The author and preservice teachers in a postbaccalaureate Issues and Reform in Secondary Education course engaged Ernest Stringer's (2004) model of action research to develop generative curricula. They adhered to Walter C. Parker's (1991, 2006) vision of public formation and essential social studies teaching and used student-centered teaching based on students' knowledge needs, which were determined through observation, formative assessments, and two questionnaires. As suggested in Parker's work supporting participatory democracy, the public, including public school teachers, must engage in public discussion and become active in the government's activities of solving public problems. In this article, the author focuses on procedures teachers can follow to implement action research to motivate public understanding and participation in the social studies classroom. Through generative curricula, the students exercised participatory citizenship for democratic ideals promoting cultural diversity and fairer eco...