National Resource Center Highlight:
The Center for European Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill

NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTERS HELP INTERNATIONALIZE YOUR SCHOOL
From the inception of the Title VI National Resource Centers for International and Area Studies outreach has been a priority. Emphasis has been on teacher training at the K-12 level including in-service teacher training workshops, development of specialized curricular and teaching materials, development of resource materials and specialized library collections, simulation programming, such as Model UN, and classroom presentations by international students and professional outreach staff. NRCs have been able to extend their outreach services via the Internet and many Centers offer quality resources for K-12 educators and students.

THE CENTER FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES AT UNC-CHAPEL HILL

The mission of the Center for European Studies (CES) is to advance understanding of the social, political and economic events that shape contemporary Europe. It does this primarily by supporting faculty and graduate student research through its roles as a National Resource Center funded by Title VI grants and as a European Union Center funded by the European Commission. At the same time, the Center disseminates knowledge about contemporary Europe by enriching our university’s work in outreach programs with K-12 schools, post secondary institutions, business, and media organizations of the region. The Center organizes teacher-training workshops in social studies and foreign language teaching. The Center's main website, www.unc.edu/depts/europe, is a rich source of information on Europe including online teaching materials and links to historical and primary materials on Europe .

NEW BILINGUAL TEACHING RESOURCE
www.unc.edu/depts/europe/francophone/

The Center for European Studies would like to draw your attention to an exciting new bilingual (French and English) teaching resource. The Francophone Identities website has recently been launched and CES asks you to encourage your teachers in French and Social Sciences to visit it. This pedagogical website, authored by faculty specialists Martine Antle and Sahar Amer and created by Center for European Studies web designers William Acree and Brice McGowen, has been designed as a French and Social Studies classroom resource. It is a rich interdisciplinary site and draws on literature, film, culture, art, and law.

The Francophone Identities website is divided into nine sub-sites, each focusing on one aspect of Francophone Identities. They include: Créole identities, Muslim Women in France, The Tour de France, Francophone Art, Icons of France, 1001 Nights, Sumptuous Minimalism, A la carte, and Négritude. Each sub-site includes a selection of readings, film clips, visual and audio materials, as well as a set of essay questions and exercises that the teacher may choose to assign as homework. The website will be updated on a regular basis and the links included are reliable and have been tested for pedagogical use.

The selection of themes and links is dictated by the desire to make students informed members of the global community we live in. The links offer different points of view in order to encourage a more in-depth knowledge of the subject matter and to encourage critical thinking. It is the Center’s hope that as students access and read the sources, they will participate in informed discussions and debates in class, whether in French or in English. The site does not advocate any particular perspective, allowing its users to form their own opinion on each of the aspects presented in Francophone Identities.

The Center for European Studies would greatly appreciate your feedback on this rich site. Please email europe@unc.edu and let them know which components you value and which you find less useful. Please also help in updating the site by letting them know how you use the site in classes. Any pedagogical suggestions posted to the website will be acknowledged.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS FROM THE CENTER FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES

For more information on how the Center for European Studies can help internationalize your school, please visit: www.unc.edu/depts/europe/

Dispatch From Berlin

Dr. Richard Beall, Director of Carolina International School, visited Germany in late September and sent the following report on the political impasse:

In a country accustomed to engineered efficiency, the current election stalemate is an international embarrassment. One businessman lamented, “We’re like a banana republic now. Both Schroeder and Merkel claim to be chancellor and no one knows what will happen next. And it’s on front pages around the world. Terrible…”

The German economy has also been stalemated and the pro-business faction favored Angela Merkel with hopes she would accelerate economic reforms. Referring to Gerhard Schroeder, one business executive said, “He’s not our friend.” I also heard German women complain of a double standard during Angela Merkel’s campaign: criticism of her hair style (gender bias) and her affiliation with the former East Germany (culture bias).

Neither party has a ruling majority, so they may form a “Grand Coalition.” But another business executive deemed this unworkable, because the two parties would continue their combative relations until the next election. That may be soon. If no resolution is achieved, another election could be called in a month. In the meantime, Germany faces uncharacteristic uncertainty in its leadership.

The European Union

UN Cartographic Section

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

International Education Week Website

Archived Global Updates

2005 Updates

Celebrate International Education Week Creating a Global Education Action Plan
See the World without Leaving the Country
Celebrating 100 Years of Rotary International
International Opportunities for Educators
Connect with a Classroom Abroad
The United Nations and Resources
The Socratic Seminar: Practical Tips
Natural Disasters in South Asia