Journal of International Social Studies, v. 8, n. 1, pp. 1-3 Corresponding author: rapoport@purdue.edu ©2012/2018 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 1 From the Editor: March 14, 2018 has become an important date in the history of activism in the United States. On that day, one month after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, thousands of students walked out of school to raise their voices against gun violence and status- quo gun policies. Students from Washington D.C. to Hawaii left their classrooms for at least 17 minutes, one minute for every victim in the Parkland shooting, to demonstrate that they are no longer citizens-in- waiting—they are the citizens to whom the future of this country belongs. As I watched broadcasts from all parts of the United States and around the world I, however, was bothered by an unfortunate and unflattering thought: Where are the teachers? I am sure that many (if not the overwhelming majority) of my colleagues in academia and schools wholeheartedly supported the students’ protests; I saw teachers’ passionate interviews in the media and on TV. But where was our collective voice? Where was our clear sign of support? Social studies education is about good effective citizenship. On March 14, I saw tens of thousands of good citizens. That was the day when our students taught us a lesson. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we lived. It is the difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela was a wise man… This volume of Journal of International Social Studies includes articles from Australia, Canada, Israel, Nigeria, and the United States: The central focus of the study that Lilach Naishtat Bornstein and Eyal Naveh from Israel describe in their article From Empathy to Critical Reflection: The Use of Testimonies in the Training of Holocaust Educators is the examination of the ways Israeli pre-service teachers interpret and teach Holocaust testimonies, using a mixture of empathy and critical pedagogy. In Israel, Holocaust education through survivor testimony is marked by a dichotomy between formal, academic critical investigation and informal, personal-emotional experience. The authors explored this duality through an experimental course about Holocaust testimonies, designed specifically to test whether these divergent approaches can be reconciled. They focused on critical responses in a pedagogical context, examining what takes place in practice as teachers are trained to teach the Holocaust using survivor testimony. The study found that the initial predisposition of Israeli students when discussing Holocaust testimonies is to prefer personal knowledge and emotional investigation over a critical perspective and academic study. Gregory Hadley and David C. Young from St. Francis Xavier University, Canada, investigate how social studies teachers understand their personal ideologies as they relate to their teaching, navigate the prescriptions of the curriculum outcome model, and justify their respective positions on the political, economic, and social issues examined in their classrooms. Their article A Glimpse Inside: Considering the Impact of Curriculum Outcomes and Personal Ideology on Social Studies Pedagogy: A Study Summary demonstrates that social studies teachers value their autonomy, relish the opportunity to examine current events, make connections between topics, facilitate classes related to the interests of their mailto:rapoport@purdue.edu http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 8, n. 1, pp. 1-3 Corresponding author: rapoport@purdue.edu ©2012/2018 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 2 students and see the promotion of critical thinking as one of the most important aspects of good social studies teaching. In Search of a More Effective Strategy: Using the 5E Instructional Strategy to Teach Civic Education in Senior Secondary Schools in Ilorin, Nigeria analyzes the effects of the 5Es instructional strategy on the literacy scores of students in Civic Education. The 5Es instructional strategy (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) evolved from the constructivist approach and allowed students to actively participate in the learning process. The authors, Yusuf AbdulRaheem, Muhinat Bolanle Bello, and Adesegun Olayide Odutayo from University of Ilorin, Nigeria, demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference between pretest and posttest literacy scores of students taught Civics using the 5Es instructional strategy. They recommend that teachers should expose students to the 5Es instructional strategy in the classroom to develop students' generic skills and civic competence. Children as Bushfire Educators - Just be Calm, and Stuff Like That by Lisa Gibbs, Greg Ireton, Karen Block, and Emma Taunt from Australia contributes to research that provides insights into environmental citizenship education and children’s experiences of disaster education programs. The article reports on a study in Victoria, Australia, of the Survive and Thrive program, an environmental education program delivered by the local fire brigade and incorporated into the school curricula for upper primary school. The children demonstrated knowledge and skills gained in monitoring environmental risks, as well as a more nuanced understanding of the different civic roles of adults and children in responding to a bushfire in different contexts. Debra Donnelly from University of Newcastle, Australia, addresses the problem of multi-modal creations of the past that are often compromised by agendas and pressures beyond traditional historical evidence. History teachers must navigate the tension that arises from these historical representations to teach evidence-based, memorable history. This pedagogical dilemma was the focus of a research project analyzed in the article Contemporary Multi-modal Historical Representations and the Teaching of Disciplinary Understandings in History. The research used survey, interview, and case study to investigate the utility of history-based contemporary representations in the teaching of disciplinary concepts in the History classroom. The Australian Curriculum and Assessment Authority has become a dominant narrative that frames what all young people should know, learn, and be able to do about knowledge and power. Within this context, Geography has been introduced from the foundational years to the end of compulsory schooling in Australia. Teachers have responded to the implementation of this new curriculum with fear, reticence, resistance, brave enthusiasm, and pedagogic creativity. Kay Carroll’s article Mapping the Hidden Discourse of Geographical Inquiry and Curriculum Change – Initial Case Study Responses to Geography Education K-10 in Australian Schools analyzes these responses to geographical inquiry and mailto:rapoport@purdue.edu http://www.iajiss.org/ Journal of International Social Studies, v. 8, n. 1, pp. 1-3 Corresponding author: rapoport@purdue.edu ©2012/2018 National Council for Social Studies International Assembly http://www.iajiss.org ISSN: 2327-3585 Page 3 curriculum implementation in the early stages of this process and considers the rationale, context, and potential impact on learning. The immigration and immigration policy debates have long been in the center of political and national security discourses in the United States. Unfortunately, the discussions on immigration often occur without proper historical context, which is detrimental to the understanding of causes and effects of immigration for the nation, particularly in social studies classrooms. The final article of this issue, Using History to Inform the Modern Immigration Debate in the United States by William David McCorkle from Clemson University addresses three themes educators can explore: the increasingly restrictive immigration system, the similarities between the past and present in relation to xenophobic and nativist beliefs and movements, and the changes immigrants have made to American society. Anatoli Rapoport Editor mailto:rapoport@purdue.edu http://www.iajiss.org/