Freedom of expression is the core political ideal undergirding American democracy and recent attacks on freedom of speech are a direct threat to the liberties and rights guaranteed in the United States Constitution. Freedom of expression is essential for participatory democracy, scientific progress, individualism, and civic education in K-12…

Within the United States, education has long been valued as a means of fostering the growth and development of each person in order to realize the democratic ideals of freedom, equality, non-discrimination, and respect for the rights of all. In an increasingly globalized world and within the United States itself, this growth and development must…

Young people around the world are calling ever more urgently on policymakers to address today's global challenges of sustainability, structural inequality and social justice. So it is little surprise that learning in a global society, understanding sustainable development and being active global citizens are increasingly popular themes for…

Based on a cross-national study conducted in Northern Ireland, England, and the United States, this article expands current literature by examining 4 teacher educators' efforts to prepare preservice teachers to teach controversial issues. Teaching controversial issues, strongly advocated for decades, is both urgent and risky, especially in divided…

Dexter Evans recalled being taught the basics of social studies in high school: the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and three branches of federal government. Although it was more than five years ago when he graduated high school, he says most of the social studies/civics lessons were taught in the classroom and with limited…

Technological change has proven one of the few constants of the early 21st century, providing social studies educators with the challenge and opportunity of preparing digital citizens in a global setting. This requires rethinking the type of social studies learning necessary in the 21st century. As the National Academies concluded in the…

For many educators, citizenship preparation is the main goal of public education (Patrick, 2002, 2004). Yet, because of the nature of how individuals and groups within a society interpret the concept, citizenship may be redefined with each generation (Center for Civic Education, 1994; Giroux, 1988). This research therefore explored elementary and…

This paper describes a study in which a group of women addresses challenges from feminist and postmodern theories regarding the concept of citizenship in social studies education. The purpose was to generate a public discourse on what it means to educate for democratic citizenship. The eclectic research methodology that resulted also laid the…

The 2002 R. Freeman Butts Institute on Civic Learning in Teacher Education, which met in Indianapolis, Indiana, from May 17-21, 2002, was the source for this book. The central theme of the meeting was education for democratic citizenship in the college/university-based preparation of prospective teachers. Following an Introduction, twelve papers…

This paper claims that if educators are to make logical and consistent decisions about what methods of civic education they wish to employ, a debate over the goals of civic education needs to be apparent. The meanings of concepts that are at the heart of any civic education curriculum are in fact themselves contested. Much has been written about…

This paper describes an undergraduate political science course at Indiana State University (Terre Haute) entitled "Contemporary Political Problems." Current politics, economics, and social problems are emphasized. The underlying objective is to encourage students to participate in a knowledgeable and meaningful manner in the political…

The visible signs of patriotism displayed in the United States since the events of September 11, 2001 are at once an expression of pride and a palliative for people's grief and sorrow, an understandable response to a national tragedy. But more important is a kind of less visible patriotism that calls for fidelity to the values and principles for…

The distinguishing characteristics, content and processes, and the variations of essential elements that are exemplified by projects in the United States and abroad in education for democratic citizenship are presented in this book. The volume addresses how international partnerships involving the United States and several post-communist countries…

This document consists of the documentation and question sheets that accompany an educational computer program available on diskette. This product is an oral review of all the questions asked on the Immigration and Naturalization Service oral test for U.S. citizenship. Student answers are recorded by the computer. The teacher reviews answers…

Introduces and celebrates a new series on Harold and Earle Rugg, founders of the National Council for the Social Studies. Includes the reprints of two articles by the Rugg brothers that appeared in the May 1921 issues of "The Historical Outlook" (the parent of today's "The Social Studies"). (CMK)