This curriculum guide consists of environmental studies modules for grades 4-8. The curriculum, which is organized around major concepts, is intended to serve as a guide for program development and as a framework for compiling and sharing ideas on methods and application on a national basis. Each module may be utilized as an integral part of the…

This report identifies some of the relative advantages and disadvantages enjoyed by differing language groups in the Toronto school system. Eight groups of students were selected and studied in an attempt to determine whether cultural differences produce distinct patterns of performance on a variety of measures. The groups selected represent the…

Types and techniques of propaganda and its effects on American Life are discussed in this elective social studies course for 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students. Since young people today are bombarded with conflicting ideas disseminated through mass media, it becomes imperative that students become more knowledgeable about propaganda and its impact…

Several indices of factorial consistency were applied to a biographical inventory administered to a longitudinal sample of 2070 students in the 7th, 9th, and 11th grades. Results were compared with those of a prior cross-sectional study at the same grade levels. Comparisons of dimensional change over the three grades, for the cross-sectional and…

The introductory social studies survey course required for grades 7 through 9, part of the Quinmester Program, attempts to help the student develop a cognitive structure in the social sciences generally and in each of seven disciplines. Emphasis is placed on basic skills the social scientist uses to study man and his problems. "Launch…

This paper describes the development of the Survey of Pupil Opinion, an attitude-assessment instrument adapted to the reading and "palatability" levels of high school students in compensatory programs. An initial pool of 100 items assumed to reflect "attitude toward school" was reduced to a 30-item instrument. Results revealed that, for each of…

The resource unit in urban studies is designed to be used by suburban social studies classroom teachers in grades 7-9. The unit aims at developing a positive attitude in suburban students toward the central city. Students are introduced to the social dynamics and cultural resources unique in large urban centers. They recognize that solving urban…

This paper compared the performance of 22 seventh-grade controls in a traditional special education program with at least one period of resource room instruction to the performance of 22 students in a supportive inclusionary model program. In each group, there were 17 students with learning disabilities and 5 students with behavior disorders.…

A case study of the experiences of a Native American teacher (Joseph) during his first year of teaching examined the transition from the idealistic world of college to the stark realities of actual teaching. Data were gathered through bimonthly semistructured interviews, classroom observations, and telephone communication. Joseph picked a…

This bulletin demonstrates that Berkeley, California's educational problem is and has been that of meeting the varied needs of a population such as may be found in any typical American city. The varied population needs, together with the rapid growth, have brought many difficult problems to Berkeley, just has they have to other cities. Based on…

Junior high school students involved in a reading/current events program developed by Visual Education Consultants got higher scores on a current affairs test, reported increases in reading newspapers, listened to more news on radio and television, and read more about national and world news. (RL)

The construct validities of the Self Description Questionnaire I, the Perceived Social Competence Scale, and the Multidimensional Measure of Children's Perceptions of Control were assessed, using 508 seventh through ninth graders in Sydney (Australia). Factor analysis, multitrait-multimethod analyses, and patterns of correlations with additional…

The relationships among drug use, health beliefs, peer use, sex, and religion were examined using data collected from 265 seventh graders in rural northern Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin in January and February of 1984. Positive relationships were found between drug use and peer use and health beliefs. (TJH)

Discusses the development of a project-based approach to history instruction as a result of student dissatisfaction with a more traditional curriculum. Maintains that interested and motivated students take more responsibility for their learning. Presents project descriptions and provides recommendations for implementing the approach. (CFR)

Describes a Food-Choice Unit that includes the following activities: drawing circle graphs, graphing dietary content, understanding heart attacks, reducing dietary fat, charting fat content of restaurant foods, and calculating percent of fat. Includes extension activities. (CSCO)