Many education reformers criticize the mediocre state of learning in high schools in the United States. In order to insure that all students have equal access to high quality teaching, it is argued that educators must explore the potent connections among school setting, ability grouping, teaching methods, and student opportunity to learn. The…

Designed to be combined with the social studies curriculum, this guide promotes awareness of American Indian contributions to Oklahoma's development and cultural heritage. Lessons help students in grades 6 through 9 strengthen powers of critical thinking, practice writing skills, and develop creative expression, while learning about Oklahoma's 34…

The document describes social studies and history courses offered in the junior high and senior high schools of Henry County, Tennessee. The syllabi were developed as part of a Teacher's Corps Demonstration Project. The overall objectives of the syllabi are to inform students and parents of the minimum competencies expected in social studies and…

Presents and assesses a program to improve historical knowledge and relationships of junior high students through a language arts program based on children's historical fiction. (SD)

Explores how to integrate history content and skill development in elementary social studies. Suggests ways to combine history, language arts, reading, and critical thinking, including teaching history through children's literature, story telling, story writing, and mock trials. Identifies community resources for history projects. Introduces an…

Maintains that the U.S. government policy of Indian removal in the 1830s provides a focus for exploring issues of cross-cultural relations during the first half-century of U.S. history. Presents a high school lesson plan, including student objectives, teaching materials, instructional strategies, and a bibliography. (CFR)

Contends that research confirms that too many names, dates, and facts can make social studies boring and irrelevant. Proposes a four-step approach to help students examine issues rather than merely learn facts. Describes a lesson on ethnic discrimination and presents a composite teacher-student dialog. (ACM)

Presents a learning activity to help students see themselves as part of the historical process. Describes the nine-week project in which students solicit written or oral remembrances of family, local, and national history. Maintains that the project integrated history and writing in a meaningful way for students. (CFR)

Contends that all genuine learning is active, not passive. Asserts that three educational principles are the foundation of effective social studies instruction: (1) active learning; (2) integration of language arts; and (3) appeal to multiple intelligences. Provides a history lesson plan based on these principles. (CFR)

Describes the activities of a high school class that discovered the joy of history through experiential learning. Students learned traditional military tactics for their unit on the French and Indian Wars, and tried to apply them to a nearby woods. Includes similar activities for other historic periods. (MJP)

This article tells the story of the author's discovery of thinking skills, how this has affected her teaching, and how these ideas have now spread to other curriculum areas in her school. In November 2001 the author began to carry out a research project on thinking skills, introducing new activities into lessons to encourage pupils to think and…

This article is about a small-scale research project which investigated changing the authors' classroom practice at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level and how that change impacts on both teachers and students. This project emerged out of earlier classroom research funded and supported by the National Union of Teachers and…

To promote and facilitate family involvement in children's education, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement has consolidated its "Learning Partners" series into one booklet. This booklet consists of several two-page activity guides in a variety of learning areas. Each guide lists general things parents…

This collection includes 13 essays on various aspects of learning and elementary education. Individual essays describe, discuss, evaluate, or make recommendations about: (1) the urban school curriculum; (2) individually guided education; (3) in-service teacher education; (4) design of the science curriculum; (5) use of psychology in mathematics…

Presents a role-playing activity based on political and legal issues surrounding a mutiny on a Spanish slave ship that landed on U.S. soil in 1839. Includes learning objectives, background information, and role descriptions. Suggests student writing assignments and further research projects. (CFR)