Presents views of four Chinese visiting scholars regarding social, political, and economic conditions in China. Contemporary conditions are contrasted with previous periods, exposing some of the misconceptions which are typical of U.S. citizens who have failed to keep up with China's development. (JDH)

Part of the "How to Do It" series available from the National Council for the Social Studies, 3501 Newark Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20016, this booklet describes how to involve intermediate-grade through high school students in reconstructing biographies and discovering history by using local primary source documents. (JDH)

Presents 10 photos and a narrative depicting the culture of a remote village in Shanzi province, 400 miles southwest of Beijing. Provides information for obtaining additional print and audiovisual material on this village. (JDH)

Presents one elementary, one middle school, and two high school lesson plans designed to teach about changes which have occurred in China. (JDH)

Provides a checklist which will help teachers guard against common pitfalls present in low-quality and outdated materials used to teach about post-1949 China. (JDH)

Provides an annotated list of print and audiovisual materials which will support teaching about China at the elementary and secondary levels. (JDH)

Describes the rewards and difficulties encountered when an educator/administrator uses ApplePILOT to develop "higher-order" instructional software tailored to meet the needs of an existing history curriculum. Reports research results showing significant learning gains for the seventh graders who participated in the post-development study. (JDH)

Argues that geography can be made more relevant in today's social studies if it is presented as the study of the environmental impact of culture. This theme is illustrated by contrasting cultural influences which shaped the physically similar east and southeastern regions of China and the U.S. (JDH)

Provides a detailed description of nine ERIC resources designed to aid instruction about China. Included are teaching units, collections of activities, and teacher background material developed between 1981 and 1984 for use in elementary and secondary school settings. (JDH)

Reproduced along with background information and teaching activities are the first three pages from Kennedy's speech to the nation which led to federal enforcement of James Meridith's attempt to enroll in the University of Mississippi. (JDH)

Psychology teachers have been encouraged to teach psychology both as a scientific enterprise and as applications to personal and social problems. Classroom problems that arise, e.g., Should a psychology teacher provide psychological counseling to a needy student? are discussed. (RM)

An 18-week economics course for high school students is described. Students develop and present a group project that explains and justifies an economic policy for the United States, develop their own economic seminar consisting of student-invited speakers from the community, conduct economic research, and simulate a community business. (RM)

The historical consensus seems to be that there is no one best method for teaching social studies. Rather the best is any variety of methods that a teacher finds comfortable. The literature of the history of social studies holds many useful ideas for today's teachers. (RM)

U. S. students are poorly prepared regarding map skills and the general field of geography. Research suggests that significant improvement can and should be made in map and globe teaching programs. Sources that describe what to cover at different age and grade levels and that recommend teaching ideas are discussed. (RM)

A step-by-step strategy for teaching secondary geography students about the concept of elevation using topographic maps is described. Students view slides of everyday examples of variations in elevation, produce a simple contour map using a layered model of a mountain, and analyze topographic maps of their own and other areas. (RM)