Provides an activity for school library media specialists or teachers that helps students become more aware of the names of major cities and locations on the globe through the use of a variety of materials, including overhead transparencies. Directions for making transparencies from student worksheets and a cardboard template are included. (LRW)

Discusses sketch maps that are free-hand maps drawn from memory that help to organize spatial information. Demonstrates how teachers can use sketch map activities in their classrooms and provides examples of students' maps that illustrate progressive levels of learning world place location. (DB)

The past decade has witnessed a proliferation of state standards and their associated tests in public schools in order to hold schools, teachers, and students accountable for learning outcomes and achievement. In this qualitative study of eight world history and world geography teachers, the degree to which the Virginia Standards of Learning…

Describes a third grade class geography project in which students assembled a quilt from fabrics acquired from 29 foreign countries. Presents photographs of quilt squares obtained and excerpts from letters of contributors. States that the project made textbook locations seem more relevant to students. (DB)

Discusses the importance of creative thinking in the geography classroom. Suggests that such thinking can be achieved through the integration of content and creative problem solving. Describes a seventh grade world geography class activity which illustrates this integration. Steps for applying the activity are given and student efforts are…

Illustrates the importance of studying the snow avalanche as a natural hazard. Describes the various kinds of snow avalanches, the types of triggering mechanisms that produce them, the typical avalanche terrain, and the geomorphic and the vegetative evidence for snow avalanching. Depicts methods of human adjustment to the avalanche hazard.…

Describes an elementary school's reading-incentive program, based on a travel theme, that was developed to promote greater understanding of diverse cultures, to increase knowledge of world geography, and to encourage independent reading. Topics include motivation, parent involvement, public-library help, and increased use of the library's…

As national boundaries have lost their traditional significance over the past thirty years through increased travel, global telecommunications, and international trade and investment, it has become important for individuals to possess firsthand experience with other cultures. Traditionally, American undergraduates accomplish this by studying…

Addressing the need for world geography classes to consider demography and other cultures, this paper presents a teaching unit to be included in seventh grade world geography courses. The primary focus of this unit is an individual project in which each student chooses a country and uses basic geographical skills and knowledge to analyze the…

Provides an introduction to the subject of global awareness, and discusses the kinds of resources that library media specialists ought to consider to provide support for classroom teaching in this emerging field. An annotated list of books, periodicals, organizations, and bibliographies is included. (Author/EM)

Many Web sites are useful in helping answer reference questions in geography and international studies. This paper describes Web sites which provide maps, gazetteers, and country information. Also included are Web guides which collect and organize numerous links to geographical and international sites. (Author)

Discusses methods of teaching world geography and culture through student involvement and describes lessons that teach students about Africa. One uses maps; one uses computer-assisted instruction; and one uses various resources to recreate an African school day. A sidebar by Janine Onffroy Shelley describes the use of telecommunications systems in…

Recounts research regarding elementary education majors' familiarity with world geography. Reports poor performance among 253 students on a geography test designed for use at the high school level. Indicates that the education majors performed best on map reading activities and worst on identification of land forms. Calls for further research. (SG)

Describes the first printed world map from 1472. Discusses the style development consisting of a circle of land surrounded by ocean and divided into three continents by water. Includes explanations of the ocean sea, continents, decorations, and locations, and the map's significance as a representation of a unified world view. (DK)

Summarizes a geography unit for elementary school students that allows them to explore the social geography of their own local environment and compare it with those of students in partner schools around the world via the Internet. Includes suggestions for teachers who wish to create their own projects. (DSK)