ABSTRACT
Parallel to trends in subjects such as science or mathematics, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and other organizations have attempted to promote social studies education that does not merely require rote memorization. Civics assessment showed that 65" to 70" of children in all three grades scored at or above "basic" in civics as well. Social studies education draws on a broad array of disciplines, such as archaeology, anthropology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion and sociology, among others. Educational television programs for children have addressed many topics that can be considered to fall within the purview of social studies. In Great Britain, Cairns and his colleagues conducted a series of studies in Northern Ireland and Scotland to examine the impact of adult news programs on children's knowledge about unrest in Northern Ireland. Interest in and motivation to seek out news beyond the programs viewed was assessed only in research on Channel One.
