Today's classroom is a rainbow of cultures, traditions, and languages. In Hmong culture, parents think of a teacher as an authority figure who understands student needs, knows what would help students learn to excel academically, and understands how to teach students to become productive individuals. In this article, the author presents some…

Argues that textile arts offer opportunities for students to explore other cultures and to illustrate themes contained in the National Council for the Social Studies Standards. Describes the use of Hmong "paj ntaub" textiles to teach elementary students about the Hmong people of Laos and Hmong immigrants in the United States. (DSK)

This book is designed as a guide for teaching students about Hmong culture while building appreciation of worldwide cultural diversity. After providing an overview of the distinct history and customs of the Hmong, co-author Dia Cha shares her experiences growing up in Laotian villages, escaping from communist soldiers, living in refugee camps in…

Chapters 1 and 2 of this guide provide an introduction to the history and culture of the Hmong people, including material on family life and education in Laos up to 1975 and on their experiences in Thai refugee camps and in the United States. Chapter 3, "Linguistic Characteristics of the Hmong Language," provides an introduction to the Hmong…

A curriculum project is described that consists of a unit developed for a writing class in a secondary English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classroom. Although the unit is intended to present an idea of what can be accomplished in the ESL classroom with developing writers, it does not give any specific "recipes" for writing development. The setting…

Describes a lesson plan that introduces students in grades 10-12 to the decorative arts as a vehicle for exploring the cultural framework as a means of communicating various aspects of the human experience. Students design a story cloth based on a visual symbol they have developed to represent a human issue such as famine or war. (LS)

Urges social studies educators to explore textile art and interviews with textile artists as a tool for fostering understanding and empathy for Hmong Americans. Summarizes Hmong history and culture as they lived traditionally in Laos, as refugees in Thailand, and as immigrants in the United States suggesting examples of textile art. (CMK)

A JTPA/FEL (Job Training Partnership Act/Family English Literacy) demonstration project is reported that involves a partnership between the Lao Family Community (LFC) of Minnesota, the City of St. Paul, and St. Paul Public Schools/Adult Basic Education. The goal is to provide workplace literacy instruction to refugees with limited English…

Maintains that it is critical that caregivers and teachers learn to use Southeast Asian children's and parents' names properly. Discusses the structure and use of names among four Southeast Asian subgroups: Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, and Hmongs. Teaching suggestions are offered. (BB)

Demonstrates ways that a classroom teacher can get a distorted picture of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students and their resources and how viewing literacy in a social context illustrates the way relationships are negotiated. Suggestions are made for teachers to create ESL classrooms where the role of literacy in students' lives can be…

To meet the needs of students who are Asian and Hispanic refugees, as well as the needs of a democratic society, teachers must be able to teach effectively an understanding and appreciation of the U.S. legal and judicial system while acknowledging, responding to, and integrating the cultural backgrounds and experiences of a diverse student…