Presents a historical perspective of educational and environmental curricula orientation in Africa. Examines environmentally-related problem areas (such as deforestation, pesticides, and endangered species) and lists the benefits and advantages of environmental education. A restructuring of Africa's formal education curriculum is recommended. (ML)

Describes availability and purpose of Japanese kindergartens and pre-school programs. Relates Japanese child rearing practices to expectations for the child in pre-school. Summarizes typical pre-school activities and their relation to nationally stated goals which focus on successful participation in group life, cooperation, self-reliance, and…

Describes a study conducted to investigate the learning styles of Native American students enrolled in college-level biology courses at College of DuPage (IL); to implement pedagogical changes based on resulting data; and to develop suggestions for science curriculum modifications. (AYC)

The contemporary university can do great good through its insistence that students both engage in issues and questions of the current "cultural emergency" and develop the abilities to abate it. Universities must recognize and support those trends and movements that support the emergence of integrative thinking, global perspective, and compassion.…

Examination of the ideology and behavior surrounding childhood marijuana use in Jamaica, and the way in which it is articulated with the domestic and school life of children in two rural communities, shows that parents expect marijuana to increase household productivity, enhance academic performance, and ensure families' health and strength. (CMG)

In 2002-2003, 27% (12.5 million) of public school students attended school in communities of fewer than 25,000 and 19% (8.8 million) attended school in smaller communities of fewer than 2,500. In this report, the authors focus on the schools in those smaller communities, the most rural schools in America. They frame the report around 22…

This paper consists of preliminary notes for a lecture on the commonalities between the history of constitution-making in the Republic of Mexico and the United States. The paper discusses the first Mexican Constitution of 1824 and notes that Mexico has had many different constitutions. It also notes that, despite the U.S. and Mexican shared…

This project includes an assortment of artifacts designed to inform high school students about the variety of geographical and cultural regions of Mexico. The artifacts, derived from seven different geographical/cultural regions of Mexico, include maps, posters, objects that symbolize the regional culture, and typical regional costumes, music, and…

Researchers working with the American Indian Rehabilitation Research and Training Center in Arizona have found that culture is important in social research, especially with indigenous people. Community-based participatory research is one approach that has yielded outcomes valuable to researchers and community members. However, ethical concerns…

Prior to the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence in 1810, California was under Spanish rule. Mexico controlled California in 1822, beginning the Rancho period. The Mexican governors distributed large tracts of land to people of influence. Ranching conditions were almost perfect because the climate was mild enough to allow animals to live…

This model lesson for sixth graders about the beginnings of civilization in the Near East and Africa aims to have students focus on the cultural and geographical features of a region: landforms, climate, and vegetation. The lesson features three major topics: (1) Sumer and Mesopotamia, (2) Egypt, and (3) Kush. It addresses the uses and…

Acquisition of pragmatic competence by second language learners in the target language environment is examined, drawing on a study of learners of English as a Second Language in Dublin (Ireland). The hypothesis presented is that learners who perceive social or cultural distance between themselves and the target language culture will have greater…

Intuitively, "sponsors" seems a fitting term for the figures who turned up most typically in people's memories of literacy learning: older relatives, teachers, priests, supervisors, military officers, editors, influential authors. The concept of sponsors helps to explain a range of human relationships and ideological pressures that turn…

A study explored the storybook reading experiences between Ms. Garza and her children. A broad conception of the zone of proximal development, involving use, adaptation, and transformation of culturally shaped tools in the process of shared activity, provides the framework for examining this particular Mexican-American family's reading behavior.…

A study, funded by the Australian government, explored differences in the literacy practices of schools, families, and community groups. In particular, the study examined the matches and mismatches between the discourse practices of home and school, and the impact that any differences had on students' school success. Also observed were innovative…