To seriously consider one's rights under the US Constitution, one must grapple with the realization that many rights are not absolute. Instead, they are contested. But how to introduce younger students to such a complex concept, given short attention spans? In this article, we discuss the opportunities, pitfalls, and planning logistics of the 2013…

This study examined the 4th-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments (history, geography, and civics) and 3rd- and 4th-grade social studies standards from nine randomly selected states and organized the content around three global concepts (conflict, movement, discovery) and six specific concepts (war, rebellion,…

Provides a history of debate concerning issue of teaching Kansas state history in public schools as mandated by law. Studies show the failure to comply was a result of nonavailability of textbooks and lack of teacher preparation. Contends that State Department of Education did not support the law because state history is not taught in many Kansas…

This paper reports the scope of minicourse offerings in Kansas secondary social studies classes. The more course options provided students, the greater the humanistic potential of the school program. During the 1974-75 school year, the vast majority of Kansas high schools continued to offer traditional one- or two-semester long courses. United…