Discusses the history of low tolerance for different cultures and general ethnocentrism in schools in the United States. Seeks to determine if story telling and interpretation of a story by first graders in a suburban Chicago public school could stimulate interest in and expression of positive feelings for persons from a cultural background…

Investigates the adaptation strategies of Mexican American adolescents in order to determine the effect of environment on acculturation. Describes the characteristics and similarities of Mexican-, Chicano-, and Anglo-oriented life-styles. Describes the manifestation of each life-style in an urban and suburban high school setting. (SB)

Asserts the necessity of developing a U.S. audience educated to appreciate classical music. Discusses a number of innovative programs across the country designed to increase audience participation and appreciation. Proposes implementing outreach and education courses in professional music schools. (MJP)

Asserts that celebration of holidays, long a significant aspect of elementary social studies, has been abandoned by many schools because of controversy. Argues that holidays serve important societal functions and are part of the public culture. Provides criteria for establishing school policies about holidays and their celebration. (CFR)

Asserts that the self-actualizing and expressive nature of dance contributes to an intuitive sense of morality. Criticizes the body versus mind dualism and antibody bias implicit in the Western intellectual tradition. Contrasts the aggressive nature of sports with the expressive character of dance. (MJP)

Celebrates 30 years of programs and projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Profiles 11 funded projects from the 1960s through the 1990s. These include the Talking about Books program, Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Ken Burns's documentaries, and The Library of America. (MJP)

Presents an impassioned and cogent plea for supporting the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Corrects and answers many of the misconceptions concerning the NEH and effectively refutes the most repeated criticisms. Briefly describes some of the NEH's most popular and successful projects. (MJP)

Recreates a lively, informal discussion about art between three high school students and an art education professor. The students discuss their backgrounds, experiences creating art, and art preferences. Includes added commentary by the professor. (MJP)

Presents a method for teaching about cultural landscapes in introductory geography classes by comparing Italian Renaissance gardens with Japanese Zen gardens. Discusses the background and attributes of both garden types. Maintains that, by contrasting the two traditions, it is possible to illustrate cultural landscapes. (CFR)

Maintains that all cultures celebrate holidays, but, in U.S. elementary schools, holidays generally are given superficial treatment. Suggests using holidays from other nations to begin studying the geography, history, and culture of those countries. Provides descriptions of seven teaching ideas based on this approach. (CFR)

Asserts that studying regional holidays provides an opportunity to teach about the multicultural nature of the United States. Describes the background and history of the Mardi Gras holiday in New Orleans (Louisiana). Provides individual and group activities for teaching about Mardi Gras and includes suggested resources. (CFR)

The role of higher education in fostering the arts and educating artists is addressed. Currently, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare focuses on aid to primary and secondary levels, and the National Endowment for the Humanities has not developed programs to support professional training in a specific form or arts education of the…

Encapsulates a series of verbatim statements made by young musicians about the joy music has brought to their lives. The musicians, all students at Black Mountain Middle School in San Diego, California, exhibit a wide range of responses discussing their commitment, hard work, and sense of accomplishment. (MJP)

Case study of an Iowa junior high school describes how the school and community identified their resources and used them to create successful arts education programs from ordinary resources. The article examines four types of commitment that shaped school practice, noting effective teaching practices and administrative policy. (SM)

Contends that an integrated curriculum approach increases student motivation and makes learning easier because lessons have wider applications. Suggests that discipline-based art education promotes an interdisciplinary approach, particularly with social studies and language arts. Provides an example of an instructional unit combining social…