The political system of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) is explained and comparisons are made with the U.S. system. Descriptions are given of the West German political parties and the process and importance of forming coalitions is explained. A lesson plan is presented that utilizes the case study and includes a simulation exercise…

This project introduces a syllabus for studying comparative politics among Canada, Pakistan, and Japan. Students learn that comparative politics provides an understanding of how different political systems operate and the importance of culture in understanding politics. Three functions are addressed in the course: system functions, process…

An experiment was performed to test the effectiveness of a comparative approach of teaching world cultures to secondary school students. With the comparative approach, cross-cultural comparisons are employed rather than the traditional presentation of one culture at a time. It was hypothesized that students receiving a comparative curriculum would…

The materials in this paper could be used to enrich the secondary classroom curriculum in Middle Eastern studies or in world affairs. The paper provides four essay questions to use as a starting point in composing a research paper on the general topic, "Israel and Jordan: Paving the Way to Peace." It outlines the common history and…

This self-contained unit of study on Canada is one of a series which can be used to supplement secondary level courses of social studies, contemporary world problems, government, history, and geography. Developed by teachers, the unit focuses on international relations. A comparative approach is used which stresses understanding Canada from…

This publication is offered as a resource guide for teachers rather than as a prescriptive syllabus. No course of study is delineated and no course objectives are spelled out. Instead there are illustrative examples for applying discovery techniques to the study of Latin America, suggestions of various themes useful in organizing a course of study…

The similarities and differences of Canada and the United States are explored in this Learning Activity Packet (LAP). Ten learning objectives are given which encourage students to examine: 1) the misconceptions Americans and Canadians have about each other and their ways of life; 2) the effect and influence of French and English exploration and…

The document presents the first of five units on Canada developed for classroom use in American secondary schools. This unit, an overview of Canada, offers a sequence of information sheets for students and class activity suggestions for teachers which use a comparative approach stressing an understanding of Canada from the viewpoints of both…

This module contains two African folk tales about death, two descriptions of African funerals, a lesson plan with 11 questions exploring the finality of and customs surrounding death, and a bibliography of five books which deal with African religious beliefs. The folk tales present concepts of death and immortality of the soul. The descriptions of…

This module contains a description of the responsibilities and ceremony of marriage in west Africa, seven discussion questions exploring the differences between Western and African marriage customs, five enrichment activities, and a bibliography of five books about love and marriage in Africa. The general discussion relates the engagement of a…

This Quinmester world studies elective course for grades 7, 8, and 9, focuses on the comparative study of three far eastern nations: China, India, and Japan. The study examines the successes and failures of each nation in dealing with the common problems of over-population, industrialization, and literacy education, leading to speculation as to…

This module is an introduction to traditional mathematics in Africa. A lesson plan is presented which explores the significance of words in the African number systems and compares them to American mathematical systems. Number words in four African languages are given as examples to illustrate base 5, 10, and 20 systems. Some words have been…

Insights are offered into how speech, melody, and rhythm dramatize the differences in the construction and interpretation of music for Africa and America. Intended for use in instructing American students about African music, the learning module relates music to traditional African culture and maintains that the music is at the same time…

A total of 47 papers representing the broad research and extension interests related to rural areas are included in this volume. The 13 sessions are entitled Rural Structure and Process, Industrialization, Migration, Health and Alcohol, Quality of Life, Occupations and Work, Applied Sociology, Education, Network Analysis, Poverty, Status…

As one of the sequential units developed by the Latin American Curriculum Project, it expands further the material in the units covered at the lower grade levels. It is a two week unit which emphasized a comparison of the Anglo- and Latin American colonial systems. Broader perspectives and more meaningful understanding of both civilizations are…