This curriculum study is a narrative account of a teacher and the social studies curriculum she uses with her third grade class. The curriculum is divided into two main parts. One is a study of the students\u27 culture and family history which involves interviews with the children\u27s parents, an examination of maps and literature from those cultures, and a description of the way the students experience the study through their writings, drawings, and conversation.
The second part of the study is an investigation of the students\u27 neighborhood and community. Through interviews with community members, neighborhood walks, and their own observations, the children learn about their environment. Their observations are documented by writings, drawings, and a neighborhood history time line.
Interspersed in the explanation of this curriculum study is an explanation of the learning process this teacher goes through as she creates and implements curriculum. This study also describes the joys and sorrows of teaching in an urban public school