Historical and cultural world understandings are presented to secondary students in this social studies teaching supplement to guidelines described in documents SO 003 186 and SO 003 188. The objective of the activity units is to encourage the students to become inquirers into the values of the non-western and western world. Emphasis is upon providing courses of study, based on student needs, that help one acquire, develop, and use cognitive and critical thinking skills and techniques of social scientists. Each lesson plan is built around a framework of knowledge and inquiry objectives, and activity teaching strategies and procedures. Recapitulation, the introductory unit, leads students to an understanding of the cultures of the early civilizations of Egypt, the Fertile Crescent, Eastern Mediterranean, the Orient, and Europe focusing upon Greek and Roman culture. In the second unit, India, cultural background information is given with emphasis on religion, social customs, attitudes, and values. Unit three, Changing Japan, gives the student a brief overview of Japan's history, helping him to follow, interpret, and evaluate Japan's transformation. The last unit, Basic Principles of American Government, deals with the structure of American government and, in addition, introduces other government structures into the course. (SJM)