An introductory course on Latin America is probably the only course most college students will take on that region. It provides the best opportunity for influencing the educated public about the area. There is an urgent need to increase understanding of Latin America because so much of the American public, including public officials, are so uninformed about the area. A recommended strategy for a one-quarter introductory course entitled "Latin America: Reform and Revolution" is guided by three basic strategies: an emphasis on present conditions in Latin America, an attempt to foster a Latin American perspective among the students, and a dialectic approach focusing on civilization vs. barbarism and North Atlantic culture vs. indigenous folk culture. To help foster sensitivity to Latin America, use is made of regionally produced films, fiction, and fictional documentaries. Eight films and 6 books are required for the course, which also includes 3 weekly lectures and a 50-minute discussion section. Topics covered in the course include Asians in the Western Hemisphere, the 1910 uprising in Mexico, the establishment of Iberian institutions in the New World, land and labor, Latin American challenge to European institutions, and major revolutions. Students are required to write three essays on topics of their choice and take a final essay examination. (LP)