Presents a study which identifies experienced classroom teachers' beliefs about what should be included in the geography curriculum. Tables show how questionnaire respondents ranked the importance of specific items in three categories: geographic skills, human geography, and physical geography. Concludes that teacher perceptions must be considered…

Discusses spatial interaction in terms of the movement of people. Classifies human movement into the categories of: (1) displacement involved; (2) motivation of migration; and (3) boundaries crossed. Concludes that movement is always linked to the spatial and socioeconomic configuration of a country. Two secondary lesson plans and two elementary…

Learning place geography is an important part of school geography. Reports on research findings addressing effective ways to teach place geography. Finds that research indicates significant differences between mnemonic and non-mnemonic treatment groups. (CFR)

Presents a classroom mathematics project for preservice teachers or secondary school students in which students investigate roughness or ruggedness of the boundaries of a state. (MKR)

Discusses the importance of geographic knowledge and understanding for learning history. Emphasizes five themes of geography: location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions. Provides specific lesson suggestions. Argues for geography instruction's integration into all areas of social studies with maps and geographic themes. (DK)

Suggests using an example versus nonexample format to teach geographical concepts related to landforms in the elementary grade classroom. Describes lesson plans and includes objectives, methods, and instructional strategies. Recommends using a conceptual framework rather than rote memorization. (NL)

Discusses "Mascots and Meanings," a research activity that helps give students a concrete concept of some of the elements of a region or place. Provides a list of professional and college sports mascots. Identifies strategies that call upon students to identify the reasons for the choice of the particular mascots. (SG)

Suggests that cultivating U.S. sensitivity and knowledge about the world are the tasks of geographers. Reminds teachers not to ignore the newspaper as a source of information about world geography. Concludes that newspapers can help students develop an appreciation of how geography contributes to world events. Proposes teaching strategies. (SG)

Describes a four-credit college course for preservice elementary and secondary teachers. Declares that the course is a model that integrates basic geography content with appropriate teaching strategies. Outlines the origins and development of the course and includes a copy of the class syllabus. (CFR)

Asserts that teaching principles and concepts related to global time is a test of student comprehension and an instructor's teaching ability. Describes how teachers can create an International Date Line Wheel for classroom demonstration purposes. Includes 11 figures illustrating how to make and use the wheel. (CFR)

Provides an activity in which teachers can combine mental mapping with the five themes of geography (location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions) in order to help students develop an understanding of their world. Explains that the activity can be concluded by asking students to draw a mental map of the world. (CMK)

Provides a lesson that enables students to explain the global importance of mountains by applying the five themes of geography (location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions) to a particular mountain range. Explains that students work in teams to prepare a brochure about their mountain range. (CMK)

Explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, related to geography skills (mapping, locational distribution, directional skills, locational change, decision making), on topics such as geographic place names, location of indigenous language speaking groups, traditional stories as navigational tools, shifts in population, and mining.…

Students analyze a contemporary geopolitical event from a comprehensive geographic perspective using role play simulation, discussion, and decision-making. The three-day activity provides teachers with a realistic, ready-made classroom lesson that combines powerful conceptual learning with drama and surprise. The task of the teacher is to…

One can easily identify the United States of America by the Statue of Liberty, France by the Eiffel Tower, Egypt by its Great Sphinx, and China by its Great Wall. What do these landmarks tell people about these places? What are the characteristics of the place and culture that are symbolized by these landmarks? These questions can serve as the…