This paper constitutes a report based on a project reported in full in ED 034 322 to develop and test information systems designed for use by elementary school children in studying world cultures and a set of research studies to explore children's thinking about human society and culture. A data bank was built on the category system of the Human Relations Area Files and multi-media developed about the Pueblo and a New England community. Investigations explored the kinds of questions the children asked, their use of information, the parts of the systems they utilized, and the inquiry characteristics of the children which related to use of the system. Extensive investigation was made of the types of help the children needed to make use of the data banks. It was learned that it is possible to support curriculum in the social studies with information systems presenting various world cultures. It also appears possible to develop a self-administering systems which will present to students cultural problems, which will present them concepts and modes of inquiry from the social sciences, and which will induce them to engage in the exploration of those concepts and the application of those modes of inquiry to the study of cultures and cultural problems. A set of priorities for needed research is included. (Author/VLW)