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.…

This master's thesis synthesizes literature on the teaching of the United States Constitution, analyzes the Supreme Court case of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens, 1990, and provides lesson plans for teaching the constitutional significance of this case. The thesis argues that because of the poor quality of textbooks and the inadequate…

Focusing on the most recent standards movement and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) framework for civics and government, this paper attempts to use the standards and framework to construct a synthesis model of civic education, to analyze the model through the perspectives of five civic education theorists, and to subject the…

Fundamental constitutional and legal principles are central to effective instruction in the K-12 social studies curriculum. To become competent citizens, students need to develop an understanding of the principles on which their society and government are based. Few principles are as important in the social studies curriculum as due process of…

The authors explore the extent to which a mature professional development school (PDS) partnership at Kansas State University (KSU) helps link the disparate parts of the social studies education community. The authors initially identify and describe the divisions or "gulfs" that commonly plague social studies education, such as the gulfs…

Intended for use by high school U.S. history and government teachers and students, these scripted trials and related materials are designed to help students develop an understanding about important ideas in the U.S. Constitution. The document focuses on three fundamental issues of the Bill of Rights: search and seizure, freedom of expression, and…

No generation in U.S. history has matched that of the founding era for its array of talented and influential political thinkers and actors. These individuals (such as George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison) possessed traits of character and intellect that significantly shaped the…

This digest addresses teaching about the U.S. Congress. The digest addresses the constitutional foundations of the U.S. Congress, including the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, representation, bicameralism, and the balance of power between state and federal government and among the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the federal…

This digest highlights the Constitutional and statutory foundations of the United States Supreme Court, discusses the changing role of the Supreme Court, and recommends online resources helpful in teaching and learning about the United States Supreme Court. The digest addresses general concerns of delegates at the Constitutional Convention,…

Although elections are an annual theme in many social studies classrooms, presidential election years prompt increased interest among students in the electoral process and offer an opportunity to teach about a national election as it happens. This ERIC Digest describes the legal requirements and traditions of U.S. presidential elections, processes…

The core mission of the social studies curriculum is education for democratic citizenship. The middle school years are an important time frame in which to fulfill that core mission. Policymakers, educators, community members, and parents need to recognize that civic education at the middle level years is important. One effective method for…

This ERIC digest addresses (1) the constitutional foundations of the U.S. presidency, (2) how the role of chief executive has changed through the years, and (3) Internet resources for teaching about the U.S. presidency. The digest discusses the Philadelphia Convention (1787), dominant issues guiding the creation of the chief executive's role,…

This ERIC resource is a guide to the array of law-related education (LRE) resources available to teachers. The annotated bibliography offers resources for essential knowledge of the law, innovative teaching methods, and guides to national LRE programs. Included in this collection are abstracts of LRE documents and journal articles, arranged…

This theme issue of "The International Journal of Social Education" contains 11 articles all concerned with efforts to promote civic education in post-communist countries, particularly former Soviet-Bloc nations, including Latvia, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Russia. Described are international partnerships for civic…

"We the People . . . Project Citizen," an instructional product, involves students in the selection and investigation of important public issues in their community and thus engages students in learning experiences designed to affect positively their civic development, which involves three basic components of democratic citizenship: (1)…