish greater relevance and meaning for rural students. (MH)

There is concern that laypersons participating in environmental or natural resource decision making cannot or do not engage the scientific and technical information sufficiently to integrate that information into the decisions and reach a highquality, science-based decision. This study examined how thirteen citizens participating in two Superfund…

Trends, tips, and resources for teaching local and family history are identified in this state-of-the-art paper. Using the local community as a historical resource can make American history more relevant and meaningful to students and aids in the development of a wide range of skills, including library use skills, writing skills, and skills used…

If a program of community study has not been initiated for the school system, the individual teacher should take the initiative in presenting the idea to the administration and in locating and preparing for the use of community resources in the classroom. There are three principal aspects of the discovery and use of community resources (those…

This guide contains activity ideas to help elementary and secondary students celebrate Iowa History Month, October, 1985. There are four major sections. The first section contains an historic calendar for the month of October. Each day focuses on a significant occurrence in Iowa history and provides specific suggestions for discussing the events.…

This publication, part of supplementary materials for a National Council for the Social Studies Conference paper described in SO 003 075, characterizes and offers evaluations on the Wingspread Project. A number of school exchange programs for varying age groups of suburban and urban young people from diverse backgrounds emphasizes a sense of…

The author gives a rationale for utilizing the city as a place to learn. The city has many problems and although logistics require that we conduct most education in the school building, the author argues for putting out best brains to the task of bringing the city to the classroom and to exploiting the city as a classroom when appropriate.…

The curriculum overview, intended for secondary teachers, describes the general objectives, methodology, and units of the Wingspread project. Goals of the project are to prepare individuals to function in a complex society; to promote academic and social development through personal and direct involvement with problems in a metropolitan society;…

This guide was prepared to help elementary and secondary social studies teachers use the 1984 elections as a tool to teach about American government and politics. The goal is to help students use their town, country, or city as their classroom and to use newspapers, community resources, campaign materials and activities, and the broadcast media as…

The handbook provides information, ideas, and strategies for developing and utilizing community resources in elementary and secondary school programs. The first section of the document describes six school-community programs in Indiana. Innovations developed in the programs which motivate students to learn about the real world include parental…

Audiovisual materials available for a social studies unit based on local, primary sources are listed in this guide, a supplement to the Age of Homespun (ED 018 323). Teachers designed, produced, and tested these instructional aids which are intended to provide a flexible, interdisciplinary unit readily adapted to differing grade levels. Local…

This guide to environmental and outdoor education is based on the principle that man will properly care for his world only if he both understands and appreciates it. Seventy-two multidisciplinary environmental themes are identified for instruction in grades K-12. Each theme is presented with behavioral objectives, key concepts, and both in school…

This report discusses trends affecting the future of rural development in Kentucky and describes strategies for leveraging more positive outcomes for rural communities. In addition to the enduring legacies of rural poverty, inadequate infrastructure, low educational attainment, and joblessness, contemporary rural Kentucky is also characterized by…

Interesting and stimulating instruction in high school social studies may be achieved by using the community and its institutions as a laboratory for learning and by creating an on-going community resource inservice program. Effective ways to incorporate community resources in the curriculum include creating special sections on developing writing…

The empirical results of a 1970 study designed to assess the quality of life in 243 metropolitan areas are provided in this booklet. The quality of life components include 123 variables related to overall economic, political, environmental, health and education, and social conditions. The booklet is divided into five sections which explain the…