This paper describes two experiments in which first, 10, then 20 first-grade students were taught the geographic concept of location through organized lessons and then were able to transfer their learning to concentric area questions with understanding. This study applies Vygotsky's and Gagne's theories that children can learn, recall, and apply…

A primary goal of a teacher of regional geography should be to present the course as a study of the changing functions of world regions because the events of each day cause regions, whether political, economic, cultural, or physical, to be in constant flux. The nation-state has become in many ways out-moded as a source of analyzing the events of…

This paper describes the development of the hardware-software configuration required for a computerized digitizer-graphics system for encoding locational information at the University of Iowa's Department of Geography and Institute of Urban and Regional Research. Topics covered include system requirements, data structure, hardware configurations,…

The paper suggests that the five fundamental themes of geography can serve as a good starting point for understanding how geography affects lives everyday in every way. Geography serves to remind people how interwoven geographic concepts are in individuals' lives. Ten activities are suggested to incorporate the five fundamental themes into a…

This set of lesson plans incorporates teaching the five themes of geography in using the novel, "The Pearl," by John Steinbeck. Questions about the novel are related to the themes of location, place, regions, relationships within place, and movement of peoples. One section has an annotated bibliography with other literature selections…

This monograph discusses the importance of maps and mapping techniques for students in elementary and secondary school geography classes. Maps are interpreted to include plotter print outs, space and aerial photographs, plastic three-dimensional relief models, spatial images on cathode ray tubes, and holographs (images produced by laser beams).…

Because economic geography is viewed as a field with too many different aspects for one person to master, teaching an introductory course in the subject poses the challenge of selecting an organizing theme. One specific approach, organized around higher level generalizations and theories, is the use of location theory. Coupling location theory…

Identifies themes necessary for geographical literacy: location, place, relationships within places, movement and interaction, and regions. Discusses three traditional social studies approaches to organizing geographic instruction: topical, social science, and reflective. Illustrates the richness and depth created by combining all three approaches…

There is an important relationship between history and geography that needs greater emphasis in the social studies curriculum. By emphasizing the temporal and spatial relationships in geography and history, geographers can help develop curriculum that focuses upon the fundamental themes in geography, the relationship of the themes to the study of…

Geographers in the United States rely heavily on microcomputers. They employ microcomputers to enhance three general categories of tasks: word processing and other productivity needs, geographic instruction, and discipline-specific applications. Word processing and desktop publishing continue to be the primary uses of microcomputers by…

This meeting site guide for Lexington, Kentucky and the Bluegrass region around Lexington illustrates why the state of Kentucky and this region are excellent examples of how geography plays out on the land, how regions emerge, and how human events and processes, in the context of the physical environment, lead to differentiation and distinction,…

This document demonstrates how social cartography can be used in social research to include individuals and cultural clusters who want their own narratives included in the social discourse. Social cartography is defined as the creation of maps addressing questions of location in the social milieu. Visual images, depicting on the two dimensional…

This paper is part of a larger study, conducted as part of a Christa McAuliffe Fellowship research project, "A Comparative Geography of Three Ecologically Similar Regions." The study compared the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland with the Murray River region of South Australia and the Rio de la Plata region of Uruguay. The project was…

This paper shows comparisons among the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland, the Murray River region of South Australia, and the Rio de la Plata region of Uruguay. Through comparative geography, students are to draw their own conclusions about the similarities and differences of the three regions. Teachers are encouraged to use other resources to aid…

A cross-cultural educational research study involving 12,500 students in 13 countries is described, with particular emphasis on one aspect of geographic literacy--place vocabulary skills. Place vocabulary is defined as that component of vocabulary that is concerned with places which are proper nouns and capitalized to show their importance. The…