North Carolina Social Studies Conference
February 12, 2009
ESSENTIAL QUESTION
How can we use technology tools and 21st
century skills to teach the five themes of
geography?
DO YOUR STUDENTS KNOW…?
According to a Roper poll by National Geographic:
• Polled Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could not find Louisiana
on a U.S. map.
• Only 14% believed speaking another language is a necessary skill.
• Six out of 10 could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.
• Three quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken
native language.
-http://www.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/findings.html
“Geographic illiteracy impacts our economic well-being, our relationships with other nations and
the environment, and isolates us from the world.”
-John Fahey – National Geographic President
WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION?
According to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, geography
gives students a spatial perspective. The goal of geography is to produce
an informed person who sees meaning in the arrangement of things in
space and applies a spatial perspective to life situations. Technological
advances connect students at all levels to the world beyond their personal
locations. The study of people, places, and human-environment
interactions assists learners as they create their spatial views and
geographic perspectives of the world. Analysis of tensions between
national interests and global priorities contributes to the development of
possible solutions to persistent and emerging global issues in fields such as
health care, economic development, environmental quality, universal
human rights, and others.
WHY TEACH GEOGRAPHY?
• Helps students understand the physical and
cultural characteristics of the world.
• Provides the skills that help us better understand
ourselves and our relationship to others.
• Contributes to international understanding and our
interdependence with other peoples of the world.
GEOGRAPHY and TESTING
• Read various texts including maps and charts
• Interpret information from diagrams, charts, and
maps
• Make predictions
• Draw conclusions
• Formulate questions
(NCDPI ELA/ EOG Report 2004)
NAEP RESULTS
National Assessment of Educational Progress
• Average geography scores for fourth and eighth graders were
higher in 2001.
• Score increases occurred among lower performing students.
• Only 21% of fourth graders performed at or above “Proficient.”
DPI GEOGRAPHY SURVEY
HB 2431 Studies Act of 2008, sec. 23.1
The Studies Act of 2008 (House Bill 2431, Section 23.1) requires
the Department of Public Instruction to study the effectiveness of
geography education in middle and high schools and to consider
potential changes to geography education. The Department of
Public Instruction shall report the results of this study, including
any recommended changes, to the Joint Legislative Education
Oversight Committee on or before January 15, 2009.
Survey results:
Which of the following indicators are students expected to
demonstrate during geography instruction?
7% other
28 % of students
understand the
characteristics,
distributions, and
complexity of earth’s
cultural mosaics.
52% of students understand
the process, patterns, and
functions of human settlement.
69% of students know how culture and
experience influence people’s perception
of places and regions.
92%
of students used geographic
representations, tools, and technologies to
acquire, process, and report information.
What instructional tools/resources are used to teach
geography in your classroom?
Some of the other
responses of
instructional tools were:
United Streaming
Videos
Trade/picture books
Time Life for Kids
Newspapers
Active Boards
Daily Geography
RESPONSES FROM TEACHERS IN N.C.
ON GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION
• “Geography education is often a student’s first ‘window on the world.’
It
enables students to understand our world, its processes and patterns, and it
develops spatial thinking and awareness.”
• “Geography education provides students with a broad understanding of
how the world is connected historically and politically.”
• “Geography education is lacking in quality. Students are coming to high
school without prior knowledge.”
•
“The use of technology should be a major focus for geography.”
MOST CHALLENGING TOPICS
IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY
• Landforms
• Latitude and longitude
• Map and globe skills
• Staying up-to-date with technological advances,
resources and materials
• Helping students make connections to the real world
• Environmental and cultural factors that impact
geography
GEOGRAPHY OF ICE CREAM
Connection to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 3: “How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places and
environments on Earth’s surface.”
North Carolina Standard Course of Study:
Grade 3: Competency Goal 4: The learner will explain geographic concepts and
the relationship between people and geography in real life situations.
Grade 4: Competency Goal 1: The learner will apply the five themes of
geography to North Carolina and its people.
Grade 5: Competency Goal 1: The learner will apply key geographic concepts to
the United states and other countries of North America.
Location
Regions
Place
Five
Themes of
Geography
Movement
HumanEnvironment
Interaction
FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY
LOCATION
• Position of a place on the earth’s surface
• Relative location
• Absolute location
PLACE
• Physical characteristics – mountains, rivers, deserts, climate
• Human characteristics – ethnic groups, languages, customs
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION
• Humans adapt to the environment
• Humans modify the environment
• Humans depend on the environment
MOVEMENT
• Where, why, and how people, products and ideas move from one
place to another
• Where resources are located, who needs them and how they are
transported
REGIONS
• Areas grouped together based on commonalities
• Physical regions: grouped by landforms, climate, soil and vegetation
• Cultural regions: grouped by languages, religions, and economics
GEOGRAPHY OF ICE CREAM:
USING GOOGLE MAPS to TEACH the
FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY
Lesson- Essential Question: In what ways can you use (Google
maps and Google Earth) to determine the relative location of
businesses within a community and their impact on human
movement?
• Ask your students to think about where ice cream shops are located in
their community and why they are located where they are.
• Guide students to estimate how many ice cream shops are in
their community.
• Go to google maps to pinpoint the locations and addresses
of these shops.
http://maps.google.com
Suggestions to consider:
• Who lives near the ice cream shop(s)? Why are located where they are?
What are the advantages and disadvantages to living near an ice cream
shop? What is the shortest route you could take from your home? Can you
get there quicker by car, bicycle or walking? Are any of the ice cream shops
close together? If so, is there competition among these shops?
• Discuss other factors that influence the choice of ice cream shops,
including quality and price. How do they affect the patterns you’ve
determined? (Supply & Demand)
• If you were going to open an ice cream shop in your community, where
might you put it? In your state? In your country? Why?
• Investigate the number of locations of gas stations, florists, restaurants,
grocery stores and parks. Compare findings to the number of ice cream
shops located in your community.
GOOGLE EARTH
Lesson extension: Investigate how your community has
changed throughout time.
http://earth.google.com/tour.html
CONTACT INFORMATION
Jolene Ethridge, Consultant
(919) 807-3862
jethridge@dpi.state.nc.us
Lisa Llewellyn, Consultant
(919) 807-3937
lllewellyn@dpi.state.nc.us
Tracey Greggs, Section Chief
(919) 807-3836
tgreggs@dpi.state.nc.us