This article presents findings from an investigation of the treatment of wealth distribution by high school economics textbooks. The eight leading high school economics texts in the United States were examined.

Social studies methods textbooks constitute a rich source of data for trends in teaching and learning. This study examined twenty secondary social studies methods texts for the instructional approaches they recommend. The researchers concluded that methods texts published over the past fifty years consistently call for pedagogical variety and…

The authors of this article examine several controversial U.S. monuments and offer teachers a rationale, resources, and suggested activities for incorporating these historical monuments into classroom instruction. The authors discuss why controversial issues should be discussed in the social studies classroom through the critical examination of…

The authors argue that deliberation should be an integral part of secondary civics classrooms and teacher education programs. Drawing on a wide range of research, they contend that teaching and learning deliberative skills has the potential to build individual and group civic capacity. They share some of the results of an evaluation of one…

Given the current national debate over immigration reform and the plethora of anti-immigrant policies, practices, and laws, school curriculums should include materials that will allow students to learn about, and reflect on, the impact this debate has on the lived realities of those most impacted. Specifically, teachers and their students will…

Applying a consistent historical theme throughout a social studies course is an effective long-term planning strategy that can promote student engagement, retention of information, and contextualized knowledge of history's continuity and change. This article demonstrates how one such theme, power and liberty, might be incorporated into a secondary…

In this article, the authors offer social studies educators a way to deepen students' understanding of civil disobedience as a democratic and nonviolent means of instigating social change. The authors explore the concept of civil disobedience from a historical perspective and examine the justifications and ramifications of each historical example.…

The stories of people's lives are captured in historic and contemporary media. Through these lenses, students and teachers can see into the world of social issues and movements, figures, and events. Ultimately, they yield a range of perspectives across time and space. In this article, the author introduces thematic investigations as a systematic…

Methods courses, the mainstays of preservice teacher education in social studies, are curiously understudied in general terms although there are numerous focused studies on such topics as methods textbooks, problem-based learning, and critical thinking, including an issue focused on reflections on the methods course in the "International Social…

Men in the United States are products of society's assumptions about what it means to "be a man." Throughout American history, these assumptions have supported aggression, conflict, and war. Seeing American troops in Iraq conjures comparisons not only to past military ventures but also to the changing face of the masculine warrior. One might see…

At least since John Dewey published his classic works (Dewey [1916] 1938; 1933; [1938] 1963), teachers have been urged to engage students by using thinking and inquiry tasks that reflect real-world concerns and interests. Subsequent to the appearance of Dewey's discussions of that pedagogical stance, the National Council for the Social Studies…

Leonard Stout Kenworthy was born to Quaker parents in Richmond, Indiana, in 1912. His father, Murray Kenworthy, was a faculty member in the religious studies department at Earlham College in Richmond. After spending time in New York, Ohio, and Washington, DC, Kenworthy enrolled in a Quaker boarding school not far from Philadelphia. After…

Presents a five-step method to develop the critical numeracy knowledge of numerically intimidated students. Examines the method in detail, discussing Piagetian diagnostic tools and how to adapt the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy to teach critical numeracy. (CMK)

Focuses on teaching a U.S. history course to secondary school students about the women's club movement which began in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Explores five key topic areas involving theoretical frameworks, community activities of the women, and skill development due to club involvement. (CMK)

Describes a lesson plan that uses an inquiry, problem-based activity to educate students on gender and development inequities that women throughout the world encounter. Includes information on follow-up activities, how to use the Gender Equity and Opportunity Commission (GEOCOM) to illustrate a region and field tests of the activity. (CMK)