Quality of Life. Interpretive Series No. 8.

Two government documents, "Goals for Americans" and "Toward Balanced Growth: Quantity with Quality" (ED 055 009), together with previous documents, serve as the information source and basis of this guide. The "Goals for Americans" report, initiated by President Eisenhower's Commission in 1960, identified social priorities in terms of social problems. The "Toward Balanced Growth" report, transmitted to President Nixon in 1970 by the National Goals Research Staff, focused on economic growth and its relationship to and impact upon the quality of life. The purpose of this paper, which emphasizes quality of life and economic growth, is to show how the presidential reports may be used as guidelines by educators to introduce new ideas into the classroom -- helping teachers to make the teaching of social sciences more relevant and helping students to develop a greater respect for the political processes of American society. Following an introduction which discusses the two governmental reports in some detail, the paper is arranged by seven topics: Population Growth and Distribution; Environment and Balanced Economic Growth; Education; Basic Natural Science; Technology Assessment; Consumerism; and Economic Choice and Balanced Growth. Under each topic a list is provided of classroom learning activities which encourage students to use the problem solving approach toward dealing with social problems. (SJM)