Examines the planning, implementation, and mission of the Clearinghouse for Character Education at California State University, Fresno. Materials collected at the Clearinghouse include samples of model programs, research, contacts for program development, and instructional resources for teachers, schools, and districts interested in character…

Reports on the background and philosophical base of the Community of Caring program. Originally started as a teen pregnancy prevention effort, the program has grown to include teacher training, values discussion, student forums, parent involvement, and community service learning. The program is sponsored through the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation.…

Formulates a pedagogical position that articulates religious experience as complementary to formal-rational thought. Recent postmodernist criticism has located secular thinking as a coequal position to subjective religious experience on the now-leveled philosophical playing field. Explores what this newfound (academic) respectability means for…

Traces the origins of Protestant and Jewish religious educators' ideas about the role of religious education in building a multicultural democracy. Maintains that Protestant and Jewish educators were brought together by common interests in transforming religious education, along progressive lines, into character education. (MJP)

Provides a brief history of character education and categorizes current efforts. Recommends combining civic participation programs with character education in an attempt to provide consistency, depth, and support. Notes that civic participation programs teach a recognized set of values, use interactive teaching strategies, and promote critical…

Presents a strategically designed plan of moral education that was incorporated into a physical education curriculum. The plan enhanced the social skill development of elementary school students identified as at risk for dysfunctional behavior. The program helped improve communication skills and increase cooperation and sharing among students. (SM)

Recommends two computer programs for elementary social studies use that help solve the problem of one-computer classrooms: Little Shoppers Kit, a store-in-the-classroom role play; and Choices, Choices, a two-part program concerning ethical questions relevant to students' experiences. Emphasizes cooperative learning, teacher as facilitator, and…

Discusses a euthanasia incident in which a doctor claimed, in a letter to the "Journal of the American Medical Association," to have given a fatal dose of morphine to a dying cancer patient. Debates the ethical issues involved in the journal's decision to print the letter, withholding the author's name. (DB)

Examines the integral relationship between law-related education and social studies, particularly in the context of values education, ethical reasoning, and participatory activities. Illustrates the complementarity of social studies and law-related education components. Reviews literature on U.S. history and the U.S. Constitution that coordinate…

Maintains that experiential methods that rely on students' own life experiences and involve self-disclosure are becoming increasingly common in sociology courses that deal with difficult subjects. Discusses benefits and risks involved in using such methods in a student-instructor dialog. (CFR)

Critiques 20 years of moral education research, briefly commenting on major developments and theories. Discusses the link between cognitive distortion and antisocial behavior in adolescents. Includes a list of theoretical suggestions for future research. (MJP)

Endorses the movement, popular among parents and teachers, for implementing ethical instruction in the K-12 curriculum. Discusses the needs and benefits of such instruction. Examines the question of "whose values" are to be taught, and arrives at a consensus of core values, including honesty, compassion, self-discipline, and respect.…

Summarizes 11 ERIC documents and journal articles on teaching conflict resolution to students, particularly students in the middle grades. Includes discussions of conflict among students and strategies for dealing with violence in schools, descriptions of conflict resolution programs and projects implemented in schools, and an analysis of the…

Discusses the actual subjects of study in science-technology-society (STS) education. The article looks at why it is being promoted, on what grounds, and by whom. It notes what alternative views compete with it, who will benefit, what constraints should be acknowledged, and what consequences can be anticipated. (SM)

Analyzes African-Americans narratives of interracial conflict. Concludes that issues of power and authority are imbedded in interracial interpersonal relationships. Explores themes of justice and care in the psychological development of African Americans and in the transmission of race-related morals and values in African-American culture. (DK)