Australia has one of the highest standards of living in the world. Agriculture, grazing, and mining are the mainstays of the country's economy. Since the end of World War II, Australia has developed an advanced industrial base that manufactures a wide range of goods, from automobiles to clothespins. (RM)

This bibliographic essay discusses how Australian children's books and adolescent literature reflect Australian society. For example, Australian society tends to be male dominated; problems of a boy growing up in a mainly macho world are dealt with in Southall's "Josh" and "Walk a Mile" and in Phipson's "A Tide Flowing." (RM)

Whenever a class begins to study a new part of the world, teachers must deal with students' preexisting ideas about the area. Activities which will challenge elementary students' initial impressions of Australia and encourage them to learn more about the country are described. (RM)

Philography, or autograph collecting, is a good way to liven up social studies classes. For example, after watching the TV miniseries "Winds of War," students wrote to famous real life participants in the war asking them a variety of questions. The response rate was nearly 100 percent. (RM)

A survey of elementary teachers who had participated in inservice programs conducted by the social studies curriculum projects of the late 1960s and early 1970s showed that these projects did have a positive impact on teaching. For example, 60 percent of responding teachers today use a student-centered/process-oriented approach to teaching. (RM)

Oral history is a valuable teaching technique to use with elementary students because it provides a sense of self-identity; nurtures a concept of neighborhood; develops research and writing skills; and encourages a sense of curiosity, wonder, and excitement about history. Suggestions for beginning an elementary oral history project are presented.…

Elementary teachers can increase public awareness of the value of social studies by having students conduct a sidewalk fair in a local shopping mall. One exemplary fair used the "Revolutionary Times" in American history theme; students read stories, showed filmstrips, and sang songs. Considerations for implementing a fair are discussed. (RM)

Written primarily for children in grades K-8, the books selected for this annotated bibliography emphasize human relations. Books on U.S. history and culture, world history and culture, contemporary interests and controversies, understanding oneself and others, and religion, as well as biographies, autobiographies, folktales, and legends are…

Because of revisions made in the content of history textbooks, Japan has been accused of attempting to rewrite history as part of a larger conspiracy to brainwash students and to rearm the nation. Discussed are the legal authority of the national government to screen and approve textbooks and international reactions. (RM)

Science is a social issue. The examination of scientific issues offers an excellent opportunity for helping students develop a synthesized perspective on science related issues--a synthesis of the technical data coupled with social, political, economic, ethical, and philosophical information. (RM)

An examination of the ways moral education was taught in elementary public schools during the first three decades of the century suggests that moral education should be (1) indirect--not taught as a isolated subject; (2) comprehensive--include all aspects of school life; and (3) broadly conceived--moral education is multifaceted. (RM)

All instruction, including social studies, should be concerned with developing both halves of the brain rather than continuing to place emphasis only on those functions which reside in the left cerebral hemisphere. When presented with a social studies problem, students can view it in two ways--logically and intuitively. (RM)

Social studies should help children answer the question: Why do people act the way they do? Ways in which elementary teachers can help children see a connection between the personal events in their own lives, inner feelings and senses, and the world beyond the classroom are described. (RM)

The most obvious clue of the general absence of prosociality in social studies texts is the general omission of prosocial concepts in their organizing frameworks. Practical ideas for infusing social studies curricula with prosocial content are presented. (RM)

Scrambled outlines of a reading assignment can be used to teach students in grades 4-8 historical analysis, organizational and conceptual skills, teamwork, and peer cooperation. Illustrated is an assignment on why Europe entered an age of exploration by the 15th century. (RM)