Presents an annotated selection of recent scholarly and general reference works under the subject headings of biography, publishing, religion, popular culture, film and theater, literature, architecture, music, social sciences, archeology, history, and science, as well as new editions and supplements. (LRW)

During the 1930s, a worldwide depression created a fear of communism and a "law-and-order" mentality. The 1990s, by contrast, are marked by a social void in which guilt is ascribed to no one. As recent TV commercials show, dispensing reasonable consequences in response to negative actions is viewed as socially backward. Too often,…

Contends that because lyrics and music of popular songs can represent alternative perspectives to the dominant ideologies of a particular time or place, they can be used effectively in classrooms to provide the voices rarely heard in textbooks. Describes several songs and offers teaching suggestions for implementing this approach. Argues that…

Argues that cultural studies imported to the United States often lose much of their critical edge. Contends that their misleading affirmation of the power and independence of media audiences is derived from several factors, including (1) overestimating the freedom of audiences in reception; and (2) confusing active reception with political…

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…

Contends that the increasingly central role of imagery in contemporary society calls for the development of a pedagogy emphasizing critical media literacy. Using examples from print advertisements for cigarettes, argues the need for cognitive competencies to withstand the onslaught of media messages, empowering individuals to become autonomous,…

Points out the need for research concerning the effects of media and popular culture on behavior, the current approaches to media education, and the identification of media literacy skills. Lists concerns of teachers about copyrights, suitable resources, staff training, evaluation practices, and curriculum design when teaching media literacy. (KO)

Discusses the uses of multimedia, telecommunications, and word processing and desktop publishing in middle school reading education and examines three issues that affect teachers' opportunities to compete with popular culture's media: implementation, integration, and impact on achievement. (Author/LRW)

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)

Media literacy encourages critical thinking about the news media, advertising, and popular culture. Media education of American Indian students challenges mass media's stereotyped aboriginal representations and the mainstream values of egotism and consumerism. Integrated across the curriculum at all grades, media education is empowering and…

Examines the images of war represented by popular recordings. Divides the century into four periods based on wars: 1914-38, 1939-63, 1964-89, and 1990-91. Reports that the popular image of the United States at war as represented in music has been positive for all periods except Vietnam, although each period had its share of protest. Lists…

Smelzer's book deals with the institutional provision of education, rather than education as in and of society, arguing that the relative strength of competing interest groups concerned with popular education determined how rapidly a state-controlled system came to win out over a denominational one in England. (SLD)

Four instructional ideas for use in the French second-language classroom are described, including an exercise in the temporal aspect of French past tenses; part of a series on simulating a French village community; a verb tense drill set in the context of a murder mystery; and an exercise in current French street slang. (MSE)

Reviews two films dealing with the Black south. Julie Dash's 1992 film "Daughters of the Dust" offers a historical moment in African-American culture concentrating on African-American women. Charles Burnett's 1991 film "To Sleep with Anger," which is set in the Los Angeles (California) of early southern migrants, also…

Argues that one advantage of using film as a medium in the classroom is that it draws on an activity students find interesting. Focuses on the use of certain episodes of the series "Star Trek: The Next Generation." (DDR)