Judith K. Preissle papers


Descriptive Summary
Title: Judith K. Preissle papers
Creator: Preissle, Judith
Inclusive Dates: 1960s-1971
Language(s): English
Extent: 0.75 Linear Feet 2 boxes
Collection Number: UA0022
Repository: University of Georgia Archives

Collection Description

Historical Note

Judith Preissle began her career as a seventh-grade social studies and language arts teacher in Minnesota. She went on to complete an Ed.D at Indiana University in Social Studies Education, with an emphasis in anthropology and education. Since her arrival at the University of Georgia in 1975, Dr. Preissle has published many books, book chapters, journal articles, as such, on the social foundations of education, qualitative research mehtods, educational anthropology, research design and ethics, and gender and minority education. More recently, she has teamed with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on a longitudinal, multiple case study of U.S. programs that offer colorectal cancer screening for uninsured and underinsured people. She is also writing collaboratively with other University of Georgia professors on doctoral students' formulations of qualitative research projects and on teaching qualitative research. She is the 2001 Distinguished Aderhold Professor and an AERA Fellow. Dr. Preissle plans to retire in June 2013.

Scope and Content

The seventh grade pilot course, MAN AND SOCIETY, part of the University of Minnesota's K-12 Project Social Studies (PSS) curriculum, was one of several Project Social Studies curricula funded around the United States as a result of the National Education Defense Act of 1958 (US Office of Education - Project No. HS - 045). Curricular revision at the K-12 level was thought, at the time, to be important to improving the competitive edge of the United States during the Cold War. Judith Preissle (then Kasper) was selected to lead a group of 5 teachers at Grass Junior High School in West St. Paul, Minnesotabe in implementing this curriculum in the seventh grade. The curriculum aimed to introduce students to major concepts in anthropology and sociology and introduced students to the concept of relating human biological structure to social behaviour.

This collection contains the social studies curriculum, overhead projector images, hand written notes, and other documentation of its facilitation. Throughout the documents are many handwritten notes and marginalia entered by Dr. Priessle. These notes represent commentaries on preparation for class, as well as notes taken after the materials were used with students in the classroom.

These materials are important because they sho what kinds of experimental social studies curricula were being developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They will be of interest to educational historians, social studies education scholars, and anyone doing historical research on diversity and advocacy work in K-12 schools. These materials may also be relevant to anthropologists and sociologists studying how ideas from their disciplines are used within K-12 school curriculum.