Television programs are increasingly featuring information technologies like computers as significant narrative devices, including the use of computer-based technologies as virtual worlds or environments in which characters interact, the use of computers as tools in problem solving and confronting conflict, and characters that are part human, part…

The first volume of a newsletter designed to promote the integration of folksong into the social studies, literature, or humanities classroom, this publication contains the first four issues of the newsletter which together offer a compilation of folksongs from various historical periods and cultures. Material is divided into four parts. Part A,…

Activities focusing on three popular culture genres of the late nineteenth century--the muckraker magazine, the dime novel, and melodrama--help secondary students appreciate the ethnic diversity, social problems, and social themes of turn-of-the-century urban America. Material is divided into four sections. Following an introduction, the first…

The articles in this journal issue reflect the theme of "passages." Five articles contain teachers' reflections and descriptions of the following forms of passage: (1) passing from the classroom to motherhood and back again; (2) passing from academe to the world of work--the retraining of literature professors; (3) ways in which students gain…

This syllabus introduces the purposes and organization of a course on Popular Culture as evidence of American civilization offered at Meramec Community College. The guide first presents a rationale for the study of popular culture and then lists course requirements; discusses techniques such as comparative analysis and psychoanalytic investigation…

The activity cards present supplementary ideas and resources related to economic education for use by classroom teachers in grades K-8. The main purpose of the cards is to encourage student discovery of basic economic and consumer concepts through activities which stress reading and writing skills. The 28 activities deal with a variety of basic…

Maintaining that profound transformations over the last 30 years in the way children look and act are connected to many troubling social problems, this book demonstrates how anticulturalism--the belief that children are autonomous, independent individuals discovering their own reality and that development occurs best independent of or in…

This ethnography is about life in a small south Texas town painfully undergoing cultural and political change since the late 1960s. Since its inception, the Chicano civil rights movement has challenged local vestiges of racial segregation, and confrontation between Mexicanos and Anglos has created new tensions for the town's youth. This book…

Although America is engaged in a national dialogue about race, children's voices have yet to be heard on the matter. This study used a series of focus groups and a national poll of 10- to 17-year-olds to examine their views about race and the role of the media in shaping understanding. Participating in the polls were 1,200 children, 300 in each…

Suggests that Hollywood may have been as effective as exchange programs and citizen training centers as an agency of reeducation. Mainstream U.S. films succeeded as a positive socializing force in spite of the low priority given to them by the military authorities. Includes a list of 32 officially sanctioned films. (MJP)

Briefly reviews a number of fiction and documentary films and videos dealing with labor history. Considers ways these can be integrated into classroom instruction. Includes an annotated bibliography of related books and articles. Takes a quick look at Hollywood films such as "On the Waterfront" and "The Molly McGuires." (MJP)

Based on an ethnographic case study done in an all-white, rural middle school, this article examines the students' experience with and interpretation of an international education program implemented with a hope of providing more global/international contents to the curriculum. The study shows that these students interpreted other cultures…

Each of the four annual issues of this publication explores a single topic through an interdisciplinary, multicultural approach. Science-based technologies and their impact on the lives of everyday citizens are the focus of this issue. Activities encourage students to think about the profound influence science-based technologies had on U.S.…

This paper describes the KELP (Kanda-English Language Proficiency) Project, a project for self-directed English-as-a-Second-Language learning at Kanda University of International Studies (Japan). In the study, students plan and direct their own language learning programs, using individually designed learning contracts. Examples of three kinds of…

The first of four publications in a series of resource guides containing suggested books, records, and audiovisual materials for African-American children and adolescents is presented. The materials provide positive images of black children and realistic depictions of black culture, heritage, and life experiences that are relevant to black…