Social Education articles from September 2006

Social Education archives from September 2006

Editor's notebook.(US population growth)(Editorial)
September 1, 2006... When the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787, the U.S. population was believed to number about 3 million. This October the U.S. population is expected to cross a new threshold one hundred times greater--the...

Population estimates used by Congress during the Constitutional Convention.
September 1, 2006... During the summer of 1787, when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia, the issue of representation in Congress was strongly debated. Delegates from the large states favored the Virginia Plan's proposal for two...

Now and then: the U.S. reaches 300 million.
September 1, 2006... When this country was founded, 4 million people lived in the original 13 states--about the same number who now live in Los Angeles. How do we know? We know because a constitutionally mandated census was taken in 1790 and every 10 years...

Teaching about the big three-o (300 million) using the Internet.(population growth)
September 1, 2006... When I decided to write this September's column on the U.S. population hitting the 300 million mark, I knew it would be challenging; however, I wasn't prepared for the controversial nature of many of the hits I got. On my first Google search,...

The immigration reform debate.
September 1, 2006... The number of undocumented foreign nationals living in the United States today is estimated at more than 12 million. The lack of adequate economic opportunities in other countries continues to inspire foreign nationals to come to the United...

Constitution day: start the school year with civics.
September 1, 2006... At the start of the last school year, educators across the country, especially those who teach social studies, returned to their schools and found quite a surprise. The celebration and recognition of Constitution Day on September 17th was now...

First-hand civics: students volunteer at the polls.
September 1, 2006... Social Education Staff When Gilberto Zelaya visited South Africa in 2000, he was struck by the high level of voter participation and turnout in that country. Back in the United States, Zelaya decided to work on voter participation in this...

A new look at voter turnout: good news after all?
September 1, 2006... Social Education Staff Many studies of United States voting have sought to explain why voter participation is declining. Recent research by Michael P. McDonald suggests that the much-lamented "decline in voter participation" is an artifact...

May Madness! A classroom competition merges historical research with public debate.
September 1, 2006... "When I first was told about May Madness I wasn't really sure what to expect. I thought that I wasn't going to be able to get in front of a group of judges and speak about my historical figure.... I was also not sure what to ask during cross...

Using art to teach history to young learners.
September 1, 2006... Conventionally, the elementary social studies students' curriculum examines heroes and heroines. Yet there are many ways one becomes a hero or heroine and only a few of these are explored in textbooks. Bernice Sims, for example was a voting...

The Social Studies Wars, now and then.
September 1, 2006... "Research & Practice," established early in 2001, features educational research that is directly relevant to the work of classroom teachers. Here, I invited Ron Evans to provide an historical perspective on the controversy that once again...

The state of social studies: a national random survey of elementary and middle school social studies teachers.
September 1, 2006... During the past two decades there has been mounting evidence based upon tests, surveys, and research that most American students graduate from or leave high school with little basic knowledge of history, civics, economics, and geography. Many...

Technology position statement and guidelines.
September 1, 2006... Electronic portfolios and digital projects are old ideas in technological clothing. Handhelds, virtual reality, and the merging of wireless forms of communication are examples of technologies that are changing life in and outside of the...