Suggests that the story of humanity can be presented as human groups solving the basic problems of human existence throughout time. Contends that delineating this basic theme of history can present students with a coherent view of history. Links the individual's story to the broader view and presents a teaching unit that conceptualizes this…

Explores the meaning of distributive justice and considers the importance of teaching the concept in social studies classes. Delineates characteristics of reasonable arguments for treating people differently to bring about justice. Presents situations to generate classroom discussion of the concept of justice. (NL)

Compares two instructional strategies, prompting and direct instruction, to determine which produces dialogical reasoning in written essays concerning controversial issues. Participants were 45 sixth graders. Finds both strategies equally productive and concludes that the emphasis should be on providing thought-provoking, issues-oriented social…

Describes the format for an interdisciplinary program of English/social studies (ESP) for eleventh grade honor students developed by the Coconut Creek High School (Florida). Promotes a thematic context for innovation and relies on cooperative learning. Provides the teacher-developed goals for the ESP program including learning outcome, present…

Criticizes primacy of the Eurocentric world view in social studies education. Argues that demographic realities demand that students understand and respect disparate, pluralistic values. Recommends curricular emphases and classroom methods for fostering analysis, clarification, and integration of differing ideologies. Contends that social studies…

Describes effects of interactive video in the social studies classroom. Delineates basic system components and how they may be used to access multimedia kits or to create teacher-designed systems. Illustrates the method by using kits in a tenth grade world history class and an eighth grade unit on the 1988 presidential campaign. (NL)

Using South Africa as its focus, outlines a middle school lesson plan for teaching geographic themes and location and place. Provides students practice using geographic skills. Includes instruction about major cultural and ethnic groups living in South Africa along with three maps for classroom use. (NL)

Discusses the "Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v Mergens" case that was recently decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court stated that refusal to allow the student Bible club to meet on school property violated the federal Equal Access Act. Presents the constitutional issues raised and the case's significance. (SLM)

Uses the "Westside Community Schools" case that involved religious freedom to illustrate using mediation as a form of conflict resolution. Provides instructions to the teacher and a sketch of participants' roles in simulation role-play exercise. Lists additional resources on religious freedom and conflict resolution. (DB)

Examines an 1876 letter from a missionary to Ferdinand V. Hayden in the context of the U.S. government's policy of instituting religious education and training for Native Americans. Provides a photocopy of the letter and outlines class activities designed to help students analyze the document. (DB)

Examines the current relationship between religious liberty and U.S. democracy. Presents a proposal to reforge the U.S. public philosophy according to the notion of chartered pluralism that celebrates the diversity embodied in the First Amendment. Ties this to the conflict between communitarianism and libertarianism. (DB)

States that religion is appropriately taught in world history and literature and that religion is missing from world history textbooks. Contends that, to be well educated, a person needs to be familiar with the various religions of the world. Stresses religion can be taught in nonindoctrinative ways. (DB)

Describes summer institutes funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and offered by the University of Florida and designed for Florida teachers whose courses include topics about religion. Notes that the Supreme Court has endorsed teaching about religion where appropriate. (DB)

Discusses religious influences on nineteenth-century voting behaviors. Demonstrates how such historiographic information might be integrated into standard teaching on this period. Contends this integration of religious materials will promote student understanding of the role of religion in U.S. history. Points out that historiographical study can…

Recounts how participation in various summer teacher workshops gave the author access to materials for use in teaching about the religious influences in U.S. history. Relates that the National Archives'"Primarily Teaching" workshop revealed primary source documents representing every period in U.S. history. Provides ways these historical documents…