Grade nine level students in Canadian studies are introduced to and immersed in the major "crises" affecting Quebec and Canada during the Quiet Revolution and to the present day in this simulation exercise. Students are asked to come to grips with the central problems of Quebec in crisis. (RM)

Whenever a class begins to study a new part of the world, teachers must deal with students' preexisting ideas about the area. Activities which will challenge elementary students' initial impressions of Australia and encourage them to learn more about the country are described. (RM)

This curriculum unit introduces students in grades K-8 to an important Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead (November 2). The unit provides an overview of the celebration and is divided into two lessons: (1) "Classroom Altar" (with seven typical art and food preparation activities); and (2) "Day of the Dead Procession" (with…

Various ways of incorporating area studies into the curriculum are examined. The three approaches mentioned in the title are found impractical. The best approach for the foreign language teacher is to put the language first, and bring in area study items where appropriate. (WGA)

These essays were written to assist teachers in the task of making Russian history intelligible to young U.S. students. In "An Approach to Russian History," Edward Keenan proposes that students need to gain a better understanding of how Russians perceive themselves and their history. In "Pre-Petrine Russia," Andrzej S. Kaminski…

This collection of lessons was developed as a result of a study/travel seminar undertaken during the summer of 1999. The goal of the project was to develop and disseminate exemplary lessons for teaching about the role of the Federal Republic of Germany in the European Union. These lessons are designed so that they may be used individually via…

This curriculum project about the history and culture of Hungary and Poland is intended for secondary school students. The project features a unit called "Heroes in Our Lives" and points out the sacrifices a few individuals have made for the betterment of all. Students identify heroes and learn about the impact these heroes have made on…

Developed to help young people prepare for 21st-century challenges, this book is part of a project to produce a series of instructional units about German for implementation in K-12 classrooms and to offer staff development activities that facilitate the implementation of these units. This volume's main focus is Germany and social studies, but it…

This lesson, one of four stand-alone lessons that examine Australia as an aspect of world history, points out that Australia's unique geographic characteristics and history serve as a useful case study of key global concepts. The lesson focuses on exploration and control of trade routes during the Age of Discovery. The lesson has two parts. In…

By viewing approximately two dozen Japanese television commercials, secondary students enrolled in an area studies course about Japan were able to generate tones and impressions reflecting many important experiences of the Japanese society that the course would later explore in more detail. The introductory lesson was very successful. (RM)

Discusses how the global approach can be used to teach about Japanese culture in elementary and secondary social studies classes. Students compare and contrast Japanese and American cultures. Methods for helping students to become familiar with aspects of Japanese culture are included. (AM)

Recommends, for use in teaching English as a foreign language, Fuller's poem "Geography Lesson," in which the geographical outlines of the British Isles, as well as British social and economic structure, are humanized in an ironic fashion. (IFS/WGA)

Suggests methods for teaching about Yugoslavia. Recommends assigning students to maintain journals of news clippings about developments in Yugoslavia. Proposes forming cooperative-learning groups for researching the country's various regions. Offers activities for teaching about language arts, fine arts, reading and literature, religion,…

These materials were developed for use in a "Survey of the Far East" course offered at Mount Vernon Nazarene College, Mount Vernon, Ohio. This curriculum project focuses on the "Bhagavad Gita," with reference to its influence on and use by Mahatma Gandhi. The "Gita" may be used as a text, or may be included on a…

This ERIC Digest considers: (1) why U.S. students should learn about Canada; (2) where course content on Canada belongs in the curriculum; and (3) useful strategies and resources to improve the teaching of Canadian studies. The United States and Canada share the world's largest undefended border, and the United States trades more with Canada than…