This four-lesson unit, designed for use with high school students, examines economic development in Africa. Lesson 1, "What Is Development?" has students investigating terms such as development, third world, North, and South. In lesson 2, "Resources and Culture," students learn that people define resources based on their own…

This collection of essays, curriculum units, and study guides on Latin American art and musical traditions is designed to help interested teachers take a comprehensive approach to teaching these subjects. The introduction features the essay, "Media Resources Available on Latin American Culture: A Survey of Art, Architecture, and Music…

This document is a revised version of a teaching unit originally published in 1980 and designed to familiarize both elementary and secondary students with the Chinese language and thus lessen the strangeness often attached to it. The goal is not that students "learn Chinese;" rather the hope is that, through a series of exercises that…

This unit, designed for use with high school and community college students, features a collection of literature about youths and young adults in contemporary China. Consisting of eight lessons, lessons 1 to 3 are introductory activities relating to Chinese youths and values. Lesson 4 presents excerpts from a Chinese collection of 100 life…

This teaching unit is designed to introduce elementary school students to traditional Chinese celebrations in Taiwan. An introductory activity asks students to distinguish between various kinds of celebrations (traditional or modern; religious or secular), and to identify U.S. and Chinese examples of each kind. The body of the unit concerns four…

Three separate curriculum projects were developed to help secondary school educators to teach about the People's Republic of China. "How does China feed its one billion people?" (Susan Ember) is a lesson plan that seeks to make students aware of the dilemma of food supply and shortages in poor, underdeveloped countries. "The…

Two contrasting cultures are briefly examined in this unit of study for elementary school students. The student's pamphlet outlines the significant aspects of Swazi and Tepotzlan societies, highlighting customs of the two cultures from birth through death. Objectives of the lessons and exercises provided in the teacher's manual are to help…

Designed to provide elementary teachers with materials for the study of Australia, this unit contains 19 lessons that include objectives, materials, procedures, suggested extension activities, and answer keys where needed. Following the 19 lessons are blackline masters for teacher transparencies, student worksheets, and extension activities. A…

This unit, designed for use with high school and community college students, uses primary materials, literature, and interactive lesson plans to present the city of Berlin (Germany) as a case study of some of the 20th century's most significant events. In lesson 1, students take a pre-test, view a video about the Berlin Wall, and discuss the kinds…

Developed for elementary school children, this unit is designed to teach about Mexican American culture through the study of holidays celebrated throughout much of Latin America and the southwestern United States. The unit describes and provides background information about nine Mexican American holidays. Among the activities included are the…

This five-part unit, intended for secondary students, uses an activity-oriented approach in order to involve students in the workings of international trade. Part 1 introduces students to basic terms. Part 2 explores what would be missing from U.S. lifestyle if there were no international trade. Part 3 introduces students to the reasons why trade…

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS WERE PROVIDED FOR A ONE-SEMESTER GRADE 10 COURSE IN NONWESTERN SOCIAL STUDIES. THE READING MATERIALS FOR STUDENTS AND THE TEACHER'S MANUAL WERE DEVELOPED AS PART OF AN INTEGRATED AND SEQUENTIAL 4-YEAR CURRICULUM FOR ABLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND WERE FIELD TESTED TWICE AND COMPLETLY REWRITTEN BEFORE BEING PUBLISHED. THE…

Offers guidelines for teaching about foreign countries in elementary school social studies lessons. Explains ways to determine content and goals, build background information, and locate instructional materials/community resources. Suggests activities for beginning, sustaining, and concluding units. Stresses importance of maintaining student…

This unit is designed to introduce students to the Islamic culture and civilization of the Middle Ages. The historical period which these materials cover begins with 711 (the date of Muslim entrance into Spain) and ends with 1492 (the date of the end of Muslim rule in Spain). The activities of the unit culminate with the recreation of a banquet…

Materials for a secondary level, interdisciplinary social studies course on Japan are divided into introductory information, 14 classroom units, and study and evaluation materials. Introductory material includes lists of objectives and skills, an outline of Japanese history, and an explanation of Japan's name and flag. The units cover the…