The authors feel there is a need of a new and different kind of classroom conversation about free speech--one that not only considers the legal and aspirational dimensions but also weighs the practice and impact of speech in daily life. Two factors make this new conversation particularly urgent. First, the avalanche of social media communication,…

This article, which was completed in January 2020, expands the author's presidential address, which was delivered at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference in Austin, Texas, on November 22, 2019. In her address, Heafner discusses the new ecology of social studies and focuses on concerns over the civic health of our…

In this article, the author tells the story of the 22-month program involving the political exodus of thousands of Cuban children to the United States in the early 1960s. Fearing communist indoctrination and the rumor of patria potestad--the government assuming legal guardianship of their children--Cuban parents sent their unaccompanied children…

The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress in Geography revealed that few American students can identify locations of current events, the scale of those events, or why those events are important. Social studies educators have found that by incorporating emerging technologies into their classroom--such as Geographic Information Systems…

When the author was growing up in East Los Angeles his mother told him about the "classy" gangsters of East L.A. who wore Zoot Suits. Through research, he learned that the Zoot Suiters were much more than well-dressed Latinos: they had a sense of honor and pride and exhibited class under adverse circumstances. In August of 1942, Jose Diaz, a…

Because in his Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln said, "we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain," and "...that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth," it is accurate to report that he spoke the words "perish from the earth" and "died in vain." But if his 1864…

Are middle schoolers capable of discussing the war in Iraq in meaningful ways? Can seventh graders develop informed ideas about presidential candidates' positions on health care? Should young adolescents discuss controversial public issues, interpret primary sources, and analyze social problems? Thoughtful social studies educators disagree. While…

Amador Valley High School, in Pleasanton, California, uses two unique approaches to teaching Advanced Placement Government and Politics. AP Government consists of six units: Constitutional Underpinnings; Political Behavior and Political Beliefs; Mass Media, Interest Groups, and Political Parties; Institutions of Government; Civil Liberties and…

Culturally responsive instruction appears to offer the potential to improve students' academic achievement and chances for success in school. However, it is not easy to see how culturally responsive instruction can be applied, especially in classrooms with students of many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In the first section of this…

Censorship is a complex question. Studies show a number of reasons teachers refrain from teaching controversial issues. These include: (1) The general "chilling effects" in school and community contexts, characterized by fear of reprisal; (2) Standards and high stakes testing; (3) Insufficient teacher preparation to teach about…

Interdisciplinary social science instructional materials for grades one through eight are evaluated in this article. Cognitive and affective teaching strategies are employed in the project. (SM)

Surveys the technical characteristics of 22 industry-sponsored instructional programs in economics, and identifies the objectives of economics education. Contends that the 22 concepts identified by the Joint Council on Economic Education need to be translated into a framework of learning objectives. Concludes that industry sponsored programs could…

More than 22 million persons in the United States speak a non-English language at home. There is an ideology that associates non-English languages with foreignness, and often with poverty and inferiority. The background for this ideology, how it developed, and whether it is warranted are discussed. (RM)

Presents an annotated bibliography of 22 trade books that deal with violence and its consequences. The books have been chosen for their power in dealing with tough subjects forthrightly and without compromise. Includes fiction and non-fiction suitable for intermediate (grades 3-5), middle (grades 6-8), and advanced (grades 9-12) levels. (MJP)

Recommends 98 books, coded for reading level, which emphasize human relations and present original theme or fresh slant on traditional topic. Topical categories are: American history, culture and life (23 titles); world history and culture (13 titles); biographies (6 titles); folktales, storytelling, and poetry (22 titles); contemporary interests…