The phrase "ready to learn" has been widely used and researched by scholars, policy makers, and education practitioners. School readiness, as a construct, has referred to the basic skills that children need to transition to elementary school. However, there is no consensus on which basic skills students should possess when entering…

Studies the cultural images and knowledge produced by a Latin American organization in the U.S. south as it plans and produces a Latin American festival. In addition, the complexity of the ethnographic portrayal of the festival is described, with implications drawn for other ethnographic studies. (SLD)

Describes the growth, development, and learning that a middle school administrative dean experienced with a Latina student who felt arbitrary rules and intercultural misunderstandings were stifling her growth. Asserts that all educators must make a personal commitment to finding their voice and promoting and understanding family, culture,…

Written in Spanish and English, this booklet contains information on Puerto Rico's national symbols, including its anthem, emblem, and flag. Verses to "La Borinquena," the national anthem, are given , as well as the song's historical background and musical evolution, covering contributions of Felix Astol Artes, Paco Ramirez Ortiz, Lola Rodriques…

This mini-text is a set of classroom ready Latin readings, a selection of Martial's epigrams complete with Latin-English vocabularies and reading notes. The readings concern the Roman holiday Saturnalia, at which time the Romans exchanged gifts and favors. The first epigram, Xenia (gifts), gives the reason for the following epigrams, which are…

This mini-text is a series of Martial's epigrams on the slave. The epigrams deal with: slave torture, tenderness to a slave, the slave as a curiosity, flogging, the slave as property, a selling point, the slave as a person, sex and the slave, and slaves as gifts. The epigrams come with complete Latin-English vocabularies and reading notes. The…

The document presents a content outline of Mexican and Mexican American culture in seven units. It is adaptable for use at elementary, secondary, and college levels in bilingual and multicultural-oriented classes. Two charts introduce the units: (1) a reverse time line of Mexican culture from 1979 back to 1000 B.C.; and (2) a cause-effect chart…

Taking the epigrams of Martial and some of the reading notes from the Loeb Classical Library, this document presents classroom-ready readings on foods, including a menu excerpted from Martial and a series of two- to four-line epigrams on a variety of foods:peppers, beans, flour, beets, lettuce, turnips, leeks, cheese, sausage, eggs, bread,…

To demonstrate the central position of classical education and ideas in our national history, this brief address, delivered before the first international classical meeting to convene in the United States, emphasizes the influence of the classical world and its experience (especially political experience) on the American revolution and the shaping…

Informed US citizens recognize the importance of neighboring South American countries. Few teachers, however, have the time to teach about each Latin American country. One approach to instruction is to focus on a few important countries. Suggestions to help middle school students learn about Argentina, Brazil, and Peru are presented. (RM)

Written in Spanish, this black and white illustrated booklet provides a tour of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico's oldest and most historic city. Brief historical information is provided on the Perro de San Jeronimo, a statue of a barking dog found in front of the Castillo; Plaza de Colon, a small plaza dedicated to Christopher Columbus; the Catedral de…

The Instituto Caro y Cuervo of Bogota, Colombia, named after two outstanding Colombian intellectuals, was established in 1942 primarily to complete the lexicographic work of Rufino Jose Cuervo. It has continued its work through several reorganizations, and in 1947 was charged with the study of the present state of the Spanish language in various…

This study undertaken by researchers at Yale University examined the similarities and differences among groups of people in their responses to works of art. Subjects were chosen from the United States, Japan, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, and Peru, and were grouped by age, art involvement, sex, and education. They were shown pairs of slides or prints of…

This pamphlet answers questions concerning the Puerto Rican student in the Anglo school situation. Problems arising from cultural and linguistic differences are explored and suggestions to help teachers appraise and modify their own expectations concerning the child and his native culture are offered. (RL)

This educational packet is produced as a tribute to Guatemalan activist and Nobel Peace prize winner, Rigoberta Menchu, and in honor of the Year of Indigenous People, 1993, as declared by the United Nations. The core of the packet is a simulation exercise based on an indigenous family in a Guatemalan village on the day the Peace prize was…