In February 2019, two nations with the largest nuclear arsenals announced their withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Russia's interference in U.S. elections and the invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated tensions between the U.S. and Russia. These actions bring renewed attention to nuclear nonproliferation efforts…

Here, I address the call for teacher education programs to feature international elements to help pre-service teachers craft powerful classroom instruction and successfully work with students from culturally diverse backgrounds. I share a qualitative investigation of participants' experiences during a short-term study abroad program in Japan that…

This study considers the teaching of historical and territorial issues between Japan and China for the current Japanese social studies curriculum. For research purposes, a lesson plan was designed and facilitated in Japanese elementary and junior high schools. This lesson addressed ongoing tensions between Japan and China over the sovereignty of…

More than any previous generation, today's students need to develop a global perspective and be knowledgeable about other nations in order to play a better role on the global stage. This paper first reviews some earlier and current studies on students' knowledge of the world, mainly conducted in the United States, and then it describes the global…

Describes three trends that are thought to be important in shaping the Pacific Rim and discusses the significance of each. The first is the continuing economic and military influence of the United States in the region; the second is the increasingly dynamic Japanese expansion; and the third trend is the diffusion of Chinese people throughout the…

Suggests that a good starting point for social studies curriculum units on Japan at the secondary school level is an analysis of the interrelationships between Japan and the United States. Information is presented on population figures, industrialization, standard of living indicators, consumer price indexes, and crude birth and death rates for…

Contends that the growing political and emotional split between the United States and Japan, the Pacific's two most powerful nations, may sever the unity of the Pacific Rim. Presents statistics, such as literacy and population growth rates, as well as economic data for thirteen Pacific Rim nations. (GEA)

This curriculum unit is the third part of a three-part curriculum. The focus of this unit is on the U.S.-Japan economic relationship. Increasingly, the world resembles numerous, linked sub-economies fitting into an overall global economy. The making of almost any product relies in some way on international trading. In an increasingly economically…

Summarizes results of a cooperative international analysis of social studies texts by the United States/Japan Study Group. The project found books from each country tended to justify their own country's actions while consistently oversimplifying conditions in the other. Teaching strategies to counteract textbook biases are included. (AM)

Presents a sampling of items from the ERIC database on the interactions between Japan and the United States. Includes items on diplomatic and intercultural relations, historical trends, technology, and business competition. Offers information on using the database and obtaining materials. (DK)

To enhance the use of the Globe Watch IV public television series, produced jointly by Hampden-Sydney College (Virginia) and the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television, each lesson in this guide provides: (1) a statement of the objective of the program; (2) a synopsis of the issue discussed; (3) background information; (4) brief…

The goal of this unit is to increase student awareness of current issues regarding relations between the United States and Japan. Eleven activities are designed to increase cultural awareness. The unit is introduced by discussing the reasons for study of other nations for multicultural understanding. Students complete a questionnaire concerning…

The role of the U.S. Constitution as a model for an influence on the establishment of governments in other nations offers an effective vehicle for expanding education about this nation's civic values, rights, and responsibilities. By studying how the ideas and principles of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights have been adopted, adapted,…

Describes a lesson for junior high social studies which uses a comparison of research findings to teach students about international political socialization. Students answer questionnaires about their own attitudes and knowledge of international political socialization and then compare and contrast their responses to responses of American,…

Suggests which perceptions and realities of the complex economic relationship between the United States and Japan are most important. Questions the use of opinion surveys to understand perceptions of U.S. and Japanese citizens about the economic relationship. Discusses characteristics of each nation's economy that inhibit successful economic…