Courses: Intercultural Communication, Conflict and Communication, Interpersonal Communication. Objectives: After completing this single-class activity, students should be able to (1) differentiate between the avowed versus ascribed dimensions of cultural identity construction; (2) articulate the contested nature of cultural identity, including how…

By viewing approximately two dozen Japanese television commercials, secondary students enrolled in an area studies course about Japan were able to generate tones and impressions reflecting many important experiences of the Japanese society that the course would later explore in more detail. The introductory lesson was very successful. (RM)

Presents an interview with Bell Yung, a scholar of Chinese music and ethnomusicology. Maintains that world music (music from many nations and cultures) should be taught as early as possible in the schools and at home. Includes two lesson plans for teaching about Chinese music. (CFR)

A simulation of the Lewis and Clark expedition helps high school students compare what the area of the journey was like in the 1880s and what it is like today and examine the Indians from the perspective of those who first encountered them. The simulation is described. (RM)

Describes a unit used in a social studies methods course. In-service teachers created murals in which a watershed (its landforms and the movement of water upon it) is used as a metaphor for one's cultural identity and life course. Explains that it can be adapted for elementary and secondary students. (CMK)

Describes a sixth grade activity that focuses on cultural watersheds, in which students represent their "personal landscapes." Explains that students list watershed and cultural attributes in lesson one. In lesson two students paint a representation of their cultural watershed. (CMK)

Maintains that story telling, one of the oldest teaching tools, is still valuable today. Students can develop listening skills by hearing stories about tricksters that appear in folk culture throughout the world. Presents summaries of seven stories about Asian tricksters. (CFR)

Students learned to produce pottery using the coiling and surface decoration techniques of the Pueblo peoples of the American Southwest. In doing so they learned about working within the aesthetic confines of an unfamiliar culture. The history of Southwestern pottery is also covered briefly. (IS)

Reports on an interview with Terry E. Miller, a specialist on music of Thailand and other southeastern Asian nations. Discusses the culture, the role of music, and musical instruments of Thailand. Includes a list of resources and two lesson plans for teaching about Thai music. (CFR)

Contains practical strategies to help teachers and students confront cultural differences. The strategies can serve as the basis for lessons on cultural diversity adaptable to almost any instructional setting. Includes some specific learning activities and background material on how personal space is utilized and defined. (MJP)

Beginning with the 1980-81 school year, the Navajo Mission/Academy implemented a new secondary school mathematics curriculum, Unified Mathematics, based on New York State's "Three-Year Sequence for High School Mathematics." The comprehensive package meets the school's 3-year mathematics graduation requirement and provides preparation for…

Discusses how teaching about quilts and quilting in elementary social studies provides a more complete view of social history and includes the voices of women and men of different races, cultures, and social classes. Provides suggestions on teaching about quilts and identifies seven children's books on the topic. (CFR)

Discusses the "Epic of Sundiata" which chronicles the rise of the Empire of Mali in the grasslands of northwestern Africa in the 13th century. This work is a compelling drama that bears comparison to such other hero tales as "The Iliad" and the Arthurian legend. Includes suggested teaching activities. (MJP)

To reverse the pattern of school failure so common among reservation Indian children, the reservation teacher must modify classroom structure and curriculum to take advantage of cultural strengths and accommodate cultural differences of her students. Many practices of the average white classroom are antithetical to Indian child rearing practices;…

Maintains that effectively presenting another culture in the classroom is one of the most fundamental problems facing teachers using a multicultural curriculum. Discusses the role of music and the arts in Native American culture. Provides suggestions for presenting traditional Native American music in Western classrooms. (CFR)