The purpose of this activity sourcebook is to help teachers of K-12 classes guide their students in examining the concept of peace and the means and structures by which it is preserved. Designed to complement a program on nuclear issues, over 100 activities in this volume examine peace within the context of personal, social, and international…

Perspectives on contemporary creationism are offered and the effects of that movement on public education are examined in this collection of articles. Six papers address concerns related to: (1) the detrimental impact of creationism on the teaching of science and on the understanding of the natural sciences; (2) efforts in confronting creation…

Procedures for revising a K-12 social studies program so that it includes thinking skill activities and for implementing the revised curriculum are discussed. Procedures are: the formation of a curriculum committee and sub-committees; current program assessment to determine needs regarding thinking skills; deciding on a rationale; selecting…

Intended for educational policy makers, this publication considers the teaching of controversial topics. Specifically discussed are what issues are considered controversial, why controversial topics should be taught, court decisions, ways educators can prepare for community response or complaints, and questions to address when making curriculum…

Viewpoints about world economic problems and descriptive and prescriptive views on the treatment of related controversial issues are presented. Following a section describing three types of controversial issues (issues of fact, causation, and values), the paper is arranged into six sections, each dealing with an aspect of the world economy with…

This section, from a larger report describing a project designed to systematically investigate how religious and traditional values are represented in today's public school curricula, presents seven studies intended to examine how religion, religious values, and family and family values are presented in the typical textbooks used in the nation's…

The paper analyzes the multifaceted nature of current citizenship education programs and suggests a model which would reconcile the differences between conflicting program approaches. One problem of citizenship education is lack of consensus on its goals and content. Some programs emphasize socialization to established rules of social and…

People from African countries who visit the United States often are stunned by how little people know about African countries. Africa is a large continent more than 3 times the size of the continental United States, and it contains over 50 independent countries. One out of every three member states in the United Nations is an African country. One…

The Reinventing Agricultural Education for the Year 2020 initiative, a project conducted during 1996-1999 with a diverse group of more than 10,000 people from across the United States, resulted in this strategic plan designed to achieve the mission set by the initiative. That mission has a two-part focus: preparing students for career success in…

Discusses four major approaches to teaching about controversial issues frequently cited in educational literature: problem solving, public issues, decision making, and moral reasoning. Provides guidelines for structuring large-group discussions, small-group discussions, and debates within these approaches. Includes a list of instructional…

Asserts that character education in the schools should be framed by the civic principles of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Paraphrases these principles as "rights, responsibilities, and respect." Addresses parental misgivings about possible religious content and conflict. (MJP)

The School Health Policies and Programs Study included assessment of physical education at state, district, school, and classroom levels. Questionnaire data indicated that physical education is an established component of the educational program in virtually all states, districts, and schools, though instructional practices often do not reflect…

Maintains that one challenge in teaching social sciences is finding ways to help students design, implement, and analyze their own social science research project. Describes a seventh-grade anthropology course in which students conducted research projects on gender issues. Includes an observations chart and two figures. (CFR)

Compares questionnaire results sent to elementary and secondary school teachers in Indiana and Japan. Surveys how and what is taught about World War II. Reports teachers in the United States concentrate more on Europe, Pearl Harbor, and fascism, whereas Japanese teachers are more concerned with Pacific theater. Concludes Japanese teach peace…

The fundamental principles underlying the "No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001" focus on high standards of learning and instruction with the goal of increasing academic achievement--reading and math in particular--within all identified subgroups in the K-12 population. One of these subgroups is the growing population of English…