(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]
(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)…
(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)…
(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…
(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]
(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…
(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]
(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]
(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]
(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]
(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)…
(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]
(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…
(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…