In 2002, the geographic knowledge of college-age students in the North was highlighted in a survey sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Students in the U.S. ranked second to last among those surveyed on questions assessing basic knowledge of world geography. That many young adults got "the facts" wrong about particular places…

Replicated a 1991 study examining college students' global geographical knowledge as measured by their ability to locate nations of the world from outlines appearing on six regional maps. Found some improvement, but the average student could only locate about one-sixth of world countries. Male students and international travelers performed better;…

Active learning strategies include a variety of methods, such as inquiry and discovery, in which students are actively engaged in the learning process. This article describes several strategies that can be used in secondary-or college-level world geography courses. The goal of these activities is to foster development of a spatial perspective in…

The authors share a successful Fulbright Group Projects Abroad grant award. The purpose of the grant was to enhance American educators' experience and knowledge of South Africa, in particular, and sub-Saharan Africa more generally. Toward that end, participants experienced a multifaceted view of South Africa's geographical diversity, both physical…

In this article, the author describes how teachers, students, and other community members collaborated in the planning and preparation of World Bazaar, a project aimed to immerse elementary students into modern and ancient cultures through reading, writing, researching, using maps, and seeing videos. On the day of the World Bazaar, the courtyard…

Latin America is a popularly accepted world region. A systematic review of geographic interpretations of Latin America reveals that the origin of the term goes back to the mid-nineteenth century and that the region's boundaries have shifted over time. This article argues that four basic principles operate in the formation of world regions such as…

One of the best vehicles for creating lifelong learners of geography involves not only making students see the relevance and the importance of the field, but to cultivate a sense of fun and enjoyment pertaining to geography as well. Incorporating international foods in the world geography classroom is not only an interesting alternative way to…

Offers a rationale for increased teaching of global economic geography, identifies its natural constituencies, and defines the scope and content of such undergraduate courses. Concludes that such courses offer a good way to help internationalize undergraduate education in the United States in addition to providing an opportunity to highlight…

Describes geopolitics as the branch of geography that explores the relationship between geographical realities and international affairs. The essential task of the discipline is to identify those geographical circumstances that explain the power interests, the character, and the behavior of nations. Includes a lesson plan that introduces students…

In a study of 2,791 elementary students (grades four-six) successful location of 10 countries on a map varied significantly with socioeconomic status (SES), gender, grade level, and mobility of students. Improvement of scores was linked with both high SES and higher grade levels. (IAH)

The affordances of online learning technologies have enabled more widespread development of learning environments that facilitate the exploration and solving of complex and realistic problems. In this paper, we describe the design of a real world geography problem, embedded within a web environment that is facilitated by an onsite excursion for…

Affective goals and objectives, rarely stated in geographic education standards, textbooks or course syllabi, include improving students' attitudes toward other people. World geography courses expose students to other parts of the world and to people different from themselves. Although affective goals may not be stated for such courses, could it…

This article describes the development process and products of a two-year project designed to improve basic skills instruction in existing secondary social studies courses. Includes a sample lesson plan and student handouts. (JDH)

Explains a large basic course on world regional geography. Introduces students to 10 maxims about the many factors that help define a place's character. Student reactions to the maxims were found to be largely positive. (Author/SOE)

Six geography lessons which teach a global perspective to fifth graders are discussed. The lessons include examining maps made in countries other than the United States, brainstorming about another culture, taking an imaginary trip over a region just studied, participating in a simulation, and researching the making of a pencil. (RM)