This guide and accompanying videotape are a product of the seminar "Analyzing the Teaching of Mathematics in Japan and the United States" held in Tokyo, Japan, following the 9th International Congress of Mathematical Education in August, 2000. The purpose is to introduce the concept of Japanese lesson study to the American mathematics…

This sixth grade teaching unit covers Soviet propaganda, communism, relations with the United States, Soviet geography, Soviet arts, and Soviet life. Unit goals address the above content areas, map skills, and an attitudinal goal of helping students to develop a sense of respect for the life of Soviet citizens. Behavioral objectives are keyed to…

This third grade teaching unit on the USSR covers an introduction to the Soviet Union and its people, its government, daily lifestyles, folk culture, and geography. Skill goals deal with telling the difference between facts and opinions, comparing cultures, and integrating and applying information from various topics about the Soviet Union to…

Teaching materials for a comprehensive and integrated study of Mexico at the elementary level are presented. Emphasis throughout is on developing cross-cultural comparisons between Hermosillo and its sister city, Phoenix, for whom the program was created. Mexican geography, history, current events, politics, art, entertainment, education, people,…

Lessons to help primary grade students learn about the Chinese culture are presented. Focus is on the following two generalizations: culture is learned, and humans in time and place exhibit a commonality of behaviors. (RM)

An activity book is designed to address problems and oversights in classroom coverage of Japan discovered by the Japan/United States Textbook Study Project. Activities which focus on Japanese religion, language, and geography address two important questions: what immediate application does the textbook study have for classroom teachers and how can…

For people living in the 20th century, Russia has been associated with images of communism, the Bolshevik Revolution, totalitarian regimes and leaders, and the fears and stereotypes of the Cold War era. The dissolution of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War, and the liberal revolutions of the 1980s-1990s have provided an opportunity to…

This is a fourth-grade teaching unit on the Plains Indians of North America. It is composed of a content outline, statement of unit goals, unit behavioral objectives, initiating activities, developmental activities, closing activities, unit evaluation plan, and a bibliography. The content outline shows that the unit covers the Plains Indian's…

The Humans and Environment Learning Program (HELP) and the Student Awareness of Global Environments (SAGE) approach are designed to directly and vicariously expose students to natural and social environments and develop their awareness of the character and nature of the different environments in which each individual functions throughout a…

As an example of strategies that middle grade teachers can use to teach about a country using a standard textbook, a lesson on Canada is presented. The lesson is made up of four parts: geographic overview of Canada, identification and simplification of landscape, exploration and settlement, and elements of Canadian culture. (RM)

Students may not be as familiar with the Asian American struggle for equal rights as they are with the black struggle for equal rights. But Asian Americans' civil rights have also been challenged and/or denied throughout their history in the United States. This curriculum module contains six lessons and can be used as a supplement to history…

This unit, designed for use with students in grades 6-12, concerns the diverse and unifying forces that characterize life in Brazil's urban centers. Comprised of seven lessons and used with a set of slides, lesson 1, "Geography," distinguishes Brazil from other South American countries through an examination of the country's geographic…

Nine essays serving as springboards to the study of historical events and cultures focus on the use of memorabilia and primary resources for teaching social studies. Following a short preface by John I. Thomas, Linda Carrillo examines ways in which folk songs can be used to arouse a child's interest in the study of other cultures. In "Using…

The United Nations' founding in 1945 and the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reflected the international community's growing commitment to the protection and recognition of what is now referred to as human rights. Despite increased international attention, human rights violations continue to occur at the local, regional,…

This 16-day curriculum unit is designed for use in English and language arts classrooms, grades 9-12 and community college. While it is the fourth section in a series of five on the literature of war and peace, it can be used with or without the other four sections. Each section of the series focuses on a different genre of the literature of war…