This unit is designed to lead high school students to consider seriously the U.S. role in the world. At the core of the unit is a framework of choices for U.S. foreign policy. These choices, or Futures as they are called in the unit, are intended to be a vehicle to guide students through the process involved in developing a reasoned opinion on the…

The materials presented here are visual aids used in a presentation on citizenship instruction for older and physically challenged adults. They consist of a series of "screens" containing information on: demographic information on samples of citizenship students in 1995 and 1997, illustrating changes in the population; motivations of and barriers…

This curriculum is designed to introduce secondary students to the ideas behind the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution and the experiences of the Founders that led to the creation of this document. Its intent is to provide young people with a knowledge of how the Bill of Rights came into existence, why it took the form it did, and how it has…

The summer reading program of the New York State Library is intended to assist youth in increasing their intellectual base by broadening their backgrounds through reading during the summer. The 1992 "New York is Reading Country" theme is intended to add a few more layers to what students already know about the state and to be helpful in…

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) launched the "Maryland and Your World" project in 1983. The purpose of this project is to assist local school systems in implementing guidelines established by MSDE's curricular framework for the social studies. Goal four of this framework focuses on the ideas, institutions, and processes…

The 1933-42 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) continues to generate interest, indicated by efforts to create a new national program and by successful state programs in California and Ohio. The CCC initially inducted unemployed, unmarried men, aged 18-25, later inducted older men and Native Americans. CCC requirements included vocational education…

The lessons in this handbook may be incorporated into individual courses in social studies, humanities, language arts, and science, or used as a basis for multidisciplinary or team teaching. The book is aimed at the middle grade level. With only minor changes, it can easily be adapted for grade 5 U.S. history or even for the 11th grade course. An…

Designed for inclusion in an eighth grade course on U.S. history or civics, this unit introduces local students to the history of Alexandria (Virginia) through a study of its buildings and urban growth. By examining factors which have changed the community (technology, transportation, economic influences) as well as the relationship between…

This compendium of 10 curriculum resource units offers interdisciplinary activities to develop critical and creative thinking skills in gifted students. "Life Is Becoming: Can You Find the Way?" by Vicki Miller, uses American literature to help youth make the transition to adulthood. "Coming to America," by Deborah Cornwell,…

This document contains three issues of a journal for elementary and secondary teachers which provide materials and teaching ideas for integrating folk music appreciation into social studies, literature, and humanities courses. The first issue focuses on women's songs. It contains eight folksongs, each accompanied by background information and…

This publication was prepared as a resource guide to teaching strategies that help students understand the background, nature, and pervasive influence of the U.S. Constitution in the lives of every citizen. As the Constitutional Bicentennial approaches, the focus in many social studies classes increasingly will be on teaching about this most…

A sample packet on the Pawnee experience, developed for use by junior high teachers, includes a reading list and materials for teachers and students. Sections on Pawnee origins, history, religion and world view, tribal structure and kinship, and economic system before and after relocation from Nebraska to Oklahoma include objectives, lists of…

Derived from an exhibit produced cooperatively by the New York State Archives and the New York State Museum for the Franklin D. Roosevelt Centennial, and designed to provide secondary students with first-hand exposure to New York during the Great Depression, this packet contains a teacher's guide and 22 facsimile documents, including historic…

This document is a history of Wisconsin's equalization aid formula, embodying all the formula studies conducted since 1947, along with all the actions taken by Wisconsin legislatures and governors since 1927. The introduction provides the constitutional and statutory rationale for state education aid, and lists the committees that have studied the…

These activities help high school students develop an understanding of nuclear weapons within the context of human beings making choices. Students learn to evaluate information and to identify the political stand or bias in what they hear and read. To record their own growth and change, students are encouraged to keep a journal. Teachers can…