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The challenge of funding a high quality higher education system, ensuring it has the capacity to help meet the increasing demand for high level skills in our economy and the aspirations of our students, has been an ongoing concern for successive Australian governments over many years. This paper reviews the findings and recommendations of significant reviews of Australia's higher education funding system from the 1988 Dawkins white paper through to the 2014 "Review of the Demand Driven Funding System." It summarises the challenges identified and responses proposed across that period as well as some recent international literature about higher education reform. What is clear from the survey of major reviews from 1988 to the present is the similarity of issues that were of concern to governments of the day. Successive governments have sought to build and fund a higher education system to meet the need for high level skills and innovative research for the Australian economy. The challenge for all governments has been how to enable greater numbers of students to access the benefits higher education offers--in terms of employment, earnings, social and cultural opportunities--while ensuring the system remains fair, high quality and affordable for both individuals and taxpayers. The number of domestic higher education students has more than doubled since 1989, reaching just over a million in 2014. International students comprised another 350,000 students in 2014. As student numbers have grown, they have come from more diverse social, economic and academic backgrounds. The number of providers and their diversity has also grown, with around 20 new public universities since the late 1980s and the emergence of significant numbers of non-university providers. The proportion of the Australian working age population with a bachelor degree or higher qualification has tripled since 1989 to just over 25 per cent. Direct Australian Government funding for teaching, learning and research has grown both in absolute and real terms, rising from $3.2 billion in 1989 to $15.4 billion in 2014, more than doubling when adjusted for inflation. Australia is not unique in facing this growth and higher education systems around the world are increasingly moving from elite to mass systems, and beyond to universal systems.

With just a few materials, building a paper model of the International Space Station (ISS) can become an excellent group, troop, or class project. This publication contains a brief overview of the ISS, its parts, the science that occurs on board, instructions, and extensions for an interdisciplinary technology experience. Discover more about the Station. Explore fun facts, simulate building the Station, and learn about the international partners. NASA hopes to whet users' appetites for more space exploration through these materials. Teams of students can take on the roles of international partners and/or engineers as they learn about and assemble portions of the model. Once each team briefs the group about their section of the model during a mock summit, then it's time to ensure "Assembly Complete." Also included is a worksheet with Web links (and an answer key) to help students process what they learn. The end result is an international, team-building experience to construct a 3-D paper model of the Station. With a bit of nylon fishing line or string, the model can hang suspended and seemingly float below the ceiling. Various links to multimedia experiences are included to extend the experience and further bring the Station to life. Students can visit the links to play a spacewalking simulation game, find out how to view the Station from their backyard, and see pictures of the inside of the Station using a program called Photosynth. [This document was created for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by NASA Headquarters and Johnson Space Center.]

This paper discusses how Japanese teachers of English can help students acquire real oral communication skills by challenging and changing their teaching approaches, reflecting on their teaching styles, understanding the situation in their language classrooms, and taking steps to solve the problem of authentic oral communication. The paper explores how secondary level Japanese English teachers can help students learn real oral communication skills effectively by optimizing language learning conditions. Four sections focus on: (1) "Reflections on the Situation and Problems in My Class"; (2) "Optimum Language Learning Conditions" (exposure, use of language, motivation, and instruction); (3) "Solution: Task-Based Learning" (defining a task, how the task-based learning framework operates, how task-based learning optimizes four language learning conditions, a variety of task types provides rich opportunities and experiences, and acquiring communication strategies); and (4) "Conclusion" (teachers must help students improve not only accuracy but also true communicative abilities). A lesson plan, "Focus on Oral Communication," is appended. (Contains 17 references.) (SM)

This paper discuses how to integrate games into junior high school English classes in Japan. The first section, "The Present Situation," explains both external and internal influences on the current situation of English education in Japanese junior high schools, proposing solutions and introducing the advantages of using games to teach English as a Second Language. The second section, "Definition and Categories of Games," focuses on games in the areas of vocabulary development, grammar, pronunciation, and a combination of the above (which ask students to use their knowledge about several language skills). The third section, "Criteria for Games," explains how teachers should select and use games (how to integrate games into class material, how to succeed using games, and how often to use games). The fourth section, "Practice," makes suggestions for ways that teachers can adapt games to fit into their existing class materials. (Contains 16 references.) (SM)

This book discusses two major approaches to social science research: quantitative research, which involves converting observations to numbers and analyzing them statistically; and qualitative research, which looks at participants' opinions, behaviors, and experiences from their own points of view and in a more subjective way. In the book, particular emphasis is put on research related to communication and language teaching/learning. Following an Introduction, under Part I--Looking at Science--are these chapters: (1) What Is Science?; (2) Aims and Methods of Science; (3) Science, Common Sense, and Ways of Knowing; (4) Quantitative and Qualitative Research. Under Part II--Quantitative Research--are these chapters: (5) Variables and Hypotheses; (6) Constructs and Variables; (7) Getting Started and Choosing Your Approach; (8) Writing Questionnaires; (9) Doing Interviews; (10) Making Observations; (11) Variance, Control, and Threats to Validity; (12) Threats to Internal Validity; (13) Faulty Research Design; (14) Analyzing Results of Quantitative Research--Descriptive and Statistical Significance; (15) Analyzing Results of Quantitative Research--Comparative Statistics. Under Part III--Qualitative Research--are these chapters: (16) Designing Qualitative Research Studies; (17) Using Observation in Qualitative Research; (18) Practical Aspects of Observation in Qualitative Research; (19) Using Case Studies; (20) Analyzing Data in Qualitative Research: Word-Based and Scrutiny-Based Approaches; and (21) Analyzing Data in Qualitative Research: Linguistic Features and Tactile Approaches. Appendixes contain information about writing research papers; citing sources and avoiding plagiarism; sample research papers; doing a presentation on your research; titles, abstracts, and biodata; and answers for exercises. (NKA)

This paper outlines Japanese children's preconceptions to communication media. In a study, the function of media was divided into two categories--one is an "informational receiving" function and the other is an "informational sending" function. Preconception (consciousness about degree of liking and level of difficulty) of media was investigated in Japanese students. The receiving media activities are as follows: reading books, listening to people, watching TV or videos, and using computers and the Internet. Findings suggest the following three conclusions as a result of researching 649 elementary and junior high school students: (1) traditional media, writing and reading, in regards to both sending and receiving functions, are liked and are not difficult, but new media, the Internet or computers, are not liked for sending or receiving by students and are difficult; (2) school children with experience in using the Internet like the Internet and computing and do not find them difficult; and (3) in regards to both sending and receiving, students who like a particular type of media do not find it difficult. (Includes 11 tables and 3 figures. Contains 13 references.) (NKA)

This document contains three papers from an international conference on "ways and means for more employment." The first paper, "Employment Policy Comparisons and Policy Advice" (Ulrich Walwei), covers the German labor market in the second half of the 1990s and requirements for longer-term employment success through coping with structural change and addressing employment possibilities for less competitive, low-skilled workers. The second paper, "Employment Policy Successes with Different Framework Conditions and Concepts" (Heinz Werner), considers the following questions: Are there constant "model countries"? Is a high level of employment necessary? What is meant by successful employment policy? What conclusion can be drawn from international experiences? What are the consequences of different wage-replacement benefits in the event of unemployment? The final paper, "Figures and Graphs on the Labor Market Development in Selected Countries" (Ingeborg Konig), contains graphs and charts focusing on the following:(1) unemployment rates in selected industrial countries, 1983-1999; (2) employment trends in selected industrial countries, 1983-1999; (3) employment rates in European Union (EU) states, the United States, and Japan in 1999; (4) gross domestic product and persons in civilian employment, 1983-1999; (5) growth rates of gross domestic product and civilian labor force in Denmark, Germany, France, Great Britain, Netherlands, and the United States, 1983-1999; (6) economic growth, employment growth, and change in unemployment in the European Union states, the United States, and Japan, 1991-1995; and (7) economic growth, employment trends, and unemployment rate in each of the European Union states, the United States, and Japan, 1986-2002. (KC)

Japanese education, including preservice teacher education, is incorporating instructional technology as an effective, systematic way to enhance planning, teaching, and learning. Japanese researchers developed a framework for using instructional technology to develop lesson plans for autonomous learning. Preservice teachers in Japan tend to hold rigid images of teaching from their own schooling experiences, and in the beginning stages of instructional design, then tend to refer to such images to generate lesson plans. New types of software, such as PowerPoint, provide ways for preservice teachers to express ideas in a flexible manner and revise them with ease. Repeated revisions enable them to refine their ideas and make them relevant to instructional events observed during teaching. The design procedure proposed here consists of four components: images, concepts related to each other by graphic representation, models, and propositions (ICMP). These components form the sequential steps in the ICMP method of instructional design and analysis. This paper describes how the framework was used in a preservice course on instructional technology. The instructor used PowerPoint for lesson planning and presentation, though students did not use any information technology. (SM)

Ways to improve the role-playing conversations found in most second language textbooks are outlined. It is argued that the conversations are often restrictive, dull, and repetitive, and students respond to them in kind. The teacher can make the target language used more interesting by creating new characters, situations, settings, or objectives. This can be accomplished by using dice to assign attributes, physical characteristics, and abilities to characters, or to change variables in the situation such as country in which the scenario is set, actions taken, time period, or physical environment. The teacher can create categories corresponding to elements in the textbook conversation, list options, and have students use dice to choose them. For example, in a conversation about a trip, variables might include country of destination, length of stay, places visited or activities while traveling, and money available or spent. Interesting role-playing situations can also be created without reference to the textbook: following a map on a board; giving descriptions of places or buildings; or giving descriptions of travel. The techniques reflect theoretical principles of second language teaching and learning. (MSE)

Classroom techniques for encouraging native Japanese-speaking learners of English to begin the writing process in English, rather than depending on translation from Japanese, are offered. They consist of short, structured exercises with parameters based on spelling, word length, syllable count, alphabetization, pronunciation, letter shape, and other untranslatable aspects of English. At the beginning of each class meeting, a new exercise is presented. For example, students are given one or two model sentences in which every word begins with a certain letter, or are asked to rephrase a sentence without using a given letter. Successful attempts are written on the board to encourage students. After these exercises, students proceed to regular classroom writing tasks. Twenty-six exercises are described, organized according to the untranslatable feature on which they are based, as noted above (spelling, etc.). Contains 41 references. (MSE)

An English-as-a-Foreign Language instructor's repertoire of effective classroom activities is extended not only through acquiring useful, new ideas, but through adapting these activities (new and old) for varied needs and purposes. This article focuses on the potential for adaptation of one popular, communicative activity: "Find someone who..." Suggestions for modification include: employing different grammar points, increasing linguistic complexity, decreasing linguistic support, broadening the information gap, using follow-up questions, one-word cues and picture cues, looking for "no" answers, using information questions, doing indirect questioning, linking with follow-up activities, developing topical themes, and using trivia quizzes and personalized cues. Together, these modifications exemplify how many activities can be adapted to better reach our students and respond to the various needs we encounter. (Contains 13 references.) (Author)

This paper examines cultural differences between Japan and the United States and presents materials designed to help learners of Japanese understand patterns of behavior in that country through realistic episodes and situations. Understanding status differences is important for effective social and business communication with the Japanese. Status differences are reflected not only in the Japanese language, but in the way that Japanese think and act in social and business settings. The Japanese emphasis on distinction is closely linked to personal interdependence. Japanese attitudes towards reservation and hesitation, initiative and presumption, and group belonging are also examined. Two appendixes present examples of typical business situations in English and Japanese, focusing on the problems that many Americans have in dealing effectively with Japanese social and business customs. (MDM)

Is the United States getting it wrong when it comes to educating tomorrow's innovators in critical fields? It has been known for years that the only way to compete globally in information technology, engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and other fields is to give students the best educational opportunities possible. But do individuals have a successful formula when it comes to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education? In this report, the authors challenge the nation's approach to STEM education and argue that reforms are urgently needed to better match the talents of students, the needs of employers, and its goals. (Contains 19 tables, 42 figures, and 623 endnotes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the Intel Corporation. For "Refueling the U.S. Innovation Economy: Fresh Approaches to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Executive Summary," see ED521736.]

During this five-day unit, students will enter the world of a Japanese classroom. They will talk about school uniforms, "fill" their backpacks with school items, and learn how to do a simple self-introduction in front of their peers. Students will participate in the cultural customs of a Japanese classroom and view pictures, videos, and commercials that illustrate Japanese school life. For an interpretive assessment, students will listen to a description of the items in a particular backpack and choose the matching backpack from a variety of choices. For an interpersonal assessment, students will participate in an oral question and answer game in which they have to make sure they have everything in their respective backpacks or go get it from the "teacher" (another student). Finally, students will introduce themselves using a standard Japanese presentation format, saying a greeting, their names, grade level, and "nice to meet you." This will function as a presentational assessment in this short unit. Through the context of meaningful and engaging activities, carefully scaffolded lessons, and lots of comprehensible input, students will have many opportunities for success with the language in this short period of time. [Funding for this paper was provided by the National Security Agency.]

This paper examines obstacles faced by Japanese students learning English, noting that many such students are highly competent in reading, writing, and listening, but not in speaking. It suggests that students are worried about making oral mistakes, which cannot be erased once uttered, and that oral activities completed in English class are often meaningless and irrelevant to daily life. Four chapters focus on the following: (1) "The Problems Which Lead to Japanese Who Cannot Speak English" (the grammar-translation method, large class size, and student characteristics); (2) "Two Keys for Improving Speaking" (reducing learning anxiety and using meaningful communication in class); (3) "Two Valuable Techniques for Lowering Anxiety and Increasing Communication" (appropriate error correction and group work); and (4) "Applying the Techniques in Japan: Sample Lessons with Suggestions" (sharing tips on how to be successful learners, talking about cell phones, talking about scientists, and using a show-and-tell technique). Four appendixes contain handouts and a script and pictures to be used in the show-and-tell technique). (Contains 29 references.) (SM)

This paper discusses how to teach listening so that English-as-a-Second-Language students can develop a level of listening ability that is useful in the real world, not just in the classroom. It asserts that if teachers know the processes involved in listening comprehension and some features of spoken English, they can provide students with appropriate advice and effective listening practice. Three chapters focus on the following: (1) "The Current Situation of Teaching Listening in Japanese High Schools" (teaching listening in English classes and recognizing the need for improvement); (2) "The Listening Process for Comprehension and Some Features of Spoken English" (bottom-up and top-down processing, schema theory, reduced forms of spoken English, performance variables and redundancy, and rhetorical markers, and skills for listening); and (3) "Improved Approach" (basic skills for listening comprehension should be taught, schema-building activities should precede the listening activity, students should learn strategies for effective listening, students should listen to a variety of authentic materials, and post-listening strategies should be integrated with other skills, such as reading, writing, and speaking). (Contains 28 references.) (SM)

This paper discusses how to change English-as-a-Second-Language reading instruction within Japanese senior high schools into communication, or interaction between students and the text. It focuses on the use of top-down skills to increase reading comprehension, noting that Japanese teachers tend to naturally emphasize bottom-up skills and neglect top-down skills. Four chapters look at the following: (1) "The Present Situation of Teaching Reading at Senior High Schools in Japan"; (2) "The Fundamental Cause for the Present Problems" (emphasis on the bottom-up reading process model and limitations of this approach); (3) "Two Approaches Toward a 'New' Way of Teaching Reading" (skills and strategies approach and extensive reading approach); and (4) "Suggestions for Lesson Planning" (pre-reading activities, post-reading activities, and sustained silent reading.) Five appendixes contain previewing and post-reading sheets, graphic organizers, and a news article report. (Contains 19 references.) (SM)

This lesson will introduce intermediate students to the Japanese poetic form of "haiku," which is most effectively taught after students have an understanding of syllables. The lesson plan's introductory activity is designed to introduce students to the geography of Japan, as well as Japanese culture through Asian art and music--after learning about and listening to some examples of haiku, as the next activity, students will write their own haiku. The lesson's final activity has students illustrate and "publish" their finished poems in the style of a Japanese scroll using rice paper, ink, and watercolor. The lesson presents an overview; suggests lesson length and grade level; lists subjects and subtopics; cites dimensions of learning and intelligences being addressed; notes equipment and materials needed; lists teacher resources and general resources; and outlines National Arts Education Standards and other standards. It also gives instructional objectives and strategies; provides a detailed, step-by-step instructional plan; and suggests assessment and extension activities. Lists teacher references and offers suggestions of book and musical recordings to be used with the lesson. (NKA)

Popular films can be used successfully in a wide range of language, content, and culture classes. Creating support materials in order to use a movie in such a class is an enormous task, but with careful planning it can be broken into four manageable components: contemplation, selection, segmentation, and construction. This brief paper provides a step-by-step guide to selecting, securing, showing, and developing a productive lesson plan based on a popular film. Copyright issues are explained. One table and three references are included. An appendix--Developers' Checklist--is also attached. (Author/KFT)

Two solutions for teaching college-level German instruction in Japan are described. The first solution is the TALK Learning System, materials designed for use in large classes. Instead of a course book, each learner has a manual in Japanese, three tool cards for each of four topics (one with dialogue patterns, a question card, and a data card), a glossary, and a tape containing the content of all cards. Using a portable tape player, students follow study tips in the manual to fulfill certain tasks, which usually lead from understanding of the content material through writing and pattern practice to a presentation in class. Students work in pairs, with three pairs working together throughout the course. The second solution, The Frankenstein Project has small student groups develop profiles of fictitious Japanese university students and present them to the class, then respond to teacher-posed questions about the profiled student's attitudes and behaviors. This leads to classroom discussion and comparison of cultural context, lifestyles, and beliefs. Contains 4 references. (MSE)

Class activities and games designed to stimulate student interest and provide feedback in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESOL) pronunciation and phonetics are described. They are intended to address specific challenges of a typical Japanese, ESOL classroom--low student motivation and inadequate feedback--and to supplement conventional language drills. It is noted that most vocabulary teaching games (crosswords, mazes, "hangman," bingo) can be adapted for pronunciation practice. Examples offered include: (1) an articulatory jigsaw puzzle; (2) a dialect identification game; (3) a ball game; (4) dart game and contest; (5) flash card games; (6) use of local children's; and (7) party games, and some student-produced ideas such as stories and dialogues, tongue-twisters, and limericks. (Contains 13 references.) (MSE)

A university teacher of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japan draws on teaching experience and a classroom experiment to discuss how a socio-historical analysis of culture can be combined with intercultural communication and global issues to supplement learning and teaching in the college-level EFL curriculum. Students were asked to make a list of five things about culture that they would like to know by the end of the semester. Participants in three teacher training workshops were asked a similar question about teaching. Results indicated students wanted answers to highly specific questions, whereas teachers had more general questions reflecting greater abstraction. This suggests a Vygotskian view of developmental changes in thinking processes and, in particular the theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Implications for ZPD in pedagogy and diagnosis of student developmental level are examined, and classroom techniques are discussed briefly. (Contains 40 references.) (MSE)

This paper presents a study unit on Japan for elementary students which can be adapted for any level. Lessons include: (1) "Video Traveling Activities To Accompany Students on Their Journey to Japan"; (2) "Travel Brochure"; (3) "Discovering Culture by Using a Realia Kit"; (4) "Comparative Geography Using the Five Fundamental Themes of Geography"; (5) "Japan and Environmental Concerns"; (6) "Literature Strand: 'The Flute Player of Beppu'"; (7) "Stand on the Map: Learning about Japan"; (8) "Let's Read about Japan and the Japanese People"; and (9) "Surveying Japanese Students: Comparing Students from Different Cultures." Numerous assessment, extension, and enrichment ideas are offered for each lesson. (EH)

Use of authentic content-based videotape recordings to integrate content with English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) instruction and English for academic purposes in college-level courses is discussed, particularly as it is relevant to the Japanese university context. Focus is on adaptation of techniques used in the United States for sheltered English instruction and on selection of appropriate video materials. Ideas are offered for choosing and customizing documentaries, movies, television commercials, public service announcements and government films. An example of each of these video types is offered, with specific classroom activities suggested. Contains three references. (MSE)

Problems in teaching English pronunciation to large groups of university students in Japan are discussed, and some solutions are offered. Pronunciation instruction requires close individual interaction between teacher and student, difficult if not impossible to achieve in a typical Japanese university classroom. However, it is possible to get feedback from a large number of students and enhance their motivation for and interest in English pronunciation and phonetics by applying some less traditional techniques and tasks such as phoneme cards, pronunciation-based quiz games, using a form of sign language, using materials prepared by the students, encouraging students' reports on various aspects of pronunciation and phonetics, and introducing elements of the discovery learning technique. Examples are offered. (Contains eight references.) (Author/MSE)

At Tokai University (Japan), an English-as-a-Second-Language course in global issues through video uses the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's monthly video magazine "News in Review", published eight months a year for use in Canadian English-medium schools. Of the four segments in each magazine, usually two are about Canada or international issues as they relate to Canada; the remainder are on a variety of international topics, all documentary in approach, educational, and presented in a way that demonstrates the power of television in shaping social conscience and global consciousness, an element needed in Japanese society. A supplementary resource package for teachers helps use the video materials. The teacher's intention is to have students comprehend not only the language and content of the segments, but also the issues, concepts, and values within them, and to express feelings and opinions and ask questions based on that understanding. Classroom activities are designed to exploit information, reasoning, and opinion gaps experienced by the students. In using video, teachers are advised to use short sequences, provide repeated viewings, treat the video as both visual and aural text, and plan pre-viewing, viewing, and post-viewing activities. Contains six references. (MSE)

This paper examines differences between approaches to instruction in Japanese and American classrooms and the need for individualized English instruction in Japan. Traditional classroom techniques in Japan have emphasized treating all students the same, whereas American techniques, especially since the 1970s, have placed a growing emphasis on individualized instruction. The expansion of computer technology into classrooms has contributed to the rise of computer-assisted individual instruction (CAII) in foreign language programs. CAII is especially well-suited for Japan, where secondary and college students studying English as a Second Language (ESL) have varied preparation and skill levels, perform only those tasks assigned by the instructor, and are resistent to studying English independently. The strengths and weakness of CAII are examined, and the facilities, materials, and personnel necessary for its implementation are discussed. Student evaluation methods are also addressed, and a trial use of CAII in a Japanese ESL classroom is reported. Contains 34 references. (MDM)

A practicum project to develop instructional materials and related class activities for students of English as a second language (ESL) is described. The context in which the project took place is the ESL instruction of Japanese students with minimal English skills and low motivation in an American community college in Japan. The materials consist of one deck of 3-by-5-inch picture cards and 46 grammar-based card activities. The deck of cards consists of 27 different pictures in matching pairs, for a total of 54 cards. Students are instructed to practice a dialogue in small groups of 3-5 students, while playing one of three familiar American card games. the focus is on repetitive oral production of specific grammar-based language structures in a controlled but interesting situation. The games and dialogues are designed so they cannot be performed by rote, but require students to interact with and listen to one another. The goal is to help learners gain confidence in speaking English and feel successful as language learners. Contains 13 references. (Author/MSE)

A National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant funded a study to establish an International Humanities Curriculum that would serve as a model of curricular internationalization upon which interested observers might draw for revision of their own curricula. This curriculum revision project introduced the study of texts, ideas, themes, and issues from China and Japan into the literature curriculum of Robert Morris College. China and Japan seemed obvious choices for enhancing the international dimension of the humanities curriculum at that college. China, which is both the oldest and the largest country in the world promises to exert a major economic and cultural influence upon global affairs in the future, and since rebounding from World War II Japan has become a model of industrial efficiency and success. Goals for this business-focused curriculum included (1) enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of the human experience as it has been lived in two major world cultures; and (2) building a valuable foundation of contextual knowledge for making sense of professional practices, strategies, issues, and obstacles that students will face on an international scale as workers and leaders in business and industry. The study and the interdisciplinary collaboration which was essential to its implementation led to the conclusion that curricular internationalization provides valuable common ground between disciplines traditionally indifferent or hostile towards each other. Participants further concluded that forging meaningful interdisciplinary partnerships not only requires rethinking traditional notions of disciplinary borders, but also requires learning to cross those borders. (Four tables are included.) (SAM)

In 1986 the United States (U.S.)-Japan Seminar on Mathematical Problem Solving convened to compare the state of problem solving in the classroom and in research in the two countries. The data and results given in this paper are the results of research conducted in the United States in response to the 1986 seminar. The U.S. and Japanese research groups decided to collect problem solving data at the 4th, 6th, 8th, and 11th grade school levels. Problems were collected from a pool of problems submitted by both the United States and Japan. U.S. subjects were from at least two 4th-, 6th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade classes from large rural, small urban, and large urban schools in areas around Carbondale and Champaign/Urbana, Illinois; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Gainesville, Florida; and Athens, Georgia. In addition to the problems, student questionnaires collected data on students' attitudes towards problem solving, their comparison of the problems to textbook problems, and their reactions to the problems. A teacher questionnaire collected information about the schools, teachers' views of their classes, their reactions to the problems, and their perceptions of how students worked on problems. These questionnaires are included in the appendix. Five research reports include the results for each of five problems developed for varying grade levels, as follows: (1) the "Marble Arrangement Problem" for grade 4 (researched by E. Silver, S. Leung, and J. Cai); (2) the "Matchsticks Problem" for U.S. students in grades 4 and 6 (M. Hart and K. Travers); (3) the "Marble Pattern Problem" for U.S. students in grades 6, 8, and 11 (K. Fouche and M. Kantowski); (4) the "Arithmogons Problems" for U.S. students in grades 8 and 11 (J. Becker and A. Owens); and (5) the "Areas of Squares Problem" for U.S. students in grade 11 (J. Wilson). (Contains 39 references, as well as references with chapters.) (MDH)

Designed for grades 4-6, this teaching unit explores children's rights from a comparative perspective by focusing on the rights of Japanese children as revealed in a collection of stories written by Japanese junior high school students. The unit outlines a series of lessons that explore the nature of children's rights and inquire about the extent that young people in Japan enjoy those rights. The unit contains a set of 20 stories that depict the daily lives of Japanese young people. Supplementary materials include: (1) the text of the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of the Child; (2) text of the U.N. Convention of the Rights of the Child; and (3) selected news articles related to children's rights in Japan and published between 1989-90. Four introductory activities and two additional activities provide ideas for working with the stories and text. (CK)

This document presents two resource units for studying the cultural diversity and unity of several countries. The unit was developed as part of a series by the Public Education Religion Studies Center. The resource units serve the religious components of broader cultural studies of the USSR and Japan. Three statements of rationale underlie the unit: (1) Diverse cultures develop as people try to meet their needs and solve their problems; (2) Culture is affected by the natural environment; (3) The diverse responses to meeting human needs and problems contain elements of commonality. The course is designed to increase student awareness of the diversity and commonality within human society by providing conceptual tools with which to analyze cultures. Inclusion of the religious dimension of culture is considered essential if the portrayal of the culture is to be accurate, since religion is the synthesis of world-view and life-style. The approach is interdisciplinary with the greatest cognitive emphasis on geography and cultural anthropology but including perspectives from sociology, history, and political science. Generalizations, concepts, subject matter, and vocabulary are presented. Both cognitive and affective objectives are stated, and initiatory, developmental, and culminating activities are described. The document concludes with evaluation suggestions and a thorough list of instructional materials. (Author/BC)