Demonstrates briefly the naturalness of dialect variation in American English, examines the implications for reading instruction of recognizing the naturalness of dialects, and provides a list of references for the professional development of teachers of children who speak dialects other than standard English. (ET)

Based on the premise that the future can be shaped and changed, the article describes an eleventh-grade social studies future-oriented project that helped students learn to create and explore the future. Students were involved in forecasting, investigating various forecasts about the future, discussing the futures issues in class, and collecting…

Argues that the study of refraction of sound waves, although usually neglected, is an excellent ancillary to the normal optical approach in physics courses. Discusses the historical context of interest in the science behind outdoor sound propagation, particularly during the Civil War in the United States. (WRM)

This guide attempts to show educators a perspective on Columbus that is historically accurate and sensitive to American Indian history. The 500-year anniversary of the voyage of Columbus is not a time for rejoicing among the Indian population. Although exploration of the New World was inevitable, Columbus and his successors treated the Indian…

The purpose of this guidebook is to give teachers in British Columbia, Canada a practical resource that will help address issues pertaining to the 500th anniversary of the first European contact with the Americas. The document is a resource teachers can use to get students to think about, talk about, or reflect on the 500 years of contact between…

This guide provides the teacher of multiethnic students with information and teaching resources on the Chaldeans. The guide provides background on the history and development of the Chaldean language, the history and geography of Chaldea (Iraq), and Chaldeans in the United States. Also covered are Chaldean social customs, religion, food, games and…

This teacher's guide accompanies the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) four-part videotape documentary about the journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they made their way from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean. The guide introduces the documentary's major themes through 4 lessons which focus on the geography and events that shaped…

Discusses the Salem witchcraft trials as a reflection of the social and moral values of colonial Massachusetts and New France. Traces the history of the trials. Describes other instances of witchcraft and folk superstitions during that same historical period. Provides primary sources of a picture, map, and excerpts from letters pertaining to the…

Presents a landscape historian's perspective of California's Yosemite National Park in which is described the history behind the names and places of Yosemite amidst descriptions of the landscape and significant people. Includes accounts of military ventures, native cultures, gold rush confrontations, and relationships between Native Americans, the…

This teaching guide provides across-the-curriculum hands-on activities, reproducibles, and resources for elementary teachers and students. The material teaches about Columbus's journey with sensitivity and respect for different points of view, offering opportunities to teach basic skills and lessons on how to interpret history. (SM)

Describes how one English teacher implemented a cross-curricular team-teaching method that combined instruction in American literature and history to create an American studies approach. Outlines how two teachers taught aspects of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." (HB)

Presents a wordfind puzzle game based on multilingualism in Canada. Includes languages of European and Asian derivation only. (CFR)

Voice quality settings (physiological configurations contributing to phonetic production) can be used to characterize ESL students' accents and help improve pronunciation. Settings of one variety of North American English and those in other languages are identified. Suggestions are given for making students aware of their own settings. (MSE)

This curriculum guide presents the components of a U.S. history course examining the causes and immediate effects of the opening of Japan to American trade and diplomacy by Commodore Matthew C. Perry's 1853-1854 Japanese expedition. The first part of the guide introduces the goals of the course. Next, the student objectives of the course are…

Presented are 17 activities designed to supplement junior or senior high school studies in prehistory and archaeology. Stressed throughout the manual is the changing relationship between humans and the environment. The learning experiences fall into three categories: (1) how we study prehistoric cultures, (2) how prehistoric peoples lived, and (3)…