This student newsletter issue speaks to the subject of baseball. The first article, on who rules baseball, discusses the problems that the developing sport had with gambling, and the struggle between the owners and gangsters for control of the game. The article describes the scandal involving the Chicago White Sox in the 1919 World Series and the…

This teaching guide reflects the belief that popular music is an effective tool for teachers to use in presenting social studies lessons to students. Titles of songs representative of popular music from 1955 to 1982 are listed by subject matter and suggest a possible lesson to be used in teaching that particular issue. Subject areas listed…

This issue of the "Arizona English Bulletin" contains 38 articles related to popular culture and the teaching of English. The articles discuss such topics as language in the popular arts, establishing a popular culture library, defining sexism in popular culture, detective literature and its uses in the traditional classroom, popular…

Based on Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula," this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that some fictional literary characters become so famous that they enter popular culture in other forms (movies, games, toys); and that working on a product such as a game often demands collaborative effort. The main activity of the…

The relationship between the curriculum, especially English, and popular music is explored. A review of research is presented, curricular changes are suggested, the role of English teachers is examined, and critical analysis of popular trends is advocated (f=fiche number). (MH)

Discusses issues of men's sexuality in the context of school sex education, and analyzes units on human reproduction in secondary biology textbooks. Compares official school knowledge about men's sexuality with alternative sources, including progressive books and the films of John Hughes, to explore the overlapping and contradictory discourses…

Describes activities that enable students to study the history of the Korean War and its impact by researching local history and the popular culture of the time. Explains that students learn how to collect and analyze historical sources that offer different viewpoints. Provides discussion topics and Internet resources. (CMK)

Argues that English teachers' use of popular culture is key to effective teaching and learning in the secondary school English-as-a-foreign-language classroom. By incorporating popular culture into meaningful communicative tasks and activities, teachers provide students with the motivation to use and speak English in realistic situations.…

This booklet presents a variety of materials concerning the first part of Tony Kushner's play "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes." After a brief introduction to the play, the booklet presents a description of the principal characters in the play, a profile of the playwright, information on funding of the play, an…

The document describes a research project studying the effects of using popular music in a high school contemporary U.S. history course. The hypothesis was to ascertain whether popular music can increase student interest and performance in the social studies. Two sections of senior high school students were studied. Section I, the control group,…

Suggests an alternative approach for a popular culture course--an exploration of the culture of the students' parents, or "unpopular" culture. Possible activities for a unit include: interviews (on entertainment preferences, for example), observations (dress codes for social gatherings, parental food and drink habits, etc.), or an attic…

This document presents an executive summary of a study that examined messages sent to adolescent girls (ages 10 to 17) across 6 types of media most heavily used by adolescent girls: television, movies, magazines, music videos, television commercials, and magazine advertisements. The study asked what messages are sent about gender roles--primarily…

Provides a list of cultural journalism publications (based on oral history interviews) written, edited, and produced by students around the country that provide good easy reading for older reluctant readers. (MKM)

Illustrates a method for demonstrating historical chronology using popular songs that comment on a variety of social, political, and economic concerns. Provides an audio time line which uses U.S. recordings from 1955 to 1987 as musical time markers, highlighting such issues as racial discrimination, urban decay, political chicanery and women's…

Discusses fictional media portrayals of crimefighting, such as Superman and Dick Tracy programs, that often constitute civil rights violations. Describes a learning activity that calls upon students to observe and log such portrayals and evaluate them critically. Suggests sources of program materials and lists other activities on the topic. (SG)