Growing up in Loretto, Tennessee, population 1,700, people called it "going to town" when they went to any city big enough to have a McDonald's, Walmart, or a movie theater. If someone is not from a small town, they may not know what type of economic activities a small town can support. Will the town have a police department? Will there…

The men of the Breckinridge family have a long history of service to the nation, including many politicians, soldiers, and even a vice president of the United States. But it was a woman in the family, Mary, who had, arguably, the most direct and long-lived impact on those she served. As the founder of the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) of Eastern…

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)

The Aboriginal Australians traditionally were a homogeneous people, living as hunter-gatherers and dispersed across Australia. Today there are 176,300 Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia--more than one percent of the country's population. Their history and current problems are examined. (RM)

Evaluates six U.S. western civilization textbooks' treatment of the Baltic region. Reports that the books devote little or no attention to the region, emphasize larger nations, and ignore Baltic social history. Suggests that social histories may continue to neglect small countries, whereas reaction against "Eurocentrism" may result in…

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,…

Discusses problems with existing social studies curriculum, including the dichotomy between in-depth studies and coverage studies, lack of correlation with other fields of instruction, and uncertainty about the appropriate sequential development of concepts. A master plan for social studies curriculum, focusing on grades five through eight, is…

Australians are known for their egalitarian spirit, manifested by a dislike of social pretension and affectation. A brief history of the country from the time of its establishment in 1788 as a dumping ground for Britain's unwanted criminals to the present is presented. (RM)

Australia is an independent nation-state, federally constituted under a democratic parliamentary system. Being part of the Commonwealth of Nations, with feelings of loyalty to the Crown, Australia is also a democratic monarchy. Its political structure is discussed. (RM)

Urges educators to establish liaisons with professionals in the Soviet Union. Provides background information on the country, its size, populations, languages, and major ethnic groups. Describes the structure of the education system, the critical problems of housing, and the position of women in a consistently male-dominated society. (NL)

Cites a number of resources available to teachers to use in teaching about Asian Pacific Rim cultures. Includes addresses, titles, and general information about materials available from the listed sources. Describes some multicultural resources that have been included because of their treatment of Asian Pacific Rim cultures. (DK)

Like religious studies, Jewish studies is an academic exploration of literature, ritual, history, philosophy, and experience across disciplinary boundaries. As with all area studies, Jewish studies balances itself--often precariously--as a bridge across that range of methodological options. The breadth of theories employed by each has complicated…

Australia is the world's driest continent. One-third of the country's area is unsuitable for any land use, while another third is suitable only for cattle and sheep grazing. Australia's physical geography, weather conditions, wildflowers, and wildlife are discussed. (RM)

It is argued that proposed integration of cultural studies into French studies threatens French language enrollments because of its nonliterary focus and de-emphasis of traditional instruction in western civilization. A fundamental conflict of perspectives of the two fields persists despite some efforts to reconcile them. (5 references) (MSE)

Concentrating on events in Canada during the last ten years, this article discusses the Quebec separatist movement and other strong regionalisms in Canada. Important processes involved with conflict and compromise within the Canadian state are examined. (RM)