current+issues+and+trends

Trends in social studies** //K-12 tends in social studies education: by Frederick Risinger (Oct 1992)// [|//http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/12/f5/74.pdf//] Drawing on contemporary research literature, recently developed curriculum guides, and blue-ribbon reports, this digest reviews 10 contemporary trends in K-12 social studies in the United States. Trends are as follows: (1) History, history, and more history; (2) More geography, too; (3) Using literature to teach social studies; (4) Focus on the multicultural nature of American society; (5) Renewed attention to western civilization; (6) Renewed attention to ethics and values; (7) Increased attention to the role of religion; (8) Attention to contemporary and controversial issues; (9) Covering issues in depth; and (10) Writing, writing, and more writing.

//NCSS Position Statements:// //[]// NCSS has written position statements on many of the issues surrounding social studies. Some of the ones included are:
 * [|A Vision of Powerful Teaching and Learning in the Social Studies: Building Social Understanding and Civic Efficacy]
 * [|Academic Freedom and the Social Studies Teacher]
 * [|Creating Effective Citizens]
 * [|Curriculum Guidelines for Multicultural Education]
 * [|Curriculum Guidelines for Multicultural Education]
 * [|Curriculum Guidelines for Social Studies Teaching and Learning]
 * [|Fostering Civic Virtue: Character Education in the Social Studies]
 * [|Intelligent Design]
 * [|Media Literacy]
 * [|NCSS Guidelines and Principles for Student Government]
 * [|NCSS Position Statement on Media Literacy]
 * [|NCSS Principles for Corporate Involvement in the Schools]
 * [|Preparing Citizens for a Global Community]
 * [|Revised Code of Ethics for the Social Studies Profession]
 * [|Service-Learning: An Essential Component of Citizenship Education]
 * [|Social Studies for Early Childhood and Elementary School Children Preparing for the 21st Century]
 * [|Social Studies in the Era of No Child Left Behind]
 * [|Social Studies in the Middle School]
 * [|Study About Religions in the Social Studies Curriculum]
 * [|Technology Position Statement and Guidelines]

//The Social Studies Wars: Now and Then: by Ronald Evans - Social Education September 2006

Where Did Social Studies Go Wrong?// [] This new report from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation consists of penetrating critiques by renegade social studies educators who fault the regnant teaching methods and curricular ideas of their field and suggest how it can be reformed. While nearly everyone recognizes that American students don't know much about history and civics, these analysts probe the causes of this ignorance-and lay primary responsibility at the feet of the social studies "establishment" to which they belong.

//Core Knowledge:// [] Dedicated to excellence and fairness in early education, the Core Knowledge Foundation is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 1986 by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Virginia and author of many acclaimed books including Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them. The Foundation conducts research on curricula, develops books and other materials for parents and teachers, offers workshops for teachers, and serves as the hub of a growing network of Core Knowledge schools.