Discusses the goals of high school world history instruction. States that the instructional challenge for world history teachers is to create a curriculum that builds the attitudes, knowledge, and skills needed to develop a world perspective that rejects stereotypes and opens the doors to tolerance and respect for differences. (JDH)

This article describes the continued efforts of the Joint Council on Economic Education (JCEE) to offer sound curriculum planning guidelines. The guidelines identify the fundamental concepts and generalizations students must learn and the grade levels at which they may be introduced and developed within the curriculum. Includes an excerpt on the…

Provides an activity which integrates family history and geography. The activity is based on a time-space pathway diagram which shows the dates and places family members lived in the form of a graph. (JDH)

Provides a brief history of the Florida Law Related Education Association (Tallahassee). Details its services and programs, focusing especially on strategies for involving attorneys in law-related education. (JDH)

States that writing can help bring more content into the classroom and identifies resources for this purpose. Included are citations and brief abstracts for three journal articles and two ERIC documents which address writing in the social studies classroom. (JDH)

Provides reviews of TEACHING ECONOMICS TO YOUNG ADOLESCENTS: A RESEARCH-BASED RATIONALE (Davis, 1987); PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR THE TEACHING OF THINKING (Beyer, 1987); and THE AMERICANS: THE HISTORY OF A PEOPLE AND A NATION (Jordan et al., 1988). (JDH)

This article offers four classroom activities based on the 10 trends identified in Naisbitt's 1982 book, MEGATRENDS: TEN NEW DIRECTIONS TRANSFORMING OUR LIVES. The activities are based on a data retrieval chart, a consequence chart, reverse historical chronology, and guided fantasies. Includes samples of the charts. (JDH)

Discusses the possible ramifications of the Hatch Amendment of 1978 and gives illustrations of concepts and ideas traditionally taught in social studies courses that may cause problems for social studies programs. Calls for action on the part of educators to develop a consistent and relevant social studies curriculum. (GEA)

Presents a study which compares students' opinions of social studies and reading in grades 3, 5, and 7. States that students favor reading and that negative attitudes toward social studies increase with the grade level. Offers suggestions for increasing student interest, identifies questions for future research, and includes the survey's interest…

Discusses and gives illustrations of how to use comic books to teach history. Explores the historical background of comic books and includes detailed procedures for helping students develop their own history comics. Praises this approach as a way to enliven secondary social studies and motivate students. (GEA)

Presents an example of economics teaching in a "language arts format." The example shows how students might learn basic economics vocabulary by reading a story (supplied) and writing about its events. (GEA)

Discusses THE YOUNG HISTORIANS, a project of the Chula Vista (California) City School District which involves elementary students in oral and local history to learn basic social studies skills. Stating that the program is applicable to any area, the author examines the benefits of an oral history approach and provides a guide for conducting a…

Examines (1) the meaning of the term Pacific Rim, (2) the reasons for emphasizing the Pacific Rim in the social studies curriculum, and (3) useful strategies for teaching about this part of the world. Provides a list of reference and ERIC resources dealing with this subject. (GEA)

Describes the National Teacher of the Year awards program and presents the 1988 winner, Terry Weeks. Weeks, a middle school teacher from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and a member of the National Council for the Social Studies, explains his philosophy of teaching and describes some of his unique classroom strategies. (GEA)

Reviews two books: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE GREAT POWERS (Kennedy), which describes the relationship between economic growth and military power since 1500; and THRIVING ON CHAOS (Peters), which examines business practices needed in the twenty-first century. Both works emphasize the importance of the Pacific Rim and can help teachers think about…