Articulates many reasons to teach about Sub-Saharan Africa in social studies classes. Although the region will become increasingly important because of global interdependence, it suffers widespread misunderstanding concerning its history and culture. Discusses the region's need for economic development and the quest for political democracy. (MJP)

Profiles Liberia, the West African nation patterned after the United States and colonized with freed U.S. slaves in the early 19th century. Reviews the country's history and its eruption into civil strife in 1990, showing how tensions have often characterized relationships between Liberians of different ethnic identities. (MJP)

Shows the acute dilemma facing a country with a widely spoken indigenous language, Kiswahili, in circumstances where a foreign language, English, has become the de facto language of instruction. Discusses the background of this policy and suggests an alternative, bilingual policy that gives equal weight to Kiswahili and English. (MJP)

Reviews the debate concerning the impact of Afrocentric education and multicultural education on U.S. history instruction and course content. Responds to criticisms of Afrocentric education by historians Diane Ravitch and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Contends that multicultural education can help recognize divisions in U.S. society and show a…

Demonstrates how introducing students to African literature can appeal to their imaginations and encourage them to develop their insights into African culture. Outlines the procedures in a middle school class where the students are transformed into anthropologists as they read Chinua Achebe's, "Things Fall Apart." (MJP)

Presents five brief articles related to middle-level learning. The articles are, "Using Children's Diaries to Teach the Oregon Trail"; "Living the Geography of Joseph and Temperance Brown"; "The ABCs of Small Grant Acquisition for Social Studies"; "Isomo Loruko: The Yoruba Naming Ceremony"; and "Child…

Describes the problems of education in Southern and South Africa. Maintains that, although the need to incorporate the four traditions of geography into the curriculum is widely recognized, much teaching is still traditional and unimaginative, leaving students unaware of the possibilities for geography. Also offers Five suggestions for solving the…

Presents a wealth of statistical, geographic, and economic information on Sub-Saharan Africa arranged and displayed for easy and immediate access. Lists all of the countries of the region along with pertinent information including religious affiliation, capital, Gross National Product, main exports, population growth, education, and literacy. (MJP)

Profiles the process of South Africa's transformation into a democracy. Outlines the many characteristics of the transition from white to majority rule, such as the attempt to achieve catharsis and bury the apartheid past through a process of amnesty and reconciliation. Describes the remaining obstacles to that transition. (MJP)

Places the current problems concerning citizenship education in Africa in the context of African countries' emergence from colonial rule to democratic government. Maintains that social studies education in Africa must become transformative and interdisciplinary to overcome ethnocentric isolation. Advocates upgrading teacher education and…

Describes a lesson plan that uses on the ordinary life of women in Kenya as a means of introducing students to issues concerning women and work in Africa. Students compare the typical daily schedules of a rural and an urban Kenyan woman and examine their different sets of obligations. (MJP)