Australians are known for their egalitarian spirit, manifested by a dislike of social pretension and affectation. A brief history of the country from the time of its establishment in 1788 as a dumping ground for Britain's unwanted criminals to the present is presented. (RM)

This document contains the following seven facilitators' skill packets on personal skills: (1) personal hygiene; (2) personal appearance; (3) locker hygiene; (4) dorm cleanliness; (5) punctuality and attendance; (6) responding to supervision; and (7) teamwork. Each packet contains the following sections: definition of personal skills; objective;…

A values exercise suitable for secondary school students is divided into three sections. The first section, an introduction to students, explains the concepts of and interrelationships between basic human needs, culture, values orientation, and global perspectives. The intent of the exercise, to help students appreciate how a set of value…

Maintains that storytelling is one of the world's oldest teaching tools and belongs in every social studies classroom. Recommends the use of Korean folk tales to help students understand Korean culture and gain insight into their own lives. Includes a list of classroom techniques, teacher's resources, and recommendations for folk tales. (CFR)

Asserts that sport is a pervasive aspect of society. Presents and describes four learning activities designed to help students understand the significance of sport as a social institution. Maintains that, while the activities focus on the institution of sport, they can be used in a variety of sociology courses. (CFR)

Describes the development and content of teacher guides from The Giraffe Project, a social values and community service program. States that the teacher guides are available for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12. Maintains that the materials would be appropriate for schools integrating a service component into the curriculum. (CFR)

Reports on a study comparing social characteristics of 13 British male secondary-school students with high levels of interest in and use of computers with those of 14 students who lacked interest in computers. Finds that computer-using students were not less sociable than their peers. (CFR)

Thirteen papers on Kansas and Johnson County, Kansas history are presented. The papers were written by students in a course at the Johnson County Center for Local History or for independent study in local history. The papers are: "Conditions and Construction of Gardner Lake"; "The History of St. Joseph's Church, Shawnee,…

Briefly presents the results of a study comparing the responses of Asian Canadian students and European Canadian students for evidence of social responsibility bias. Using the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding, the study found little evidence of bias. Discusses implications and weaknesses of the experiment. (MJP)

Utilizes students' immediate surroundings (neighborhoods, homes, communities) to illustrate the five basic themes of geography. A list of 35 questions requires students to conduct their own research and relates to basic themes such as location, movement, and regions. Includes suggestions for extending the lesson. (MJP)

Asserts that the United States and Japan exist in a symbiotic partnership and that sociology courses provide an excellent opportunity to teach about multicultural issues. Describes a college-level course on the sociology of Japan. Discusses teaching methods, instructional materials, and the potential for team-teaching. (CFR)

Reports on a study of 22 pairs of third-grade students and 22 pairs of seventh-grade students who worked on a variety of computer-based tasks. Finds that older students were more likely to focus on internal pattern construction than remaining oriented toward external characteristics of the patterns. (CFR)

This teaching guide accompanies "The Environmental Data Book," published by the World Bank. Environmental and development statistics are presented for discussion and analysis. Indicators of environmental quality and economic development are defined with accompanying charts and maps. Activities accompany each lesson, along with a worksheet at the…