On 4 November 2004, the Collegia of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation discussed priorities for the development of the education system in the country. The document examined during that meeting identified a number of problems in the implementation of educational reforms in Russia. Among the problems identified was the…

This teaching guide contains two essays about Thomas Jefferson, along with teaching activities, resources and organizations, a chronology, and quotes. The two essays are: (1) "The Architect of Democracy" (Merrill D. Peterson); and (2) "Jefferson's Legacy: Civic Learning in Public Education" (R. Freeman Butts). Teaching…

Designed to provide students and adults with a learning experience related to the jury system, this game focuses on the jury selection process. In doing so, the game examines an important element of a fair trial--the right of the accused to be judged by an impartial jury. The game is designed for four class periods and can be used with a class of…

This paper presents a unit for government and economics and one for world history on the dramatic regional changes which have occurred in Central and Eastern Europe since the late 1980s. The units can be taught cohesively covering 2-3 weeks or as modules integrated into relevant themes in the curriculum. The "case studies" approach…

The Charter School of San Diego (California) began operations in the 1994-95 school year. Its program and facilities previously operated as one of the city's alternative education programs designed to provide individualized support for holistic engagement of students, many of whom enrolled because of difficulties at comprehensive schools. The…

This teacher's guide corresponds to the textbook "American Political Behavior" and provides resource materials and teaching suggestions. There is a lesson plan for each lesson in the course. The textbook tries to capture the vitality and drama of politics through the use of cases that describe the political activities of typical citizens…

This textbook for high school students on law in Utah supplements "Street Law: A Course in Practical Law," a program in law-related education in use across the United States. The introduction explains the meaning of law, how laws are made in Utah, and the functions of the state court system. Following chapters elucidate the branches of…

"CIVITAS" is a curriculum framework that specifies core ideas for civic education in the U.S. constitutional democracy. It reviews what adults should know and be able to do to as effective citizens. CIVITAS was developed by the Center for Civic Education in cooperation with the Council for the Advancement of Citizenship and with support…

This book contains nine lessons focusing on legal issues raised by the illegal use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs and efforts by the criminal justice system to curb that use and abuse. The lessons are interactive and sequential, although individual lessons can stand alone. The lessons are designed to be presented to middle and high school…

The lack of economics literacy is a serious problem in the United States. Today, public school students are taught little if any economics and score very poorly on economics literacy tests, with the average test score being 40 percent. This absence of economic understanding hurts the economy in the following ways: (1) economically illiterate…

United Nations (UN) peacekeepers, symbolic neutral military units whose presence has made a difference in areas as diverse as Afghanistan, Central America, and Namibia, are in a unique position to affect the course of international peace. With recent UN successes negotiating resolutions in Afghanistan and the Iran-Iraq war, and with radically…

A guide for teaching about the Holocaust, this document is divided into three main parts: overviews, lesson plans, and student handouts. Seven overviews provide short summaries of a topic related to the Holocaust. Intended to supplement the information in textbooks and provide a background for teaching the lessons that follow, the topics include a…

Designed to supplement an 8th grade history course with the best updated research on the subject of slavery's origins, the lesson plan described in this paper has several objectives: (1) To augment the secondary textbooks, most of which either do not cover the beginnings of slavery, or cover it adequately; (2) To acquaint students with the…

Because Watergate tested the strength of the U.S. constitutional system and proved that it worked, this unit could serve as a focal point for study of the U.S. Constitution. The three objectives of the document are: (1) to expand knowledge of the governance process through study of the separation of powers, the impeachment process, the right to…

Social studies readings and activities designed primarily for low achieving students are presented. Objectives are to help social studies classroom teachers develop goals which are clear to students, suggest activities which work toward stated goals, offer evaluative measures particularly designed for low achieving students, and present readings…