This paper attempts to provide some guidance to school administrators, school boards, social studies teachers, and others about the key components of citizenship education and its relationship to social studies education. The paper defines citizenship education as the primary purpose of the social studies and provides three key characteristics of…

In order to understand the context of the role that human rights should play in civic education in the United States, the era in which those rights were first debated (1789-1790's) must be examined, as well as contemporary political and education trends in the United States and the world. Human rights were at the heart of the democratic…

Problems associated with overspecialization in U.S. higher education are considered, based on the view that colleges provide training for an advanced society but fail to clarify how a particular career will be part of a larger social and global system that has many serious problems. An education that seeks to integrate ideas across disciplinary…

Addressed to those responsible for educating the rising generation, this collection of excerpts from educational reports is designed to reflect and to encourage the recent emphasis on excellence and civic virtue in public schools. After a foreword by President Reagan, the publication presents an essay by William J. Bennett discussing…

The inclusion of more sociology related materials in the 8th and 9th grade civics curriculum can push the margins of civics education to a more broadly conceived notion of citizenry and make civics and sociology more relevant to students' lives. The goal should be to help students understand society, not the discipline of sociology. Sociology…

The 1988 Civics Objectives Assessment is the fourth such assessment since the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) program was initiated in 1969. It outlines the objectives and framework for assessing U.S. civics programs at grades 4, 8, and 12. This outline includes provision for assessment in terms of content, context and…

This kindergarten curriculum guide for Philadelphia public schools has as its overall goals the development of: (1) competence in reading, writing, speaking, listening, mathematics, science, reasoning, life skills, social studies, the arts, and physical and health education; (2) citizenship skills; (3) career preparation skills; and (4) human…

Views on the 1985 Association of American Colleges' (AAC) report, "Integrity in the College Curriculum," are presented based on lessons from the Greeks and specifically the period 450 to 350 B.C.E. Seven inferences are made on what an Athenian might offer in response to the AAC Report. For the Greeks, the goal of education was wisdom and…

The four elements of an effective social studies program are identified as knowledge, values, skills, and social participation. This Michigan curriculum guide delineates the goals and objectives for each of these elements. If the elements are to be translated into learning opportunities, the social studies program should exhibit these…

Course outlines, evaluation instruments, and background information to help teachers implement two legal education courses, one for junior and one for senior high school, are provided. The junior high course, "Youth and the Law," introduces basic legal terminology and criminal and civil processes, giving special attention to the concepts…

Fifteen articles (and four synthesis chapters) compare and contrast objectives, practices, and problems of social/political education in the United States, Great Britain, and West Germany. Social/political education is interpreted to include that area of pre-university teaching referred to in the United States most often as social studies or…

The paper provides a rationale for using a decision-making model in teaching environmental issues, outlines specific steps in creating a simulation, and illustrates its use in the classroom. The objectives of environmental education are to provide learning opportunities for students to know, think, choose, and act regarding pervasive social issues…

A PILOT PROJECT (JULY 1959-DECEMBER 1961), AIMED AT NEW WAYS TO ADVANCE EDUCATION FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND LEADERSHIP IN THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, WAS CONDUCTED IN 12 COUNTIES OF SIX STATES. PROGRAM CONSULTANTS RECEIVED TEN WEEKS TRAINING BUILT AROUND A SEMINAR ON CURRENT ISSUES AND ACTIVITIES, AND FOLLOWED BY ORIENTATION CONFERENCES.…

This teaching guide focuses on the German-American immigrant experiences and the contribution of Levi Strauss. It is part of the Louisville Area Ethnic Heritage Studies Project described in ED 150 043. The project materials are designed to foster communication across intercultural/ethnic lines. The objective for this unit is to acquaint the…

The Task 2 report, representing part of an investigation coordinated by a committee working under the auspices of the National Council for the Social Studies, provides an analysis of the responses to a selected set of 48 exercises within the NAEP for Social Studies. One section of the exercises deals with the knowledge of structural elements of…