Society wants its citizens to have precise social understandings which can be applied towards solving social issues. Implications for social studies teacher education and for the classroom teacher are examined. Social studies teachers should step outside the classroom and assist citizens in clarifying social concerns. (RM)

Responds to the revised National Council for the Social Studies Guidelines on Multicultural Education. Maintains that the guidelines contribute the common misunderstanding about the relationship between multicultural and international education. Argues that the arts and humanities must be a part of effective multicultural education. (CFR)

The six goals for improvement of American education, on which the Goals 2000 project are based, are examined and the value of having those objectives is discussed. The goals address school readiness, high school graduation rate, basic competencies, science and mathematics achievement, education for global participation, and quality learning…

Contends that the key questions in civic education are How should people be treated? and How should disputes between people be resolved? Argues that a moral system is necessary for a civil society and that schools have a responsibility to encourage common-sense notions of ethical behavior. Includes classroom activities to illustrate this approach.…

Experiential learning generally, and service learning specifically, can teach citizenship skills necessary to a democracy, unify the curriculum, better serve at-risk students, and accommodate different learning styles. Gives arguments and criteria for integrating service learning into mainstream education and examples of programs utilizing service…

Describes changes in public education over the last 150 years, discussing how changing politics have affected education; the influence of the electronic revolution (television and the Internet); the relationship between global economics, electronic communication, and education; and the movement from schools as a place to acquire basic language and…

Most American visitors to Japanese senior high schools have observed only the very best public academic schools in the nation. Two-thirds of Japanese students attend other schools. This book presents findings of a case study that focused on the 12th-grade experience in a Japanese public general high school. The data were supplemented by visits to…

The activities in this booklet bring together research and practice in formats that enable communities to define and implement strategies for meeting their educational goals. The seven training activities will help teachers, administrators, school board members, parents, and community members transform their schools into places where learning is…

This digest briefly summarizes the contents of the "Civics Framework for the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress" in terms of the Framework's development and components including civic knowledge, civic skills, and civic dispositions. The framework may be used to inform and guide curriculum development projects in civics and…

In May, 1989 the American Bar Association (ABA) Special Committee on Youth Education for Citizenship invited participants at a retreat to create a blueprint for law-related education's (LRE's) future. Plenary sessions were designed to clarify: (1) the role and mission of LRE in the nation's schools; and (2) the factors that will have an impact on…

This course of study guide describes the social studies curriculum to be offered by Idaho schools for secondary students. The guide puts forth content requirements that local school districts need to meet. The following courses are covered: United States history, American government, and economics. The information for the courses includes a…

Since 1789, the Supreme Court has been making decisions that affect all U.S. citizens. The study of Supreme Court cases, therefore, should be an integral part of civic education. This ERIC Digest discusses: (1) constitutional issues and Supreme Court cases that should be taught; and (2) effective strategies for teaching them. It also includes a…

This study sets out to examine fundamental aspects of citizenship education in Swedish schools, based on the theory that, in a democracy with a system of compulsory public education, curricula are the products of political compromise, accommodating the aims of several different groups. From this perspective, the school as an ideological state…

Three major components of programs offered to public school students and teachers by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia are described. One of the organization's major objectives is to prepare students for responsible roles as citizens and community leaders. The first component features a certified social studies teacher as liaison with the…

A study to determine parental attitudes towards the education their secondary school children were receiving was conducted at two sites: Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A major objective was to determine the range of parent concerns, the logical structure of these concerns, and the priorities among the concerns. A…