Discusses the history of low tolerance for different cultures and general ethnocentrism in schools in the United States. Seeks to determine if story telling and interpretation of a story by first graders in a suburban Chicago public school could stimulate interest in and expression of positive feelings for persons from a cultural background…

Explores and criticizes the negative image of Islamic culture often fostered by Western media. Briefly considers the career, contributions, and example of Yusuf Islam (the former Cat Stevens). Includes a list of common misconceptions about Islam followed by corrective information. (MJP)

An analysis of the 1998 California educational standards confronts the assimilationist ideology embedded in the push for standards and accountability in American education. The standards explicitly define "America" and"Americans" as White and Anglo, ignore Indigenous history and contributions of non-European cultures and women,…

Identifies the unwritten Spanish language policy in the United States by historically analyzing the different roles that Spanish has had throughout U.S. history. The paper shows how Spanish has been used for the benefit of the Spanish- and English-speaking elite but restricted (or forbidden) as a socioeconomic tool and symbol of identity for less…

This book is about the growing need for a more inclusive curriculum and university. The debate about multicultural education is moved from an ideological debate to the realm of the practical in these selections. The first part of the book outlines the demographic and historic realities that make multiculturalism imperative. The second part gives…

This collection includes creative teaching ideas, articles, essays, poems, reproducible handouts, resources, lesson plans, narratives and hands-on examples of ways teachers can promote values of community, justice and equality, while building academic skills. The book is divided into seven parts. Part 1, "Introduction", includes: (1) "Creating…

This collection of essays, condensed from papers presented at a meeting organized by UNICEF's International Child Development Centre on"Discrimination against Children and Families of Minority Groups and Indigenous Peoples," (Florence, Italy, February 1994) focuses on discriminatory situations of indigenous and minority groups.…

This paper discusses the issues of power, self-determination, and culturally appropriate learning as they relate to Australian Aboriginal, Native American, and Maori early childhood programs. It is asserted that many programs for the education of indigenous peoples in Australia, the United States, and New Zealand have failed to serve the needs and…

This unit on Hindu mythology is designed to help secondary students see beyond the exotic elements of another culture to the things its people have in common with people in the West: a continuous effort to find a purpose in existence, to explain the unknown, and to define good and bad, right and wrong. Students are asked to analyze Hindu religious…

Intended to provide students in grades 6-12 with a global perspective, these ready-to-use activities deal with the concept of cultural differences. The materials can fit into courses dealing with cultures, American cultural diversity, and human relations. There are five parts. The activities in part 1 will help sensitize students to a…

The combination of Afrocentric students in Eurocentric schools results in a conflict of cultures that places black students at risk. Although schools endorse societal beliefs concerning equal treatment and equality of educational opportunities, certain practices such as the hidden curriculum, tracking, and discriminatory discipline practices are…

In the twentieth century, both the need and the opportunities for acquiring a foreign language have greatly increased. However, even today, foreign language instruction has not been firmly established worldwide as an essential element of basic education. In Great Britain, enthusiasm for foreign language instruction has risen and fallen repeatedly.…

This book aims to help educators improve their understanding of minority students within the American social context. It contains seven chapters, each written by different authors. The introductory chapter, "The Education of Language Minority Students: A Contextual Interaction Model" by C. Cortes, provides an overview of a theory for how the many…

An ethnographic sketch of a small, Midwestern, middle-class American community emphasizes the shared value system, the derived code of conduct and an analysis of the three levels of social interaction and their respective functions. Data were gathered over a two-year period of field work, including ten months of intensive observation of the town,…

Suggesting the educational value of the television production of James Clavell's "Shogun," this pamphlet offers a synopsis of the story and a viewer's guide to responding to "Shogun." Following synopses of the five television broadcasts that comprise "Shogun," five units are presented for a viewer's educational study…