A brief and flexible overview is presented of the steps that should be taken to revise social studies instruction. The booklet lists 10 steps in the revision process. Each step has a brief commentary followed by questions that a local curriculum planning group may want to consider. Some resources to help answer these questions are included. The steps are: needs assessment; decision making; research, trends, and promising practices; purposes and goal development; materials and content selection; material evaluation; development of objectives or expectations; adoption--final selection; implementation and in-service; and program evaluation. Also included is a bibliography of additional resources and readings. Included in the appendices are the revised National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Social Studies Curriculum Guidelines; elementary and secondary materials analysis forms; the textbook evaluation form used by the Boulder (Colorado) Public Schools system; elementary social studies criteria; and suggestions for sparking interest. (RM)