(1994). Cultural Diversity: A Dialogue on Dropout Prevention from a Conference & Task Force Proceedings. Today, over 70 percent of the students of the Providence (Rhode Island) public schools are people of color. The dropout rate in Providence has been steadily decreasing over the last decade, but it remains high, ranked 16th among large cities in 1992. Race and ethnicity are relevant factors in scholastic achievement in Providence, and for that reason a conference on dropout prevention among culturally diverse student populations was held. In one session teachers, students, parents, and community members attended a keynote address on diversity and education by Peter J. Negroni, followed by local perspectives on issues of education and diversity. In the second session, participants divided into small groups to discuss barriers to school completion and solutions to difficulties. A task force reviewed notes from these groups and prepared nine recommendations for policies to increase the graduation rate. In the keynote address, Dr. Negroni, Superintendent of Schools in Springfield,… [PDF]

Legowski, Margaret (1992). Destination: Sri Lanka. Video Guide. This video guide was developed by the Peace Corps' Office of World Wise Schools. The activities it describes are designed to supplement elementary and secondary students' exploration of South Asia and to enhance their correspondence with a Peace Corps volunteer. Used in conjunction with the videotape "Destination: Sri Lanka," the activities in the guide provide students with the opportunity to: (1) identify similarities and differences between their lives and the lives of young people in another country; (2) apply fundamental geographic themes to Sri Lanka; and (3) research the geography and culture of the Peace Corps volunteer's host country. Teachers should select tasks from each section that are most appropriate for the interest and experience levels of their particular students. For ease of selection, activities and worksheets are arranged first by level and then by topic. A list of 56 references and 5 organizations is attached. (LBG)…

(1989). Asia Wise Workbook Number One. This workbook is a compilation of work sheets from the teacher's sections of the 1989 issues of "Asia Wise," an Auatralian magazine devoted to the study of Asia. Profiles and worksheets are provided for the countries of China, Indo-China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, and Thailand. Worksheets feature the following themes: Asian Australians; food and agriculture; and festivals and leisure. The worksheets are filled with maps, graphs, charts, and student exercises. Suggested curriculum ideas and games also are provided. (DB)…

Lockledge, Ann (1991). The Geography of Caribbean Holidays. This paper describes Caribbean street festivals as celebrations that reflect the historic, climate, and movement patterns of the region. Celebrations such as Carnival, Hosay, and Jonkonnu are discussed, and it is proposed that study of these and other festivals can be linked to the five thematic generalizations often utilized by geographers. These themes are location, place, relationships, movement, and region. It is concluded that placing holiday celebrations into the framework of the themes of geographic education will lead children to look beyond the celebration to the culture and the environment that created it. A perspective are suggested, as are a number of learning activities. An 11-item list of references also is included. (DB)…

Jackson, Gloria D. (1991). Multiethnic Children's Literature in the Elementary School Curriculum: Rationale, Criteria, and Implementation. A study was done to provide research-based rationale and criteria to support the reading and study of multiethnic literature with the goal of persuading educators to prescribe these books. Information on multiethnic children's literature was obtained by reading, reviewing, and discussing over 200 of these books published mainly within the last 2 decades, and by researching the professional literature relating to the evaluation and use of African American, Hispanic, and Native American children's literature. This portion of the study developed criteria to evaluate children's literature so that unworthy books are not prescribed to perpetuate stereotypes or negative images. Related research was conducted in the fields of demographics and education, and the sociology of minority cultures. Experiential sources included workshops introducing this literature to educators and parents and committee discussions relating to the selection of such literature for classroom use. The study…

Standley, Melissa (1998). Sharing Stories and Conversation: Teaching Culture(s) in a College Literature Class. An overriding concern in the teaching of literature from cultures other than the instructor's own is how to go about selecting appropriate literature. When selecting course texts, the question should be whether literary scholars write respectfully about the work. A sophomore-level Introduction to African-American Literature course has been structured historically (starting with the Harlem Renaissance) around canonical African-American authors, beginning with Richard Wright's "Native Son" and Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God." A Toni Morrison novel is also taught as is one other contemporary text towards the course's end. Some local African-American history and literature are also included. The course is reading- and writing-intensive. Other classes include a sophomore-level Postcolonial Literature course and a junior-level American Multiethnic Literature course. These courses are begun by trying to subvert the idea of "white" as normal… [PDF]

Finkelstein, Martin J.; Schuster, Jack H.; Seal, Robert K. (1998). The New Academic Generation: A Profession in Transformation. This book suggests that radical changes are occurring in academe as more women, foreign-born, and minority scholars enter the professorate and as alternatives to full-time tenure track appointments take hold. It is based on an analysis of data from the 1993 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty on new faculty and senior faculty. The study concludes that the two cohorts differ more in who they are than in what they do, with seven major trends identified: (1) new faculty are demographically different from the senior cohort; (2) the increased diversification of faculty is likely to accelerate movement toward greater multiculturalism in the curriculum; (3) there are far more foreign-born faculty in the younger cohort, and this is increasing internationalization; (4) support among faculty for the traditional liberal arts may come under increasing pressure; (5) a shrinking proportion of faculty are now tenured or on a tenure track; (6) the new-faculty cohort is even more oriented toward…

Barry, Patricia (1997). Literary Vision of Symbolic India: Removing the Veil and Stepping into Spiritual India. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad 1996 (India). This curriculum guide was developed to assist middle-school students in understanding the complexity of India. A slide presentation is used in combination with several activities for interdisciplinary study of India through literature and social studies. A comprehensive bibliography provides suggestions for further reading. Sections of the guide include: (1) Preface; (2) "Sacred India"; (3) "Hinduism"; (4) "Sadhus"; (5) "Buddhism"; (6) "Islam"; (7) "Sikhism"; (8) "Jainism"; (9) "Zoroastrianism"; (10) "Christianity and Judaism"; (11) "The Vedas and Upanishads"; (12) "The Ramayana"; (13) "The Mahabharata"; (14) "The Bhagavad Gita"; (15) "Music"; (16) "Dance"; (17) "The Mughals"; (18) "Sati"; (19) "The Ganges"; (20) "Nataraja"; (21) "Mahatma Gandhi"; (22) "The Bhagavad Gita and Henry… [PDF]

Doeksen, Peggy (1997). India Culture Trunk. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad, 1997 (India). This unit is intended to provide students with a general knowledge of the history and culture of India. Activities include: (1) "What Do You Know about India?"; (2) "What Is All This Stuff For?"; (3) "Name That Spice and Why It's Nice"; (4) "Where and How Are These Elephants Marching?"; (5) "Why Is India What It Is?"; (6) "Why is India the Cover Story in the May 1997 'National Geographic Magazine?'"; (7) "Who Are We, The Indians?"; (8) "What about This Monsoon?" and (9) "Let's Have That Energy Drink That Indians Know and Love." The unit contains a list of materials in the culture trunk as well as additional resources for teaching about India. (EH)… [PDF]

Hare, Delmas E. (1997). The Edicts of King Ashoka and Character Education: An Approach, Rationale, and Procedure. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad, 1997 (India). This paper examines the Georgia law mandating character education and how India has addressed a similar situation with its diversity by using the "Jakarta Tales." These children's tales are Buddhist in origin, have clearly stated morals, but lack a distinct Buddhist doctrinal bent. The paper advocates that a similar orientation could be developed by building a character education program based upon India's "The Edicts of King Ashoka." The report describes how the Edicts could be presented, how they could be applied to the historical situation as well as the contemporary situation, and how they could be reformulated into final student projects. (EH)… [PDF]

Davis, Geneva Idell (1998). Bookwise and Culture Smart. A study examined whether multicultural literature used within the classroom increases respect for differences among kindergarten children. Subjects for the study were 12 students ranging in age from 5-6 years old from two classrooms. Ethnic breakdown of the subjects was four Black students (two boys, two girls), four Hispanic students (two boys, two girls), two Asian students (one boy, one girl), and two Caucasian students (one boy, one girl). The book "Amazing Grace" was read to the experimental group. Discussions were lively. Results indicated that gender stereotypes seemed to be somewhat of a problem, but obvious ethnic biases were not found. Findings suggest that longitudinal studies should be conducted to determine if multicultural literature is an effective tool in the fight to increase respect for differences. Since several books in the classroom collection may promote gender stereotypes, a criteria for book selection needs to be developed and implemented within the… [PDF]

Duea, Joan; And Others (1990). Australia: An Instructional Unit for Elementary Grades. Designed to provide elementary teachers with materials for the study of Australia, this unit contains 19 lessons that include objectives, materials, procedures, suggested extension activities, and answer keys where needed. Following the 19 lessons are blackline masters for teacher transparencies, student worksheets, and extension activities. A 19-item bibliography also is provided. The lesson titles are: (1) What We Know about Australia; (2) Locating Australia; (3) Countries and Water Surrounding Australia; (4) States, Territories, Capitals, and National Capital; (5) Geography; (6) History; (7) Aborigines; (8) Government and Symbols; (9) Cities; (10) Transportation and Communication; (11) Schools; (12) Plants, Birds, and Animals; (13) Agriculture and Industry; (14) Natural Resources; (15) Folktale; (16) Holidays; (17) Beach Party; (18) Review; and (19) Evaluation. (DB)…

Burroughs, Robert (1993). Breaking the Mold of Literature Instruction: Recent Findings from the National Research Center on Literature Teaching and Learning. The close scrutiny of literature study and how literature is currently taught and learned reveals major findings in four crucial areas of educational concern: critical thinking, cultural diversity, assessment of achievement, and at-risk students. Currently, literature instruction is focused on information retrieval, and remains unconcerned with critical thinking skills. However, students must be taught how to foster literary understanding and interpretation, and numerous methods of attaining such interpretive and critical skills can aid the teacher in doing this. Concerning cultural diversity, currently literature instruction is largely monolithic and traditional. Essentially, there is no need to return to a traditional canon, since literary instruction has never left the tradition. Thus, the canon still needs to be broadened at the elementary and secondary levels. One promising technique is to tap the low-art world of mass culture and media, the main cultural world of today's… [PDF]

Castelle, Kay; Nurkse, Dennis (1990). In the Spirit of Peace: A Global Introduction to Children's Rights. This curriculum guide is a companion volume to a textbook created by Defense for Children International-USA to meet demands for a course on children's rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This guide addresses 23 key children's issues from the perspective of the experiences of children of diverse cultures. The issues include the definition of a child; children's best interests; freedom from discrimination; survival and development; nationality; health; parental care; children without families; family reunification; education; armed conflicts; refugees; disabilities; abuse and exploitation; child labor; juvenile justice; narcotics; rehabilitative care; freedom of thought; freedom of expression; protection of privacy; and leisure. Readings for each of these issues portray children in real-life situations. Each lesson includes background information, discussion questions, and suggested activities. The text is illustrated with maps, cartoons, and resource…

Lynn, Karen (1991). The Africa Collection: An Annotated Historical Resource Bibliography for the Student of Africa. This annotated bibliographic collection of resources on Africa including non-fiction, fiction, texts, poetry, draft papers, addresses, periodicals, film, records, and travel agencies is designed to aid secondary students and their teachers interested in research on Africa. An instructional approach is taken, drawing upon examples to demonstrate the wide range of sources from which one may select topics. The included resources are compiled in a listing of 128 topics. Page numbers of chapters, indexes, subjects, addresses, and telephone numbers, if available, are included. The main body of this bibliography lists a geographical area or general subject, identified by a number. Dates of publication, authors, titles of work, places of publication, periodical titles, volumes, numbers, annotations, and quotations complete the entries. Titles have been written in sentence format for clear interpretation of work. Quotations have been included for illustration of style. Page numbers have been…

Dow, Peter B. (1991). MACOS and the Global Perspective. The contributions that the elementary curriculum, "Man: A Course of Study" (MACOS), has made to global education are examined in this essay. It is contended that MACOS, which incorporates ecology, biology, anthropology, and the humanities, has fostered several goals of global education. These goals include: understanding cultures through an in-depth study of them; developing a vocabulary of thought for dealing with cross-cultural similarities and differences; and attaining a non-judgmental framework for dealing with issues of value. In short, MACOS is committed to helping students to grasp the interconnectedness of the world. (DB)…

Goke-Pariola, Abiodun (1992). Africa in the "New World Order": Old Assumptions, Myths, and Reality. Old stereotypes and prejudices about Africa and Africans are addressed in this paper on globalizing the business curriculum and internationalizing the training of professionals. It is noted that Africa continues to suffer from a tradition of neglect that includes a historical, systematic exclusion from the rest of the world. Examples from the works of Western scholars and the media are cited that perpetuate the stereotypes and misunderstandings. Themes and objectives are presented that should underlie any teaching about Africa. They include the following: the distinction between myth and fact; all peoples have a significant past; all peoples must deal with similar basic problems; the importance of family and kinship in shaping a society's structure and character; characteristics of a society that are related to the physical environment; differing cultural patterns; and patterns of acceptable individual and group behavior and means for their enforcement. Instructional units are… [PDF]

Collins, H. Thomas; Majeske, Christopher (1993). Destination: Cameroon. Study Guide. Designed to allow teachers and students to take a pro-active approach to learning about Cameroon, the guide is a starting point for research and discussion with information that enables students to identify patterns of culture and geography. In the first section, details on Africa and Cameroon provide information that can be personalized for each class depending on ages, other subjects being studied, and students' abilities and interests. The second section utilizes questions to encourage students to look beyond the differences in Cameroonian society and culture and focus on the similarities with their own communities. Produced and available from the World Wise School Office, a videotape, "Destination: Cameroon," compliments this section and offers additional instructional material. The third section includes 11 activities and 9 worksheets to give students an opportunity to learn more about Cameroon through research, by working in teams, and by problem solving. The final… [PDF]

Dutton, Bonnie; Kang, Hee-Won (1994). Becoming Multicultural: Helping Students Develop Intercultural Competence. A series of strategies and techniques for helping elementary and secondary students develop a multicultural outlook within the school environment are outlined. It is argued that because of the culture-specific knowledge individuals possess, we draw inferences that influence the way we perceive other people and interpret their actions, resulting in cultural misunderstandings. These inferences are based on our linguistic, speech act, discourse, sociocultural, context, and global knowledge. Strategies for bypassing inappropriate inferences focus on metacognitive skills of monitoring, evaluating, and reformulating inferences and interpretations. Once a conflict or potential conflict is identified, the individual most commonly addresses it by a variety of strategies, including: substituting another inference; questioning the earliest of multiple interpretations; shifting focus; case analysis; distorting information to fit the default interpretation; seeking more information; or…

Ravitch, Diane S. (1989). Multiculturalism in the Curriculum. This document contrasts the concept of multiculturalism as it appears in the proposed New York State curriculum guide, "A Curriculum of Inclusion," and as it appears in the California State history/social sciences curriculum. California uses the following approaches to reflect the multiracial, multicultural nature of American society: (1) expanding the study of world history to include the development of non-Western civilizations; (2) encouraging the use of the literature and art of diverse cultures; (3) recognizing the central role of Blacks in reshaping American political institutions; (4) recognizing the importance of ethnic groups in building the nation; (5) emphasizing civic values, democratic behaviors, and human rights; and (6) balancing the concept of pluralism with the sense of unity. However, the New York proposal disparages common elements in American society in the following ways: (1) overstating the inherent racism of the existing curriculum; (2) focusing only… [PDF]

(1990). Asia Wise, Issues One-Ten, 1990 [and] Asia Wise, Teachers' Section, Issues One-Ten 1990. Asia Wise, n1-10. Student volumes and teacher guides for 10 issues of an Australian magazine devoted to the study of Asia comprise this document. The subjects of the ten issues are: (1) Trading for Our Future; (2) Korea: Two Nations–One People; (3) Women in Asia–A Confusing Picture; (4) Australia–Indonesia: A Developing Relationship; (5) The Land on the Roof of the World; (6) Japan Facing the Future; (7) Into India; (8) A China Beyond Politics; (9) The Malaysian Experience; and (10) Looking to the Future. The student sections present a variety of informative articles about each of the 10 subjects. The teacher guides provide background information, how to integrate the topics into the curriculum, maps, and additional resource materials. (DB)…

Garcia, Eugene E.; Kagan, Sharon L. (1991). Educating Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Preschoolers: Moving the Agenda. Despite growing interest in children's policy and in research regarding childhood bilingualism and language acquisition, the early care and education of linguistically and culturally diverse preschoolers remains a matter of much concern. Relative inattention at the level of policy to the needs and interests of such children is due to several causes, including widely and tenaciously held personal beliefs, political ideologies, misperceptions regarding the lack of a demographic imperative, and disciplinary fragmentation among academics. Four fundamental isssues must be addressed if policy and practice in this domain are to improve. The issues are: (1) socialization, resocialization, and the family/child relationship; (2) modalities of instruction; (3) contextually discontinuous strategies; and (4) sub-system creation versus system reform. Each issue is discussed. Action principles and leadership strategies are presented in hopes of moving an action agenda to ensure that linguistically… [PDF]

(1989). Facilitating Social Interaction between Asian and Non-Asian Students: A Resource Booklet. This resource guide provides teachers at all grade levels in the Fort Lee (New Jersey) School District with programs, activities, procedures, and resources to promote mutual understanding and improve inter-group relations between Asian and non-Asian students. Section I, "Outline of Classroom, All-School, and After-School Activities for Elementary, Middle, and High School Levels and the P.T.A.," suggests activities for use by elementary schools, middle and high schools, and the Parent Teacher Association. Each activity is cross-referenced to appropriate classroom projects, detailed plans, and resources listed in the other sections. Section II, "Specific Subject Matter Activities for Curriculum Infusion," outlines activities for the following subject areas and includes cross-references to detailed plans and resources listed in the other sections: (1) Social Studies; (2) Language Arts; (3) Mathematics; (4) Science; and (5) Art, Music, and Physical Education. Section…

Yamamoto, Kiyoshi (1990). Foreign Students in Japan. NIER Occasional Paper 03/90. As Japan takes a place as one of the world's technologically and economically advanced nations, the number of foreign students seeking to study in Japan has increased rapidly, as has the number of foreigners expressing interest in studying Japanese culture and the Japanese language. The Japanese government's program of international student exchange is still in a developmental stage and is rapidly changing in size and quality. Japan is at an important crossroads as it attempts to establish a system of foreign exchange study that will meet its goals. This paper discusses the current status of foreign student programs in Japan. The following nine areas are examined: (1) selection of university; (2) immigration and residential qualifications; (3) Japanese language study and pre-college education; (4) application and selection procedures; (5) scholarships; (6) tuition, fees, and exemption programs; (7) housing and medical care; (8) jobs and community relations; and (9) after-service for…

Indra, Doreen Marie (1987). Some Educational Implications of the Canadian Private Sponsorship Program for Southeast Asian Refugees. This paper addresses the educational implications of a unique Canadian program of refugee immigrant support and integration–private sponsorship. Individual Southeast Asian refugees and their families are financially supported by groups of five or more private individuals. Many such groups are affiliated with Christian church congregations. The workings of the program are briefly described, and it is argued that private sponsorship was not appreciably more effective than government sponsorship in addressing psychological needs, in introducing refugees to Canadian culture and economy, in developing cross-ethnic reference groups, or in orienting refugees toward formal Canadian education. Several studies are cited to support this argument, and structural weaknesses regarding the relationship between sponsors and refugees are examined. These include the nonprovision of effective tools to bridge cultural gulfs, the dependency of the refugee on the sponsor (producing a weak bond between…

Jones, Carol, Ed. (1986). Elementary Social Studies Curriculum Guide (K-5). Written for grades K-5 from a multicultural perspective, the curriculum guide has a dual focus: intracultural and intercultural. Rationales for this focus include raising the sensitivity of students toward their own cultural groups and examining the commonalities across cultures for an awareness of what binds people together. Implementation of a multicultural curriculum is intended to achieve the following objectives: (1) to encourage in students self-definition as well as sensitive group interaction and participation; (2) to help everyone involved in the curriculum recognize that each cultural group has a special contribution to make to the educational experience of all students; and (3) to help everyone involved respond positively to the cultural identities of others. The guide's systematic approach is carried out through concepts, objectives, and activities that directly reflect major skills described within the guide and are supported by references to textbooks, materials,…

Sapp, Gary L.; Skelton, Sarah C. (1987). Determining Accuracy of Cultural Perceptions of Oriental Cultures. Do social studies textbooks used in U.S. schools provide an unbiased view of other cultures? This research study analyzes five social studies textbook series and 26 children's literature books used as supplementary materials for teaching about Oriental cultures. The instrument used was the Evaluation Coefficient Analysis (ECA) with the focus on value judgements used to describe Oriental cultures in the materials examined in the study. The criteria used were that the textbooks should be for the sixth grade level and that the children's literature should be used as supplementary materials. The results showed that of 94 textbook terms which were rated, 60 percent were viewed as favorable, 36 percent unfavorable, and 4 percent neutral. In the children's literature, 70 percent of the 17 terms evaluated were favorable and 30 percent were unfavorable, with 1 percent neutral. The findings suggested that selected social studies textbooks do not provide a negative stereotypical representation… [PDF]

Hansel, Bettina (1984). Literature Review: Studies of the Impact of a Travel-Abroad Experience. Research Report #28. More than 8,000 secondary school students participated in the AFS International exchange programs in 1983, and this document examines some of the research that investigates the impact of travel abroad and intercultural experiences on personality development. Cigdem Kagitcibasi, in a study of the effects of a 10-month program on student participants from Turkey, found that world-mindedness among the students increased and that authoritarianism and religiosity decreased. Robert A. C. Stewart examined the changes in values between New Zealand students who went abroad and their best friends. A survey of more than 200 former participants found that the AFS-sponsored students not only showed a greater decrease in ethnocentrism than their friends but that they also became more conservative. Norman L. Kauffman, in his study of the Goshen College (Indiana) Trimester Program on the personality development of student participants, found greater change than in other college students in: (1) a…

(1987). The Constitution in Other Lands. Bill of Rights in Action, v3 n4 Spr. Designed for classroom teaching, this document contains articles on the new constitutions of Japan, South Korea, and the Philippine Islands which were modeled in part on the U.S. Constitution. These countries' experiences with constitutional government are examined, and whether or not the U.S. Constitution can be a suitable model for other countries with different cultures, histories, and political traditions is explored. After World War II ended, the United States had a series of decisions to make regarding a new Japanese government. General Douglas MacArthur asked the Japanese to write a new constitution and when it was not forthcoming, had a team of military officers on his staff trained in law and government prepare it. The result was the establishment of a successful democracy in Japan. South Korea has a constitutional government modeled on western democratic values but has not had peaceful and democratic elections since its adoption in 1948. Between 1972 and 1982 the… [PDF]

Sullivan, Zola Jiles (1980). Teaching Multicultural Awareness and Understanding through the Language Arts–Creative Writing: Suggested Topics for Creative and Expository Writing Based on the Roots of the Cuban Culture for Use with Cuban Children and Others Who are Interested in Understanding Their Culture. Intended to help teachers in developing language arts curriculum materials for use with recent Cuban refugees to the United States, this paper contains 300 topics for creative and expository writing based on the roots of the Cuban culture. The topics cover a variety of subjects, including food preparation, memories of Cuba, experiences in a new country, Cuban contributions to American culture, Cuban artists, and political differences between Cuba and the United States. (FL)…