This study examined the relationships between temperament and ecological context among Yucatec Mayan children based on the assumption that maternal ethnotheories act as mediators and are related to world view. Since the latter is related to ecological context, its transformation may result in variations in ethnotheories and, therefore, temperament…

This curriculum unit combines folk tales and art from Guatemala and Mexico. The unit introduces students to traditional stories and local art of the indigenous people, as well as some details about the culture and geography of the area. It contains four lesson plans: (1) "The Race of Toad and Deer" (Guatemala), mask and play, grades 2-4;…

This curriculum unit, intended for students in grade 6, covers the Mayas, Mayan history, and ancient civilizations. The unit was developed using Roger Taylor's collaborative team model "Connecting the Curriculum: Using an Integrated, Interdisciplinary, Thematic Approach." The unit addresses multiple intelligences, brain research,…

This curriculum unit focuses on the contributions of the ancient Mayan people and how these contributions have been interwoven with contemporary society. The unit is divided into the following sections: (1) "Preface"; (2) "Mayan Civilization" (geography); (3) "Mayan Contributions" (written language); (4) "Mayan…

Examined whether the social organization of problem solving of Guatemalan Mayan indigenous mothers and children varied with the mothers' school experience. Found that mothers with little schooling were involved more in horizontal, multiparty engagements while solving a puzzle with three children, whereas mothers with extensive schooling were…

Sponsoring an interdisciplinary program (over 30 lecture hours of geology, ecology, anthropology, ethnology, and agriculture of the Yucatan and Meso-America), Queens College and the University of Connecticut provide expeditions to Mexico and study of local geomorphology, stratigraphy, climate, topography, soils, archeological sites, flora, and…

Discusses presentation given by Rigoberta Menchu, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, at a meeting with Hispanic child caregivers in California. Discusses family life and childrearing among Guatemala's Mayan people, traditional ceremonies and symbols, becoming a leader, and the Mayan experience of resisting oppression. Discusses implications for…

Three Tzotzil-speaking Mexican sisters were interviewed about their attitudes toward their Indian schooling. They enjoyed school and felt it was important to attend school to learn Spanish, though they had not acquired few linguistic skills. (BW)

This research study centers on the interrelations among culture, social change, informal education, and cognitive development. The study explored how changing cultural and social conditions influence processes of informal education and their cognitive consequences. The overall goal was to examine the relationship between important cultural tools,…

National development, a worldwide rationale of mass schooling systems, is both economic and social-integrative and supports the human capital paradigm. The social-integrative objective fosters membership in modern systems of state and money exchange that pull people away from traditional ethnic, cultural, regional, or religious allegiances. This…

In recent decades, rural Mayan women in Guatemala have been working to overcome long-standing disadvantages: illiteracy, poverty, lack of basic community services, and lack of respect for women's abilities and contributions. Profiles of 10 Mayan women describe their educational experiences and their community development work, particularly in the…

In today's internal armed conflicts that pitch one group against another, minority and indigenous children are often seen as "legitimate targets" despite the wealth of international law to the contrary. This report focuses on three recent or current armed conflicts, drawing on interviews with children and others to piece together the…

To examine the process of language shift (bilingualization) in an area where there is a local dialect equivalent to a "language of solidarity" and a national language equivalent to a "language of power," language interactions in the impoverished village of San Marcos in the highlands of Guatemala were examined. Although Spanish…

Profiles Rigoberta Menchu Tum, a Maya-Quiche woman from Guatemala who in 1992, was the first indigenous person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize's youngest recipient, Menchu Tum is using the prize money and prestige to promote the international movement for peace and the rights of indigenous peoples and to contribute to indigenous…

This simulation allows students to explore the lives of the great rulers of the Mayan culture. Students learn the mysterious history of the Maya by decoding glyphs, investigating the unusual religion of the Maya, unraveling the complex Mayan calendar, and discovering the Mayan number system's secret meanings. Specific cooperation skills are taught…