This resource unit, developed by University of Minnesota's Project Social Studies as part of a course on Our Political System, introduces eighth graders to decision making at the local level. This unit, much shorter than the others in the course, attempts to have pupils use concepts learned earlier to analyze one or more crucial problems in their…

Reputational and pluralistic methods of community analysis differ; their findings, conclusions, and philosophies are frequently at variance. Reputationalists find an economically dominated power elite. They picture a community's power and influence structure as pyramidal -- the power elite forming a monolithic power pyramid. Thus, according to…

This study was designed to discover and evaluate in the community setting the intergroup relations principles or factors involved in the social change connected with school desegregation. Specifically, an effort has been made to validate in the actual ongoing process of school desegregation a number of selected theoretical or academic principles…

In this third grade teaching guide emphasis is placed on community study, providing data for generalizations about cultural diversity. Affective objectives foster curiosity and respect for cultural contributions and differences. Inquiry, critical thinking, geographic and sequential development of skills are stressed. Four resource units that focus…

Grosse Pointe, Michigan, is a status community--but is it status quo? Yes and no. A bill proposed as a measure of community support for open housing opportunities got a definite "no" vote in Grosse Pointe Farms, although in opposition to State and Federal law precedents. The first Negro family who bought a Grosse Pointe home met with…

A do-it-yourself workbook, this guide is designed to help small, rural communities estimate the impact of new industry on the local economy. Included in this workbook are: (1) an introductory section presenting impact analysis rationale, workbook directions, an exemplary analysis, and explanations re: computer analysis; (2) a list of the 45…

Discusses a study of the local environment done in a first-year Integrated Humanities course. Focuses on the use of field trip explorations of the local community that were student-directed. Includes explanations of pre-site, on-site, and post-site activities. Emphasis was on cooperative group learning and purposeful oral and written…

Describes examples of industrial education projects in three elementary schools in Staffordshire, England. One involves marketing the historical heritage and other attractions of the community. The second investigates the problem of making and decorating tiles, and the third relates to planning a shopping center. (TW)

A replication of the 1920 Lynd study of everday life in Middletown, a typical America community, is presented. Data reveal that while Middletown did experience rapid change between 1890 and 1920 as the Industrial Revolution swept through middle America, there has been a significantly slower rate of change since then. (Author/RM)

The program for artistically talented in the Jersey City Public Schools primarily serves a disadvantaged population. Among its activities are field trips to the countryside and to local neighborhoods. Students get new visual experiences which they can compare to familiar ones and are encouraged to use in their artwork. (CS)

Describes a community asset assessment used as a mechanism for reaching and engaging an undervalued community. Latino adolescents were placed in leadership roles as assessment interviewers in a Puerto Rican community. Discusses challenges and implications for involvement of Latino youths in school and human-services agency asset research. (LSR)

Discusses how libraries contribute to a community's quality of life. Topics include economic impacts; equal access to information resources; children's introductions to libraries; the future role of libraries; the impact of physical development on the sense of community; life skills, including accountability and responsibility; and career paths…

Students learn little about some aspects of U.S. history, such as the history of science, technology, art, religion, and everyday life. What they most often learn about are the "big events" of political and military history. This document seeks to address that problem through its 30 lessons. The first two lessons, "There's an Old Trunk in My…

Self-contained lessons for use in secondary level social studies, English, and language arts courses will help students understand that they are a part of a global community. Although written for use in Ohio schools, the lessons can easily be adapted for use in other states. Unit 1 shows students how the decisions of people in other countries can…

Grouse Creek is a small Mormon ranching community in the extreme northwest corner of Utah. A survey of that community was conducted during 1985 by a team of folklorists, architectural historians, and historians, with the purpose of testing the idea of combining in the same fieldwork a concern for architecture, folk arts, and folklife. The work was…