The usefulness of geography knowledge in a child's education is philosophically analyzed from two perspectives: (1) what geography knowledge should U.S. schools be teaching?; and (2) is there agreement about what types of geographical knowledge U.S. schools should teach? Only geographical knowledge that will be useful in life should be taught to…

Elementary school students learn about the continents and the oceans by completing a variety of activities, games, and puzzles. Students learn to spell the names of the oceans and continents; recognize the locations, sizes, and shapes of the continents; and use directions on maps by completing a pretest, word searches, mazes, crossword puzzles,…

Instructors at all levels can draw on a large number of geography software programs for use on microcomputers. This annotated listing describes some of these software programs. (RM)

Outlines a fourth-grade geography and social studies unit adopted by the London, Ontario, Canada, school system to help Ontario schoolchildren develop positive views of the people of Quebec and their environment. The unit stresses the inherent beauty of human heterogeneity and the advantage of learning more than one language. (RM)

A simulation of the Lewis and Clark expedition helps high school students compare what the area of the journey was like in the 1880s and what it is like today and examine the Indians from the perspective of those who first encountered them. The simulation is described. (RM)

Five approaches--self discovery, reading, writing, oral presentation, and visual literacy--were used to teach high school students about the physiographic landmarks of Latin America. The course is described. (RM)

Mammoth Cave (Kentucky) was designated as a national park in 1941 because of its beautiful hills and valleys, scenic rivers, and the vast cave system located within its boundaries. Outstanding physiographic features include karst terrains, sandstone capped plateaus, and bluffs overlooking rivers and streams, which provide an unusually wide variety…

This article describes a class geography project which involves middle school and junior high school students in re-mapping the United States. A bibliography of print and human resources is included. (Author/RM)

Presents three physical geography lessons for teachers who may lack either formal training or resource materials in physical geography. The lessons are in response to the new Utah state requirements for junior high schools. Overviews each lesson, suggests activities, and lists materials needed each day. (KO)

Asserts that the use of computer networks provides an important and effective resource for geography instruction. Describes the use of the Internet network in physical geography instruction. Provides an example of the use of Internet resources in a climatology/meteorology course. (CFR)

Reviews issues related to soil erosion and soil loss tolerance in the United States. Describes an instructional plan in which students estimate soil loses in three geographical regions using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Recommends integrating the geography of soil erosion with broader conceptual questions in physical geography. (CFR)

This teaching guide offers educators glimpses into the value of remote sensing, the process of observing and analyzing the earth from a distance. Remote sensing provides information in forms to see spatial patterns over large areas in a more realistic way than thematic maps and allows a macro-scale look at global problems. The six instructional…

This textbook is designed to increase students' awareness of Japan. The study of Japan is worthwhile because Japan currently is and likely will continue to be one of the world's most important countries. U.S. knowledge of Japan is still quite limited compared to the level of understanding most Japanese exhibit about the United States. It is hoped…

What can the rocks in old stone walls say about how the earth's crust was shaped, melted by volcanoes, carved by glaciers, and worn by weather? What can they say about earlier people on the land and the first European settlers? The book, written for elementary-age children, tells the story of a New England farmer and his grandson walking beside…

As an example of strategies that middle grade teachers can use to teach about a country using a standard textbook, a lesson on Canada is presented. The lesson is made up of four parts: geographic overview of Canada, identification and simplification of landscape, exploration and settlement, and elements of Canadian culture. (RM)