Promoting change in civic education means rethinking what are the important aspects to teach about the Constitution, law, and democracy to equip students to be effective and affective citizens. The scope of instruction needs to broaden to include specific comparisons between the U.S. federal system of law and constitutionalism with counterparts in…

The nations of the Pacific Rim comprise an increasingly important world economic region. Of these countries, Japan is clearly the most powerful and important. While the United States is an important trading partner for Japan, the Japanese are paying increasing attention to the neighboring nations of the Pacific Rim. This digest examines the…

This document presents lesson plans for instruction concerning the history and geography of the continent of Africa. Topics include: (1) "The Challenge of Teaching African History and Culture" (Robert Hamilton); (2) "A Physical Overview of Africa" (Robert Hamilton and Kim Lilly); (3) "A Cultural Overview of Africa"…

This directory promotes global education, emphasizes the importance of experiencing different cultures as a means of becoming sensitized to the variety of perspectives in the world, and offers students and faculty information information about a variety of international programs. Data and descriptions in the directory are based on responses (N=97)…

Innovative and incisive films and videotapes exist which address the issues of toxic waste, agricultural pollutants, land and water use, energy production, and other important environmental topics. They provide in-depth analyses, alternative points of view, and specific suggestions for what ordinary citizens can do to help stop environmental…

The initiative and activities carried out by 29 countries in Latin and South America and the Caribbean in the UNESCO Major Project in the Field of Education to correct deficiencies and meet unsatisfied basic educational needs are summarized. Many summaries reflect revisions made during 1983 in National Plans of Action with respect to enhancing…

Information about the world conferences for and about women held during the United Nations' Decade for Women, 1975-1985, demonstrates that women have been responsible for promoting change on local, national, and international levels. The booklet begins with a chronology of the events leading up to and including the decade and its conferences.…

How the theme of human movement--migration, and particularly immigration--can be integrated into junior high U.S. history and world history/geography courses is discussed. To avoid turning the study of migration into an unwitting process of reinforcing ethnocentrism, two steps need to be taken. First, the movement of people throughout the world…

Recognizing the importance of geography instruction, this packet was designed to provide sources of materials and information to aid the classroom teacher in preparing geography lessons. Global geography and map skills are emphasized. Materials included in the listings are: (1) professional organizations; (2) journals and newletters; (3) ERIC…

The Bernard van Leer Foundation's seminar on early childhood education and care in multicultural societies brought together 31 project leaders and independent specialists from 19 countries for a consideration of common problems of multicultural education. Participants were selected for their expertise in working with minorities and migrants in…

To examine the cultural characteristics of a society without exploring the human condition of that society and how it relates to all as citizens on this planet is to ignore the realities of today. Most Canadians see global problems as massive and overwhelming. Some are uninformed and others are misinformed. As a result, gross misconceptions have…

The number and depth of global problems is increasing and the capacity of the United Nations (UN) to deal with them is diminishing. The international effort to deal with environmental problems is fragmented and underfunded. The UN has no mechanism for the routine identification and analysis of problems and the proposal of solutions to them. In the…

The elementary social studies curriculum should be restructured in a way that promotes a broader study of people, places, and events that are distant in space and time. The "Expanding Horizons" framework guides social studies curriculum in New Brunswick, as well as in many other Canadian provinces and the United States. It emphasizes moving from…

Beginning in May 1987, a committee formed by the Connecticut Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development met regularly for over a year to identify and analyze the important trends in U.S. society that are projected to occur by the start of the 21st century. From the analysis, the committee selected and organized 10 trends that the…

Literacy education efforts of the Summer Institute of Linguistics in all parts of the world are chronicled and illustrated with photographs. Sections address specific issues, including the occurrence and persistence of widespread illiteracy, the role of Unesco's Experimental World Literacy Programme, native language instruction, advancements in…