Designed to show parents how to turn their children's questions into opportunities for learning, this book provides advice, activities, books, and resources which prompt parents and children to remain curious learners. The activities in each chapter of the book will help children find ways to apply what they know and discover their personal…

This book draws on classroom experience to provide models of instructionally sound, thoughtful, and thought-provoking history teaching for students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Most chapters begin with a classroom vignette showing a community of inquiry as students are actively engaged in their history education. Each vignette offers a…

The elementary social studies curriculum should be restructured in a way that promotes a broader study of people, places, and events that are distant in space and time. The "Expanding Horizons" framework guides social studies curriculum in New Brunswick, as well as in many other Canadian provinces and the United States. It emphasizes moving from…

This journal issue explores alternative ways to increase student involvement in the social studies classroom. Subject content remains a major stumbling block because of the knowledge explosion and the realization that half the students in school today will earn a living in an occupation not yet invented. The relationship between content and…

In teaching fifth-grade outdoor education in the forest and in an old gold rush town, the outdoor education staff seldom uses textbooks but does use many reading/communication techniques to help transfer knowledge of many disciplines in a direct way. (Author/SB)

Presents ideas for using children's literature to make social studies more engaging for students and to enhance student learning about people. Suggests that literature can be used thematically and offers several illustrations for different grade levels. (LS)

Asserts that the whole-language approach is a philosophy of language learning that integrates four modes of communication--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--with a focus on content comprehension. Discusses how the approach is used as a primary component of the Florida K-5 Program of Study. (CFR)

Presents a geographically based overview of children's literature highlighting the extraordinary experience of ordinary people. Recommended books cover subjects as diverse as the U.S. West and economically developing countries. A special effort has been made to include a multicultural perspective. (MJP)

This sixth grade unit is one of a sequential learning series of the Focus On Inner City Social Studies (FICSS) project developed in accordance with the needs and problems of an urban society. A description of the project is provided in SO 008 271. The units are designed to help students investigate the conditions under which people in other…

This manual is designed to help the non-specialist cope with the existing body of material on Afro-American studies and establish guidelines for evaluating new resources as they appear. No attempt is made to recommend teaching methods or activities, but the author urges supplementation of elementary and secondary social studies courses and…

Provides reviews of four educational software packages which deal with problem solving, mathematics, history, and reading comprehension. Includes information about appropriate hardware, grade level, the publisher and purchasing. Contains comments about the strengths and weaknesses of each program. (TW)

Recounts a student teacher's first experiences in the classroom and provides helpful commentary and suggestions from a more experienced teacher. Briefly discusses classroom management, learning styles, individual needs, time constraints, assessment, and instructional materials. Includes a list of activities that help promote an atmosphere of…

Maintains that historical fiction provides children with the opportunity to vicariously live the events of the past, learn about their heritage, and develop a sense of the sweep of history. Recommends several books covering different historical periods and includes related instructional activities. (MJP)

Examines British teachers' efforts to revitalize the teaching of British history to primary school students, using field trips and curricular materials that enliven history. Investigates the challenges facing British history teachers to illuminate the recent U.S. efforts at curriculum development. Observes British teaching activities to identify…

Describes the process of creating a slide-tape show which outlines the culture of Middletown (Muncie, Indiana) during the 1920's and 1930's. Presents the program developed by the Center for Middletown Studies (Ball State University) for use in elementary schools and retirement or nursing homes. Urges the completion of similar projects in other…