Mapping is a means of experiencing a community's features that engages the mapmaker. Getting to know the community by drawing maps and learning about past and present inhabitants was the methodology for introducing local content into the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classroom. This model for mapping was used with adult and high school ESL…

Utilizes students' immediate surroundings (neighborhoods, homes, communities) to illustrate the five basic themes of geography. A list of 35 questions requires students to conduct their own research and relates to basic themes such as location, movement, and regions. Includes suggestions for extending the lesson. (MJP)

Designed for use with sixth grade students, this multidisciplinary unit combines independent study of urban areas with activities to develop students' higher level thinking skills. Following suggestions to teachers on strategies for introducing the unit, four options for independent study are described. The first is a study of a topic related to…

Readings and activities in this elementary school unit are designed to introduce students to Amish culture. Specific reference is made to the Amish communities in Iowa. Four lessons focus on the history of the Amish in the United States, Amish family life, community life, and customs (such as clothing and occupations) in modern Amish communities.…

The last of a three-part series developed to enhance the junior high school curriculum by adding real-life career oriented processes, the document provides further career exploration experiences for the ninth grade student. The units include the building of a house to scale and interdisciplinary activities to locate the family and the home in a…

To show how a central idea shapes a monolithic society, this social studies unit focuses on the idea of God's "providence" as the motivational force in Puritan thinking and analyzes the idea's sources, its truth, its impact, and its evolution through three generations of Puritan living. Sections of the unit discuss (1) the religious,…

Presents a lesson plan that requires students to use their research and analytical skills in studying the social and economic importance of small business. Activities include interviewing local business owners and producing a written summary, developing a survey showing and explaining area land use, and researching opposition to Wal-Mart stores.…

Discusses a cultural environment education curriculum that helps children appreciate their city, its buildings, and its history. The curriculum includes walking field trips, service projects, and collaborative efforts with other schools. Includes a table with educational objectives for the curriculum and the corresponding evaluation. (MJP)

Designed to supplement book 1 of the Rough Rock fourth grade Navajo social studies program, the language arts supplement parallels the social studies lessons for each chapter of the student text. The lessons presented stress creative writing skills allowing the students to use their imagination and freely express ideas and feelings, creating a…

This teaching guide contains the main idea of the unit, five sub-generalizations with suggestions for closely correlated learning activities, and references to instructional materials. The main idea of the unit is that "People from many difference groups work together to make the city a better place to live." Some of the supporting ideas…

This teaching guide and student text for Project Africa's curriculum program, "Africa South of the Sahara," deal with how four typical contemporary African peoples acquired their present way of life: (1) the Hausa of Northern Nigeria, (2) the Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert, (3) the Mech'a Galla of Ethiopa, and (4) the Kikuyu of…

In this teacher's guide for grade 2, three common types of communities--farming, commuting, and urban--are presented for study. The curriculum's objectives, 11 key concepts taken up in grades 1-8, and a list of 20 behavioral objectives to be attained by the end of grade 2 are given. The year's program is organized into three units: (1) "Community…

The objective of this report, the third in a series, is to compare and assess the citizenship achievement of four age groups by educational level of the parent, color of the respondent, and type of community. Previous citizenship assessment reports are described in ED 049 111, ED 049 112, ED 049 113, and SO 002 917. Citizenship exercises…

Profiles a 16-week learning unit that led students to develop literacy in their native Spanish, as well as academic and computing skills. The reading and writing assignments incorporated grammar, geography, and local and family histories to create a sense of pride in the students' community and culture. (MJP)

Recounts the experience of researching community history in Ivanhoe, Virginia, between 1987 and 1990. The Ivanhoe History Project involved community members in collecting photographs, memorabilia, and oral histories of their town. Subsequent published volumes won the W. D. Weatherford Award and inspired a quilt exhibit and a theatrical production.…