Franklin, Paula A. (1995). Melting Pot or Not? Debating Cultural Identity. Multicultural Issues. The United States has been called a "melting pot," a container in which separate materials are heated and blended. When people call the United States a melting pot, they are using a metaphor for the blending of cultures that some feel has occurred in this country. Others doubt that America has been a melting pot, and many doubt that it should be. These issues are debated for young people in terms of what it means to be American. The idea popularized by Israel Zangwill's play "The Melting Pot" is that the United States would absorb and transform all immigrants. In fact, immigrants have not found the melting process smooth. The experiences of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and other ethnic groups are described. The debate about the importance of multiculturalism will not be soon resolved, but Americans on both sides might consider the compromise involved in a Pledge of Allegiance that refers to "one nation, united in our…

Balabkins, Xenia P.; And Others (1997). Issues of Education at Community Colleges: Essays by Fellows in the Mid-Career Fellowship Program at Princeton University, June 1997. This collection contains essays on contemporary issues facing community colleges written by fellows in Princeton University's Mid-Career Fellowship Program. The essays are as follows: \Is Middlesex County College Accomplishing Its Mission?\ (Xenia P. Balabkins); \The Coming of Age of Women's Studies: Attention Must be Paid\ (Lynne M. DeCicco); \The Psychology of Women and Gender\ (Miriam M. Dumville); \An English Professor Considers Mathematics\ (Noreen L. Duncan); \On Assessing Philosophical Literacy\ (Saul Kelton); \Literary Magazines at Community Colleges: Their Forms and Impact\ (Bonnie M. MacDougall); \Clarifying Institutional Policy Toward International Students: A Community College Self-Study Model\ (Sara B. Pfaffenroth); \Multiculturalism: A Design for Introductory Literature on the Community College Level\ (Madeline Santoro); \New Technologies in Mathematics\ (Jorge Sarmiento); \Proposal for an Early Retirement Incentive Program at Mercer County Community College\ (Arthur… [PDF]

(1997). Fresno City College, Exploring America's Communities. Progress Report. In 1996, Fresno City College (California) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. The college's action plan has four major objectives: establishing an American Studies discipline, forming a faculty committee on "pluralism and identity," changing the curriculum, and ensuring dissemination of the activities focusing on diversity and identity on campus and in the community. A new course on American pluralism was developed and a colloquium on pluralism and its meaning was held. A symposium on the search for common values in the midst of diversity, featuring an essay contest, a panel discussion, and a celebration of multiculturalism, was also conducted. The college's Honors' colloquia included several conversations on the meaning of diversity, ethnic identity, and commonalties of American… [PDF]

(1997). From Fragments to the Whole: Integrating Diversity and Unity in the Academic Foundations Program at Hudson County Community College. In 1996, New Jersey's Hudson County Community College (HCCC) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. The primary goal of HCCC's project was to provide reading materials and writing assignments that will help students in developmental courses develop college-level skills while reinforcing their knowledge of American culture. Specific objectives included developing a course anthology of readings on eight topics, an oral history project, and faculty development workshops. Much progress has been made in the collection of materials for the developmental English course anthology. Both full-length texts and shorter articles and chapters suitable for developmental students have been selected and some have been field-tested in the classroom. The Oral History component of the project was integrated into a Basic… [PDF]

(1997). Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Exploring America's Communities. Progress Report. In 1996, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which worked to strengthen the instruction of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. The primary objective of the college's action plan was to establish a team-taught, interdisciplinary course using films, historical readings, and literary works to examine the American experience. The course would attempt to explore America's process as a polyglot attempting to assimilate its diverse population, but which often divided itself along lines of race, prejudice, bigotry, religion, and sex. To involve colleagues, at least one workshop on multiculturalism was planned. The following three accomplishments were made: four workshops on multiculturalism were held, reaching approximately 250 members of the college community; an additional section was added to the new course due to high demand; and the team… [PDF]

(1997). Motlow State Community College, Exploring America's Communities: Honors American Studies. Progress Report. In 1996, Tennessee's Motlow State Community College (MSCC) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the instruction of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. MSCC's goal is to introduce an understanding of cultural diversity which goes beyond tolerance to achieve acceptance. MSCC uses an integrated program of study which investigates, through both oral and written literature and historical records, the diversity present in its cultural community. MSCC's long-range goal is to produce an integrated Honors program which addresses, in an interdisciplinary fashion, the richness of local and national cultural heritage and the skills necessary to adapt to and profit from change. The prototype team-taught honors course was taught for the first time, operating from a syllabus which looks at change and value shifts in the past in order to develop sensitivity toward and… [PDF]

(1997). Northampton Community College, Exploring America's Communities. Progress Report. In 1996, Northampton Community College (Pennsylvania) participated in the Exploring America's Communities project sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges. The project works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. One of the major goals of the project is the revision of two literature classes: one course was expanded to include more works by Native American, African-American, Hispanic-American, and Asian-American writers; and the other, an African-American literature class, was altered to broaden understanding about what it means to be an American. Revisions in the general literature class were made through the inclusion of new textbooks, new instructional approaches, and new course themes. Throughout the semester, the instructor was able to integrate conversations around the issues of pluralism, American identity, commonalties, and differences by encouraging small group discussions held… [PDF]

(1997). Rockland Community College, Exploring America's Communities. Progress Report. In 1996, Rockland Community College (New York) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. The Task Force on College Pluralism and Identity, appointed in 1990, has made a number of significant recommendations which were adopted as College policy. Primary goals of the action plan included engaging in a series of activities to review and revise the courses in American history and literature and to develop a new inter-disciplinary, team-taught course in Latino/a culture. Accomplishments of the program included: revised Learning Activity proposals; a proposal for an interdisciplinary team-taught course on Latino studies; a colloquium on a novel by a Latina feminist; and hosting a live, national call-in video teleconference. None of the activities have yet reached the classroom, although the concept of… [PDF]

(1997). Tyler Junior College, Exploring America's Communities. In 1996, Texas's Tyler Junior College (TJC) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. TJC's action plan goals were to solicit administrative endorsement and support of the project, to infuse the existing curriculum with at least one pluralism concept among specified courses, to provide opportunities for faculty dialogue pertaining to cultural diversity, to establish multicultural awareness throughout the campus and community, and to initiate student pluralism projects. The program's accomplishments included making presentations to the college president, the Instructional Counsel, and the Faculty Senate about the program; implementing a new interdisciplinary course examinig the cultural development of America; hosting a luncheon for faculty to explore identity issues; developing a bibliography on… [PDF]

Glover, Denise Marie (1995). Voices of the Spirit: Sources for Interpreting the African-American Experience. The face of America is changing rapidly, and this guide helps meet the increasing need for information about our multiethnic populace. Classic and contemporary resources in African American history, from 1883 to the present, are annotated and discussed. When available, reprint information is provided for classic resources. A variety of resources are highlighted, including collections of primary documents, historical photographic books, traveling exhibits, and videotapes. The objective is to inspire the researcher to move beyond the prevailing stereotypes of African Americans found in standard print and electronic media. Six chapters are arranged by genre and historical period as follows: reference books; collective biography and genealogy; historiographical works; general historical surveys; and historical works by chronological period, from slavery to reconstruction. The annotations are designed to provide enough detailed information to help in curriculum material inclusion…

Kupperman, Jeff; Wallace, Raven (1998). Evaluating an Intercultural Internet Writing Project through a Framework of Activities and Goals. A framework for student Internet writing projects is proposed that consists of learning outcome goals and component activities. The framework is intended to be useful when designing and developing Internet writing projects and when evaluating student outcomes. Six learning goals are outlined: (1) engagement; (2) consideration of purpose and audience; (3) evaluation and synthesis of information; (4) developing personal standards for writing; (5) cultural awareness; and (6) participation in a literate community. Seven component activities are also outlined: (1) publishing; (2) friendship exchanges; (3) data sharing; (4) collaborative artifact creation; (5) peer critiquing; (6) mentoring; and (7) question asking. The paper shows how the framework could be applied to a pilot project in which students sent questions to African respondents via e-mail, used the replies in revisions of invented \folktales,\ and published the final stories on the Web. Through this example, the paper shows… [PDF]

Harriman, Cliff; And Others (1993). Food for Thought. This document describes "Food for Thought," a multidisciplinary project for grades 5 through 8, using nutrition as a focal point. The program focuses on the popular topic of food to make the study of different cultures and historic periods more relevant. In the program students research the diets and prepare the meals of cultures they are studying. They learn that humans throughout history have been driven by similar nutrition needs whether they were Mayans, Roman Centurions, European explorers, or astronauts. Studying history through food conveys a clearer picture of people in the past: what they believed, how they experienced events, and how they conducted their lives. Students draw the important connection between then and now. The program becomes particularly relevant when students examine their own diets and evaluate them using computer software. (SG)… [PDF]

Padgett, Carmen H. A. (1982). Cross-Cultural Education: Its Relevance and Implications in the United States. This paper analyzes the relevance and implications of cross-cultural education for citizens of the United States and foreigners, and provides several definitions of culture. Educators must get closer to the foreign culture they are interested in learning or teaching. In that way they would discover how members of other cultures learn and could then understand why people of different cultures react differently to the same stimuli. Since this has not been done, Americans have become ethnocentric and have alienated other countries that are needed as allies. In the technological world of today it is a moral obligation to learn about the cultures of other countries, if one wishes to be able to evaluate their actions. Americans' main problem lies in their ignorance regarding deep-set cultural patterns of different nations. This ignorance results in a lack of respect for those patterns. Also included are suggestions for possible solutions of some world problems that could be supplied by…

Coller, Richard W.; Summers, John Mark (1981). Cross-Cultural Training in the Community College Curriculum. While technological advances have transformed man's social and cultural environment and increased the interconnection between individuals and cultures, they have not in themselves led to a deeper understanding of other cultures. Educational programs can play an important role in remedying this defect and in developing students' sensitivity to other cultures as well as promoting an increased awareness of world issues. Within this framework and within the context of dramatic socioeconomic changes in Hawaii, a course in intercultural communications was developed at Kauai Community College. An existing model was adapted to the particular needs and conditions of the college and community, resulting in: (1) the adoption of a workshop format; (2) offering the course for credit; (3) the inclusion of a significant amount of the theory and principles of intercultural communication; and (4) the integration into the course of a weekend camping retreat which emphasized participation, communal…

Sheffield, Caryl J. (1997). Instructional Technology for Teachers: Preparation for Classroom Diversity. Educational Technology, v37 n2 p16-18 Mar-Apr. Discusses instructional design procedures for teachers to increase instructional effectiveness in classrooms with a culturally diverse student body. Highlights include analyzing learner characteristics using standardized tests and informal assessment techniques; specifying instructional strategies that are particularly useful in multicultural classrooms; and examining materials for bias. (LRW)…

(1969). The Language Development Project; A Pilot Study in Language Learning. A New York State Urban Aid Project. End-Year Report, June 30, 1969. The format of this report is similar to that of other reports on The Language Development Project. See AL 002 352 and 354 for descriptions of the project and the format of the reports. [Not available in hard copy due to marginal legibility of the original document.] (DO)… [PDF]

(1970). The Language Development Project; A Pilot Study in Language Learning. A New York State Urban Aid Project. Mid-Year Report, January 31, 1970. This document comprises a report on The Language Development Project during the first half of the 1969-70 school year. It contains sections on the background of the project; its organization, staff training, and activities; materials used in the project; evaluation; and plans for the Spring term. Appended are various schedules for teacher training workshops, visitations, and monthly meetings, agendas for workshops and the Winter Leadership Conference, and several memoranda and forms that were sent out during the Fall term. See related documents AL 002 352 and 353. (DO)… [PDF]

Platero, Dillon (1969). Annual Report of Rough Rock Demonstration School for 1968-69; July 1, 1968 Through June 30, 1969. This narrative report introduces the Rough Rock Demonstration School's background, organization, and setting, which is characterized as a scene for doing what is needed in Indian education. Educational services discussed are preschool services (which include a Head Start class and a kindergarten class), phase one services (for the primary grades), and phase two services (for older students). Dormitory services are discussed in terms of staff, students, activities, and problems of behavior and health. The Navaho Curriculum Center's activities, financed primarily by E.S.E.A. Title I funds, are discussed in terms of a transition period at the beginning of the 1968-69 fiscal year, and of its continuing work, which emphasized the writing of Navaho language books and the use of classroom aides. The Rough Rock Development Project is discussed in terms of its development out of the Community Services Division of the demonstration school. School Board decisions from July, 1968 to June, 1969… [PDF]

Exelrod, Alan B. (1973). Litigating the Rights of the Bilingual School Child to Equal Educational Opportunity. In the Lau vs. Nichols case, a suit was brought by Chinese-speaking students against the San Francisco Unified School District, asking the district to implement programs in Chinese that would permit them to learn English. The basic claim of these non-English-speaking children is that in refusing to meet their learning needs, the district is violating their right to adequate educational opportunity under the equal protection clause of the Constitution. The social, economic, and political discrimination against the Chinese and Mexican-Americans forced them into an isolation that has resulted in large communities of non-English-speaking students in California and the Southwest. Since language is an integral part of the ethnic culture of the students involved, discrimination based on language is one manifestation of discrimination based on national origin. In the Lau case, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled that there could be no state action unless the school district had had a specific… [PDF]

(1973). Indian Education: Steps to Progress in the 70's. The booklet acquaints individuals with the Federal education programs serving American Indian students. Included are brief reports on some of the innovative approaches to education–i.e., individualization and open classrooms–in Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools. It delineates the broad parameters of the BIA's efforts in school operation, assistance to Indian college students, adult education, and cooperation with public schools enrolling Idian students. It gives information on the important movement of the past few years toward increased Indian participation in their education programs. It is felt that this booklet indicates the determination, on the part of the Indian people, the BIA, President Nixon, Congress, and people of the United States to keep these promises so that the 70's will be a period of educational growth and progress for American Indians. (FF)… [PDF]

(1969). Research: Annotated Bibliography of New Canadian Studies. This annotated bibliography of twenty-one research reports that provide knowledge about various cultures and educational experiences of the major ethnic groups in the Toronto schools is designed to present information for not only special English teachers, but other school personnel as well. The bibliography consists of reports that aim to: 1) describe and compare native Canadian students and immigrants in the Toronto schools; 2) summarize teacher's responses to a questionnaire on suggestions for improving the present system; 3) assess some of the English language skills of a large sampling of students; 4) familiarize teachers with the educational, cultural, historical, and economic backgrounds of Chinese, Italian, and Greek students by describing and listing multi-media packages; 5) provide a "snapshot" of the initial settlement patterns of newcomers to Toronto; 6) determine if immigrant students are less likely to be in a five year academic programme; and, 8) provide… [PDF]

Brunstein, James J., Comp. (1972). The Somerton Story: Part III. A Progress Report on the Somerton Demonstration School for Migrant Child Education. Again, welcome back to the Somerton School District, Somerton, Arizona. Five years have passed since the Somerton Demonstration School for Migrant Child Education was first begun, and it has now reached maturity. Five years have been long enough for Somerton to see that its educational programs for migrant children have attained a new level of maturity. In Parts I and II of "The Somerton Story" (ED 044 187 and ED 044 226), many of the attempts, the achievements, the progress, and the problems were related. This document relates in 3 sections exactly what is the current story of migrant education in Somerton (1971). Discussed in these 3 sections are (1) parent involvement, which has been stressed in Somerton for the past 3 years and is considered a vital link to reaching migrant children, (2) the role of a demonstration school in providing services to other school districts and educators, and (3) 10 new programs in Somerton which are presently in use and show promise of… [PDF]

(1976). I Find Out About Science. Grade 1. This textbook is the first in the official science series developed by the Ministry of Education in Saigon and used in all public schools in Vietnam. The books in this series have been reprinted in their entirety from the original editions for use in American schools where there are Vietnamese students. The grade one text contains the following chapters: (1) How Man and Animals Live; (2) How Plants Live; (3) Liquids and Solids; (4) The Universe; (5) Seasons; and (6) Time. All illustrations are provided in black and white; therefore, references to colored illustrations in the text should be ignored. (CFM)…

(1976). I Find Out About Science. Grade 2. This textbook is the second in the official science series developed by the Ministry of Education in Saigon and used in all public schools in Vietnam. The books in this series have been reprinted in their entirety from the original editions for use in American schools where there are Vietnamese students. The grade two text contains the following chapters: (1) Review Grade 1 Materials; (2) How Plants Grow; (3) How Animals Grow; (4) The Human Body; (5) The Earth in the Universe; (6) Air; (7) Sound; and (8) Water. All illustrations are provided in black and white; therefore, references to colored illustrations in the text should be ignored. (CFM)…

(1976). I Find Out About Science. Grade 3. This textbook is the third in the official science series developed by the Ministry of Education in Saigon and used in all public schools in Vietnam. The books in this series have been reprinted in their entirety from the original editions for use in American schools with Vietnamese students. The grade three text contains the following chapters: (1) Review Grade 2 Material; (2) Domesticated and Non-Domesticated Animals; (3) The Main Parts of Plants and Their Functions; (4) The Human Body; (5) Food Preservation; (6) Air; (7) The Universe; and (8) Common Minerals. All illustrations are provided in black and white; therefore, references to colored illustrations in the text should be ignored. (CFM)…

(1976). I Find Out About Science. Grade 5. This textbook is the fifth in the official series developed by the Ministry of Education in Saigon and used in all public schools in Vietnam. The books in this series have been reprinted in their entirety from the original editions for use in American schools with Vietnamese students. The grade five text contains the following chapters: (1) Review Grade 4 Material; (2) The Earth; (3) Levers; (4) Floating Objects; (5) Electircity; (6) Magnets; (7) Electromagnets; (8) Chemicals; and (9) Chemical Products. All illustrations are provided in black and white; therefore, references to colored illustrations in the text should be ignored. (CFM)…

Gilhool, Tom (1978). PARC, Lau, Rodriguez, and Individualized Education. Cross Reference: A Journal of Public Policy and Multicultural Education, v1 n1 p27-39 Jan-Feb 1978, 78. The values of individualized education have in recent years taken on new strength. The cases and the statutes which have contributed to that increasing strength suggest that it may be possible to realize these values within the public school system itself. (Author/EB)…

Kelly, Peter (1977). Focus on Reading Skills–A Report on the 1977 TESOL Convention. Babel: Journal of the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers' Associations, 13, 2, 36-9, Jul 77. A summary of presentations on the teaching of reading skills in English to speakers of other languages. Topics included the focus on different kinds of skills, use of discourse analysis, and reading as realization of an underlying communicative process. (AMH)…

Chan, Donna M. (1986). Curriculum Development for Limited English Proficient Exceptional Chinese Children. Rural Special Education Quarterly, v8 n1 p26-31. Addresses the need for appropriate curricula for Limited English Proficient (LEP) exceptional Chinese children. Discusses immigration history, demographics, legal issues, culture, language, and learning style to provide a context for understanding student needs. (JHZ)…

Curtis, Stuart; Millar, Robin (1988). Language and Conceptual Understanding in Science: A Comparison of English- and Asian-Language-Speaking Children. Research in Science and Technological Education, v6 n1 p61-77. Presents a method for representing students' knowledge about basic scientific concepts by classifying ideas produced in a free-writing task. Implies that those differences which exist can best be attributed to general fluency in the language of instruction rather than factors that are specific to the learning of science. (Author/CW)…