The author uses a student-directed game-creation exercise to evaluate student learning in a freshman level university geography course. Students are instructed to develop a game demonstrating knowledge of basic population-resource interactions which have been discussed in classes during the course. (Author/AV)

Offers background material for teachers and learning activities that are designed to integrate tactile and visual learning for elementary school students. The purpose of the activities is to foster a stronger and more stable understanding of the basic geographical concepts of relative position and direction. (JDH)

Discusses how instructors can design a local field trip for undergraduate students enrolled in an economic geography class. The purpose of the field trip is to help students observe and interpret familiar scenes in terms of geographical concepts such as central place theory, changing land use, and spatial competition. (RM)

An analysis of 14 introductory physical geography textbooks yielded 121 core concepts (basic concepts appearing in 7-10 books). The authors suggest that the trend toward overspecialization in introductory geography classes can be reversed if teachers agree to stress core concepts and their relationships to geography as a whole. (AM)

A survey of 2,092 high school seniors in 16 Georgia schools shows that geography is liked the least of social science subjects by the most students and liked the most by the fewest. Reasons are teacher attitudes and methods. Recommendations include better teacher training, more use of the inquiry approach, and more emphasis on social concepts and…

Describes a cartographic exercise to help students in an introductory geography course on the college level understand the geography of world affairs. The activity involved students in creating a diagrammatic map commensurate with amount of news magazine coverage of various foreign countries. (Author/DB)

The article describes a study undertaken to investigate the impact of geographical training (controlled experience) on junior high school students' ability to interpret topographical maps. Findings indicated that those students with more developed spatial skills (often resulting from a greater amount of geographical training) performed better on…

Explores the interplay between geographic concepts and geographers' Web site design. Draws on the work of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and phenomenologically oriented geographers to propose the structure of cyberplace. Explores two examples of virtual field trips, "Virtually Hawaii" and "Bosnia Virtual Fieldtrip", stating that three…

States that drainage basins, stream discharge, and sediment discharge are fundamental concepts in physical geography and integral parts of other cognate disciplines. Presents two exercises about these concepts. Includes a set of field-based exercises and a set of exercises for students who are unable to conduct field monitoring. (CFR)

Discusses some misconceptions relating to location and to the earth's hydrosphere, atmosphere, and lithosphere. Provides correction and explanation of various phenomena. Includes ocean names and sizes, sea level, coriolis effect, greenhouse effect, lightning, magma, and mass wasting. Suggests that myths can be dispelled by exposure combined with…

Discusses a study of sixth grade children's preferences regarding the portrayal of houses on maps. Reports that there were no significant differences between boys' and girls' preferences for the manner in which rooftops and streets were oriented. Concludes that apparent sex differences found previously may have been a result of the preferences of…

Highlights the social construction of scale on the Internet and how some scale relationships are represented in web-based visual images. Maintains that web sites contain story lines that can act as guides through these scale representations. Shows the need for a "visual grammar" that will enable people to understand the logic behind the Internet.…

Economic and strategic geography concepts are used to analyze the political importance of the Caribbean Islands. (DE)

A brief guide to sources of materials to help geography teachers incorporate energy issues into course content. Describes 15 books and six data sources which focus on topics such as trends in fuel production and consumption, trade in energy supplies, and environmental and political implications of fuel production and transport. (Author/AV)

This article considers the idea that an analysis of the structure of geography and of the nature of spatial concept development in children will reveal a valuable conceptual link that might serve as a theoretical basis for developing objectives in geographic education. (Author)