Pedagogical Goals | Syllabus | Tour Itinerary
Pre-Arrival Reading List | Bibliography

Pre-Arrival Reading List

Below you will find some of the readings to be discussed during the first weeks of the Study of the U.S. Institute. If you like, you can begin reading them off a computer or download them and print them out; however upon your arrival, we will provide you with printed copies, so don't feel the need to print them. If you do not have access to the Internet or a printer, you can contact the embassy or consulate that is sponsoring your participation and ask them to print the materials for you. However, it is not mandatory that you read them before you arrive. We realize that between making travel plans and fulfilling your daily obligations, there is probably not a lot of time left over for reading. If you do have time though, you might want to begin going through the readings—you’ll find them thought-provoking, and they might well offer you something to discuss with your students:

American Political and Legal Documents

· John Locke, Modern Political Theory
· Declaration of Independence
· The Constitution of the United States and The Bill of Rights
· Dred Scott v. Sandford
· Brown v. Board of Education

The American Dream as Symbol, Myth and Historical Event

· Horatio Alger's Ragged Dick

American Education and American Democratic Ideals: Efforts at Reform

· No Child Left Behind
· Chicago's school reform history
· "Kerry Blasts Bush's Education Policy"

War/Postwar/Cold War: Cultures of Necessity, Prosperity and Fear

· Levittown: Documents of An Ideal American Suburb
· News Quest City: Levittown, New York