Political history lends itself to traditional patterns of teaching and learning in social studies such as students memorizing facts presented in lectures or textbooks. This article presents a recurring activity structure for teaching U.S. political history--Consensus Circle Presidential Rating (CCPR)--which requires students to read across…

Hull-House was a unique social experiment by which Jane Addams realized her egalitarian vision for a shared civic life. Facing soaring social problems of the early twentieth century, Hull-House's most important mission was to help new immigrants learn the rule of self-government and become successful drivers of it. Hull-House was an unusual group…

The accelerated ownership and usage of smartphones and social media presents multiple issues for educators. There is a relationship between smartphones and (a) academic achievement, (b) engagement, and (c) mental health. The purpose of this literature review is to investigate the impact of smartphones and social media on students and how…

Discusses the conditions present during and after World War I which led to the creation of social studies as a discrete component in the U.S. school curriculum. Describes these conditions as a public awareness of impending crisis, perception of citizenship as a major social concern, alternatives to traditional citizenship education, and…

The history of social studies in the twentieth century is the story of a field of study not yet coming of age. As is true in most emerging fields, the first one hundred years of social studies has been marked by confusion, competing visions, inconsistency, incoherence, and intolerance. Many have considered the social studies' first century as…

Criticizes the assumption that citizenship education is the defining mission of social studies. Cogently analyzes the defects of this argument, including a lack of related scholarship, inconsistent application from the schools, and little evidence of positive benefits. Proposes a curriculumwide integration of citizenship education. (MJP)

In this article, the author discusses viewpoints on civic education reforms postulated in "Where Did Social Studies Go Wrong?," a book published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The book begins with a legitimate concern about the need to educate youth to care about political life; a noble mission, dating at least to the Greeks.…

Discusses the importance of democratic citizenship education in Korea. Highlights the forces enhancing democratic citizenship education especially the role of the nongovernmental organizations and the Korean Educational Developmental Institute. Considers the various forces inhibiting democratic citizenship education, such as corruption in the…

Discusses the impact on social studies education of events following World War II, including the Cold War and McCarthyism. Examines the professional literature to determine how the emphasis in social studies education changed from stressing broad societal and international goals to rote learning of civic duties. Concludes that after the 1950s,…

Examines the forces enhancing democratic citizenship education in Taiwan focusing on the social, political, and cultural context of the country. Highlights the progress that has been made, reviews the factors that hinder the development of a democratic citizenship education, and considers its future in Taiwan (Republic of China). (CMK)

Describes the author's first meeting with curriculum specialist Hilda Taba and his subsequent work on the Taba Curriculum Project. Discusses the project's objectives, major features, and the instructional strategies necessary for implementation. Concludes by discussing Taba's impact on curriculum design and development. (CFR)

Reports on an evaluative study of a secondary level civics curriculum in the Netherlands. Finds a discrepancy between the curriculum plans of the developers and the classroom implementation of the curriculum. Recommends an implementation-oriented development strategy with emphasis on early and intensive formative evaluation. (CFR)

Investigates civic education curricular reform in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Discusses the problems inherent in reforming an entire educational system, from textbooks to teachers, originally designed for Marxist-Leninist purposes. Examines the German state educational structure and the role that the main political parties play in…

Describes the Somalia Nomad Education Program. States that social studies is the core of the program which has a primary goal of developing national unity. Discusses successful features of the program and its vulnerability to political and economic events. (CFR)

Considers the forces contributing to the development of democratic citizenship education in Albania and reviews the progress that has been made. Explores the barriers to democratic citizenship education, such as the centralization in Albanian schools and the lack of resources for running a program. Ponders the future of democratic citizenship…