NCSS confronted several key challenges in the period from 1982 to 1995. At a time when dramatic changes were taking place in the world and a new political climate in the United States was raising questions about the future of social studies education, NCSS was called on to serve as a voice for social studies teachers on major educational and other issues. After a number of past efforts to clarify the definition of social studies and articulate the requirements of social studies programs, NCSS reached a milestone with its publication of Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for…

Four themes seem to highlight the activities of NCSS members who made special efforts to further the professionalization of the social studies field from 1968 to 1982. During this period, members of NCSS worked (1) to constitute a more professional organization, (2) to establish the hallmarks of a profession for the field of social studies, (3) to find and exercise a professional voice on social studies-related issues, and (4) ultimately to forge a professional identity for social studies educators. Building A More Professional Organization From 1968 to 1982, NCSS members endeavored to…

Tumultuous domestic and international events rocked the United States between 1947 and 1968. The bright hopes for peace that emerged from the ashes of World War II collapsed under the glacial pressures of an increasingly frigid cold war. The proliferation of new nations created unparalleled opportunities and dangers as the U.S. and U.S.S.R. competed for global power, and occasionally strayed across the boundary between cold and hot war. Conflict and stresses characterized the domestic environment, as rabid anti-Communism, the civil rights movement, and opposition to the war in Vietnam tore…

As the United States struggled through the Great Depression, and inevitable conflict in Europe began to surface, American schooling remained resilient. The economic crisis brought about by the Great Depression and the political and ideological crises brought about by World War II inevitably brought change into the nation's schools - in curriculum, in organization, even in a shortage of teachers. Especially in the social studies, the Second World War was likely the catalyst for major and rapid changes in curriculum in the schools (Davis 1981; Nelson 1986; Jones 1990; Garrett 1990; and Field…

The early years of National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) set the tone for its later development. Launched to bridge the gap between school teachers and the social sciences, NCSS was conceived by its early leaders as an organization that would provide an umbrella for educators in a variety of academic disciplines. It sought close ties with existing educational associations active in the various social scientific fields. A primary goal for early NCSS officials was to expand the membership as rapidly as possible and the new organization caught on with teachers soon after its…

The year 1783 marked the end of the American Revolution and set this country on a path as the "United" States of America. The majority of Americans at this time were uneducated. The home, job, and church all played a greater role in education than did the schools (Barr, Barth, and Shermis 1977). The citizens of the United States would need, however, to be educated in the values and responsibilities necessary for national cohesion and survival. According to Cremin (1980), The goal was nothing less than a new republican individual, of virtuous character, abiding patriotism, and prudent wisdom…

Does this sound familiar? Someone asks what you do for a living. Your reply includes the words “social studies.” Maybe you say, “I teach middle school social studies” or “I inspire young minds to be civically engaged.” Maybe you say, “I help social studies educators prepare their students for civic life.” (That’s my reply.) In the past month, the response back to you may have been something like, “Wow, if ever there was a time that social studies is so important and needed, this is it!” You feel good and validated. You may also feel something else. Social studies is always important and…