Whenever a class begins to study a new part of the world, teachers must deal with students' preexisting ideas about the area. Activities which will challenge elementary students' initial impressions of Australia and encourage them to learn more about the country are described. (RM)

This curriculum unit introduces students in grades K-8 to an important Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead (November 2). The unit provides an overview of the celebration and is divided into two lessons: (1) "Classroom Altar" (with seven typical art and food preparation activities); and (2) "Day of the Dead Procession" (with…

This Digest guides the elementary teacher in choosing accurate and appropriate works of fiction for teaching about Japan. It suggests important content to watch for and includes a checklist of questions to be used when selecting a book. The questions deal with literary qualities, accuracy, authenticity, stereotyping, language, and morals. Contains…

Developed to help young people prepare for 21st-century challenges, this book is part of a project to produce a series of instructional units about German for implementation in K-12 classrooms and to offer staff development activities that facilitate the implementation of these units. This volume's main focus is Germany and social studies, but it…

Suggests methods for teaching about Yugoslavia. Recommends assigning students to maintain journals of news clippings about developments in Yugoslavia. Proposes forming cooperative-learning groups for researching the country's various regions. Offers activities for teaching about language arts, fine arts, reading and literature, religion,…

In this curriculum unit, elementary school children read information about two neighboring countries, Israel and Jordan, to make comparisons not only between the two countries but also about their own neighborhood as well. The unit uses a variety of strategies, from reading and responding to writing prompts, to creative activities, to active video…

This book focuses on improving geography skills and knowledge of basic concepts for grades 4-8, through a variety of activities and resources. The book is divided into six sections that combine to make it convenient for use. The sections include: (1) "Map Reading Skills"; (2) "Geography Concepts and Definitions"; (3)…

This curriculum unit, intended to be used with elementary school students, provides information about two neighboring Middle Eastern countries, Israel and Jordan, to allow comparisons not only between the two countries but also about the students' own neighborhood. The unit presents objectives, strategies, materials needed, background notes,…

To support the hypothesis that much misinformation and many stereotypic attitudes are presented about Africa to elementary school pupils, the article analyzes 10 readers for African content and assesses effects of an African content intervention strategy on elementary school students. (DB)

Teaching materials for a comprehensive and integrated study of Mexico at the elementary level are presented. Emphasis throughout is on developing cross-cultural comparisons between Hermosillo and its sister city, Phoenix, for whom the program was created. Mexican geography, history, current events, politics, art, entertainment, education, people,…

In an address to a symposium on children's book publishing in Canada, the author describes and critiques recent efforts of governments, school systems, publishers, and other organizations to promote the production, distribution, and use of materials distinctly Canadian. A sample list of children's books is appended. (Editor/SJL)

Twelve readings, many of which are primary materials excerpted from dated newspapers, are intended to accompany the fifth grade course on regional studies of the West in Unit V described in ED 069 568. Describing past and present conditions in Phoenix, the readings touch upon the Salt River; the civilization and disappearance of the Hohokam…

This resource bibliography with over 500 descriptive annotations on Canada, a product of a conference on Canadian Studies held at the University of Maine, Orono, in September, 1969, is designed to make teachers of social studies and other fields at both the elementary and secondary levels more aware of the variety of available teaching materials…

This social studies unit about discovering Germany is intended for use with elementary students. The unit states objectives; discusses strategies and evaluation; lists materials needed; addresses national social studies and geography standards; and cites the contents. It introduces the five fundamental themes of geography: (1) location, (2) place,…