Written in 1973, the document describes the application of Jean Piaget's pedagogical principles to an elementary and secondary social studies curriculum: Social Encounter and Research Curriculum for Humanization (SEARCH). In Part I, it is stressed that SEARCH is the first innovative curricular program that strives to teach the major concepts of social studies at the same time it seeks to structure these concepts into an individualized instructional design based on Piaget. Part II discusses Piaget's pedagogical principles. For Piaget, the role of action lies at the base of a child's development. Also, he maintains that intellectual development follows a fixed and regular sequence. The particular chronological stage of a child determines how he can react to a given experience. Part III describes the premises of SEARCH. Four levels comprise the total program. Level A (ages 5-7) covers the cognitive operation of pre-operational thought. Level B (ages 8-11) is characterized by concrete operations. Level C (ages 12-14) focuses on early formal operations, and Level D (15-18) on formal operations. Content is organized around five psycho-social functions: self-realizing, governing, producing and consuming goods and services, utilizing environments, and generating and interpreting. Each stage contains ten units; each unit contains several activities built around the unit theme. In all units, multimedia materials are the chief means by which instruction takes place. (KC)