A program description of a social studies curriculum development project supported by an ESEA Title III Grant is presented in this paper. The course, designed for secondary students who will soon be voting, focuses on the importance of active involvement and citizenship responsibility for participation in the democratic process. The major…

This essay is the first of a series of occasional papers written by members of the Humanistic Education Project. The purpose is to examine the possibility that philosophy might in fact provide a foundation for educational practice; that philosophy would provide practical knowledge concerning what ought to be done so students and teachers could…

Ordered in a developmental sequence, the first chapter presents the problem and reviews social science literature suggesting a connection between basic human needs and attitudes, values, motivation, and behavior, irrespective of social position. The second chapter discusses the biosocial origins of needs and analyzes the conceptual differences in…

The purpose of this curriculum unit on citizenship education is to enrich the way students think about American Indians by presenting the history of American Indians and their relationship with white Americans. The first chapter discusses the kinds of ideas people have about Indians, especially stereotypes of Indians being wild, red-colored, and…

Describes the communist Chinese national curriculum in social studies, a broad term that includes moral and political education, as well as traditional subjects. Includes a sample moral and political education lesson, " Socialism is Good," and lists of several textbook contents and curriculum guides. Provides a brief educational history.…

Asserts that, although there is widespread agreement that civic education is a worthy educational goal, there is little agreement about its content or appropriate instructional methods. Maintains that effective moral education must involve discussion of substantive civic-moral issues and consideration of moral alternatives. Recommends using the…

A survey designed to ascertain how various school-related groups perceive the school responding to nontraditional situations of nationalistic education is described. Administrators, board of education members, parents, teachers, and students indicated what they thought would and should occur in the school in response to 18 nontraditional…

Civic education is the student's participation in the governance of the school and the community; it must create and serve democratic society. Today's youth must be given the tools: 1) to transform vertical governance of the school and community into horizontal governance which shares decision-making with students, parents, and teachers; and, 2)…

The contraditions within the systems of school support and school policy-making make it difficult to find a manner of governance of the social studies program which is protected from extraneous influence and yet avoids creating a buffer between the schools and the democratic forces to which they are responsive. State and federal governments…

The goal of civic education in a democracy must be mindful political activism. If civic education is to have a positive effect on the development of this activism: 1) it must provide curricular content which reflects the reality of political/social life; and, 2) teachers and administrators must exemplify, in and out of school, a model of active…

This dissertation suggests that the role of social studies teachers should be to introduce new alternatives, values, and ways of thinking in civic education. One thousand three hundred seventy elementary teachers responded to a questionnaire on: 1) background; 2) liberal-conservative attitude; 3) degree of political and professional activity; 4)…

Three case studies of changes in civics education, social studies, and liberal studies (emphasizing critical thinking about controversial issues) demonstrate that Hong Kong's political transition to Chinese sovereignty has significantly affected the intended curriculum but not the implemented curriculum, which has been strongly influenced by…

Discusses how Cold War ideological models provide a way to examine the U.S. role in world affairs. Discusses and compares on the writings of Paul Gagnon and Noam Chomsky on this topic. Concludes that students should stand outside both models to develop a meaningful perspective on the U.S. role during the Cold War. (CFR)

Cognitive and behavioral objectives of a K-12 political education program are outlined. Four major categories of competencies are presented: (1) understanding the essential roles of government in any society; (2) knowledge of the structure and functioning of the American government at the national, state, and local levels; (3) understanding the…

This paper explores the impact of the hidden curriculum on students. The hidden curriculum refers to the social relations and school climate of the schools. Two theories are presented as the basis for studying the relationship between school climate and students' social beliefs and actions. The generalization theory states that students view the…