(1992). Values in Action: A Middle School Ethics Course. This course guide provides a framework for teaching an ethics course, developed for eighth-graders, that explores the development of values, the decision-making process, and the role of community. Class objectives, procedures, and assignments for 48 class periods are divided into 10 units. Student handouts along with unit assignment lists, homework worksheets, and suggestions for supplementary materials and outside resources are included. Divided into two parts, part 1, \Sources of Values,\ contains the units: (1) \Introduction: Developing a Working Relationship\; (2) \Personal Values\; (3) \Family Values\; (4) \School Values\; and (5) \Cultural Values: Religious and Political Codes.\ Part 2, \Integrity: Values in Action,\ includes the units: (1) \Introduction and Notes on the Final Project\; (2) \Compassion: 'The Elephant Man'\; (3) \Human Dignity: Mohandas Gandhi\; (4) \Courage: 'The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman'\; (5) \Respect and Human Rights: 'Black Like Me'\; and (6)… [PDF]
(1993). Multicultural Mini-Units. Elementary. The teaching mini-units in this teacher's guide are designed for use with elementary level students. Thematic study units are given for each of the following countries or continents: Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. Experimental activities encourage children to learn about different holiday customs, cultural traditions, art, music, food, language, and lifeways. Each unit begins with a map of the country/continent and some geographical information. Mapping activities are meant to introduce students to the area being studied, become familiar with geography, and develop beginning map skills. Teacher research information is given, followed by suggested student activities. Some reproducible student pages and patterns are provided. (MM)…
(1992). Japan through Folktales and Activities: A Unit for Kindergarten. This report describes an intervention to improve American kindergarten children's understanding of Japanese culture. The intervention consisted of a curriculum unit presented in a kindergarten class of 14 American and 7 Japanese children in Brookline, Massachusetts. Before and after the intervention, the American children's knowledge of Japanese culture was assessed in an interview. Children were presented with five traditional Japanese folktales in English translation. Children were also exposed to Japanese culture through nonfiction books, videos, films, and Japanese children's magazines. Children engaged in such activities as making fans and experimenting with calligraphy, and other activities that focused on housing, food, holidays, and children's activities in Japan. The curriculum was presented in 26 lessons over a 3-month period. As a result of the intervention, American children's responses that indicated a knowledge of Japanese culture rose from a total of 19 in… [PDF]
(1992). Literacy Development of Two Bilingual, Ethnic-Minority Children in a Kindergarten Program. An ethnographic study observed a kindergarten classroom community, as "Peley" (of Southeast Asian origin) and "Raji" (of Indian origin) interacted with students and staff to develop their English literacy. Data included field notes collected at home and at the suburban, central New York elementary school. In-depth interviews with parents, educators, and the two children were conducted. Results indicated that: (1) the children struggled with their social interactions; (2) the children were often visibly confused during holiday festivities and classroom celebrations; (3) home-school communication was inadequate; and (4) the teacher struggled to understand the children but was unaware of the children's home cultures. Findings suggest that early childhood classrooms should adopt the additive or diversity perspective rather than focus on assimilation or cultural blending. (Twenty-six references are attached.) (RS)… [PDF]
(1991). Prejudice Reduction: What Works?. Social Science Research of the past several decades provides valuable insight into the processes of prejudice acquisition and reduction. This paper lists and briefly describes the following 15 findings based on this research and their implications regarding prejudice and what works to reduce it: (1) attitudes about interpersonal differences begin to be acquired in infancy; (2) attitudes may be set or softened by relationships and experiences; (3) the relationship among attitudes, perceptions, motivation, feelings, judgments, and behaviors is complex and much of it is socially mediated and highly contingent on \setting\; (4) because of this, some would approach the problem through macro-strategies rather than strategies focused on individual behaviors; (5) many researchers from minority communities emphasize strategies that reduce the adverse impact of dominant institutions on minority communities, while leaving the dominating majority to deal with their own biases; (6) social… [PDF]
(1995). The Informed Argument: A Multidisciplinary Reader and Guide. Fourth Edition. Reflecting the belief that learning is best fostered by encouraging students to read, reflect, and write about serious issues, this book is designed to help students argue on behalf of their beliefs so that other people will take them seriously. The 85 readings gathered in the book (60 of which are new to the fourth edition) give students adequate information for writing about a variety of topics. Readings in the book are drawn from the fields of biology, business, education, history, journalism, law, literature, political science, psychology, public health, and sociology. Part 1 introduces students to the basic principles of argumentation they need to analyze the arguments they read and to compose arguments of their own. Part 2 discusses the evaluation, annotation, paraphrase, summary, synthesis, and documentation of texts. Part 3 presents sources for arguments on the topics of gun control, AIDS in the workplace, sexual harassment, immigration, culture and curriculum, freedom of…
(1992). The Intercultural Interview: An Experience in Intercultural Listening. An experiential student project in an intercultural communication course promotes active cross cultural understanding through an intercultural interview with listening as a primary focus. Students in this senior-level course may choose to conduct an intercultural interview as a field study project, meeting for two or more separate interview sessions with someone from a foreign country or from an American cultural group other than Caucasian. In the interviews, information is sought regarding the interviewee's culture and communication in that culture, and the interviewer assesses the impact of observed nonverbal factors (facial expressions, eye behavior, use of space, hand gestures, and voice) on the listening process. Students present short oral presentations in the final weeks of the semester, highlighting major findings pertaining to the culture and communication, and presenting a discussion and analysis of the impact of nonverbal behaviors on the process of listening in the…
(1991). Life in Sierra Leone, West Africa. A Teaching Unit. This unit is designed for students in grades 6-12. The unit provides an introduction to Sierra Leone and the continent of Africa through basic concepts and a conceptual framework for learning. The unit is divided into 17 activities. Activities include: (1) "Stereotypes and Myths about African and Africans"; (2) "The Manding Name Game"; (3) "Common Names in Sierra Leone"; (4) "Ibrahim's Problem, Part 1"; (5) "Education in Sierra Leone"; (6) "Ibrahim's Problem, Part 2" (7) "Islam in Africa"; (8) "The Arabic Alphabet"; (9) "Arabic Numbers"; (10) "The Marketplace"; (11) "Proverbs in Sierra Leone"; (12) "Ibrahim's Problem, Part 3"; (13) "Geography in Sierra Leone"; (14) "Recipes from Sierra Leone and West Africa"; (15) "Crossword Puzzle"; (16) "Sierra Leone Bee"; and (17) "Writing an Essay on Sierra Leone." A 16-item…
(1994). Spotlight on Japan: Continuity and Change. This curriculum guide is the outgrowth of a program developed by The American Forum for Global Education to help New York City teachers improve the teaching of Japan in their classrooms. The resource guide provides an interdisciplinary perspective on Japanese culture for secondary teachers and students. In addition to suggested classroom activities, there are background readings and notes for the teachers that can be used for enrichment lessons with students. The five chapters focus on: (1) "Literature and Language"; (2) "Education"; (3) "Culture"; (4) "Geography"; and (5) "Social Roles." A section of teaching resources offers a map of Japan, a description of the accompanying slides, a bibliography, and a 15-item videography. (EH)… [PDF]
(1997). India in the Twenty-first Century: The Challenge of Population Growth. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad, 1997 (India). This paper contains a course outline for a five-hour graduate class focusing on the issue of population in India. Students examine contributing factors to population growth, along with studying characteristics of, and efforts to, control population growth. The significance of ethnic diversity in India also is addressed. Group discussion and group work are used throughout the course. A materials list accompanies the outline with suggestions for culminating activities and evaluation procedures. (EH)… [PDF]
(1996). Middle East Pathfinder: Fiction and Nonfiction Resources for K-12 Educators. This paper describes a resource tool called a pathfinder, which is a specialized bibliography used by public, academic, and school librarians to compile related information into a single document, usually under 10 pages. This Middle East Pathfinder contains 14 types of information sources including: (1) a brief introduction to the topic with sources; (2) general information and sources of a factual nature; (3) folklore resources; (4) picture books; (5) middle readers; (6) historical fiction; (7) holidays and celebrations resources; (8) other genres; (9) food resources; (10) art and craft resources; (11) information on a representative author or illustrator; (12) videos; (13) web sites; and (14) curricular resources (lessons plans). (EH)… [PDF]
(1986). Mexican Celebrations. Latin American Culture Studies Project. Developed for elementary school children, this unit is designed to teach about Mexican American culture through the study of holidays celebrated throughout much of Latin America and the southwestern United States. The unit describes and provides background information about nine Mexican American holidays. Among the activities included are the words and music to songs, and directions for making dishes and decorations typical of individual holidays. The nine holidays dealt with in the unit include: (1) January 6, El Dia de los Reyes (Day of the Kings); (2) February 2, Nuestra Senora de San Juan de los Lagos (Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico); (3) Cinco de Mayo (The Fifth of May); (4) September 16, Independence Day; (5) October 12, El Dia de la Raza (The Day of the People); (6) November 1-2, El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead); (7) November 2, San Martin de Porres; (8) December 12, Our Lady of Guadalupe; (9) December 16-24, Las Posadas. A 17-item bibliography also is…
(1992). Appreciating Differences: Teaching and Learning in a Culturally Diverse Classroom. Hot Topics: Usable Research. This publication is designed to provide educators with useful information and examples on how teachers and students can better communicate and learn in today's culturally diverse classroom. Educators are given background information and resources for becoming more sensitive and responsive to the needs of students of different cultures and enriching the curiculum by infusing it with a multicultural perspective. Section 1 provides general background on cultural diversity and its impact on U.S. schools. Section 2 features programs and projects that teachers have successfully used to address the needs of culturally diverse school populations. Section 3 presents a compilation of structured strategies for developing cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity, and it suggests thematic activities, with related resources, that can be used in the classroom. Section 4 supplies a selection of multicultural resources; section 5 offers four appendices containing additional resources and… [PDF]
(1993). Multicultural Issues in Child Care. This volume focuses on cultural differences relevant to all child-care-giving settings, including day care, nursery, and preschool programs. Based on respect for cultural pluralism, this concise supplementary text is designed to increase caregiver sensitivity to different cultural child-care practices and values and to improve communication and understanding between the caregiver and parents. Daily caregiving routines and objectives are stressed throughout, emphasizing practical, immediate concerns, not just general principles or rules. Teaching antibias to infants has to do with the agreement the caregiver makes with each parent about the way to take care of and interact with the baby. Cultural values play a very important role in areas such as feeding, sleeping, and toilet training, and differences among groups should be respected, even if it is not always possible to accommodate them in a day-care setting. (SLD)…
(1993). Stories Make a Difference: Intercultural Dialogue in the Early Years. With reference to the current context of intercultural education in Germany, this paper describes the concept behind a series of specially designed audio-visual media that feature stories and games as the focus of novel forms of presentation. Four audio cassettes and four video films, each with an accompanying explanatory booklet, present Italian and Turkish fairy tales, literary folk heroes, and traditional and modern games and rituals alongside German childlore and literature. The goal of the series is to raise German children's awareness of and openness toward other cultures and languages and, at the same time, to help meet the needs of Italian and Turkish minority children in Germany by strengthening their bilingual/bicultural identity and offering them opportunities to demonstrate their specific skills. Introducing stories and games in ways that convey a message of cultural parity may help to counteract subtle forms of ethnocentrism in everyday settings, to combat negative… [PDF]