Asking surface-level questions is a common practice among educators. Delva Daines's (1986) pilot study indicated that 93 percent of the questions asked during lessons were at the literal level of comprehension and that it was very common for the teachers to restate, rephrase, or answer their own questions before the student had an opportunity to…

A review of "The September 11th Education Program: A National Interdisciplinary Curriculum" reveals a sensitive and well-created program for the 5-12 social studies teacher to use in teaching about the challenging subject of 9/11. This program provides an opportunity for teachers to find a balance among understanding, critical analysis,…

When, if ever, should social studies teacher educators and K-12 teachers seek to inculcate specific values, attitudes, and beliefs in their students? To address this question, the author offers a case from his own practice as a social studies teacher educator, illustrating how he promoted critical and divergent thinking during the first half of…

States that developing the ability to think is the primary goal of social studies education. Examines the renewed attention that is being focused on this skill. Reviews the inquiry method, questioning, and discussion as means of promoting thinking in the classroom. (GEA)

States that programs which link the teaching of thinking with content have the greatest instructional value. Presents a concept formation lesson, based on the works of Taba (1967) and Ehrenberg (1978), which requires students to learn a concept by studying several examples and noting their similarities and differences. Includes a sample…

Reviews the ReQuest model of teaching (Manzo, 1969), a sequential approach to reading which flows from predicting what a passage will be about to structured questioning by students and teacher. Reports the results of a study (n = 15) of the effectiveness of this procedure in a juvenile corrections setting. (JDH)

Maintains that citizens in a democracy have a patriotic responsibility to speak out against policies with which they sincerely disagree. Lists examples of notable American dissenters, provides guidelines for responsible dissent, and presents the comments of three prominent citizens regarding the influence of common people on government policies.…

How television can be used to develop and reinforce important citizenship traits is discussed. Described are student activities dealing with acquiring and using information, assessing information, making decisions, making judgments, communicating ideas to others, cooperating with others, and promoting and protecting one's interests. (RM)

A major goal of the social studies teacher should be to nurture independent reading-thinking habits, including inquisitiveness, critical thinking, and evaluation of ideas presented in information. How this can be done through skillful question planning is discussed. (RM)

Techniques that a social studies teacher can use to help students develop imagination, understanding, and divergent thinking are discussed. Also examined are meanings attached to the creative process and traits of creative people. (RM)

Focuses on the use of economic reasoning in the social studies classroom. Presents an activity to help teachers incorporate economics into social studies. Explores how the issue of slavery can be taught by focusing on the economic importance of slavery and its impact on present-day society. (CMK)

Reviews the "Handbook of Research on Social Studies Teaching and Learning's" section on learner outcomes and effective teaching methods. Concludes most researchers in this section expect social studies to teach active citizenship reached through decision making within a democratic society. Examines the debate on how best to produce this…

Contends that the problems approach is new to most teachers and is at odds with the dominant curricular trend that includes reliance on textbooks and content-oriented courses. Concludes that there is a formidable set of forces opposing the implementation of such a curriculum. (SLM)

Outlines a method for modifying the current social studies curriculum so it can be taught from an issue-centered approach. States that conventional courses in history and geography would be organized around the study of a select number of important issues and illustrates the way these classes would be taught using this approach. (SLM)

Examines the relationship between teaching content or knowledge, and teaching the skills of critical thinking and problem solving. Presents key strategies to help students understand and develop critical thinking skills. Recommends use of the developmental lesson and provides several model lessons. (LS)