Eleven position papers, prepared by the staff and guest lecturers of the Summer Institute on Approaches to Introductory College Geography Courses, focus on the purpose, nature, scope, structure, processes, content, and key concepts to be emphasized in introductory college geography courses. Since each lecturer presented his point of view, the…

Prepared as a basic reference for in-service programs designed to improve geography instruction at the elementary and secondary levels, the Handbook gives one concise summary of the discipline for curriculum directors, social studies supervisors, and education faculty members in colleges and universities. The stated basic need in geography…

In this curriculum unit, students create an itinerary and describe an Internet road trip from California to the East Coast. The student guide provides an overview of the activity, detailed instructions, a list of online resources, and reflection questions. The teacher's notes describe the unit's purpose, its correlation to historical and social…

Describes a simulation game in which the objective is to highlight the social, political, economic, and environmental factors related to the building of a natural gas pipeline. Groups of players represent private enterprise, government, local people, environmentalists, and news media. For journal availability, see SO 507 287. (Author/CK)

Presents the results of an experiment that asked 53 middle school children to identify continent shapes and to arrange them to form a map of the world. Australia, Europe, and Asia were the most recognized. Misidentified and misaligned most consistently were Africa and Antarctica. Discusses possible reasons and teachers' responses. (MJP)

Addresses concern that students in North America and Europe do not know place name geography. Discusses the use of mnemonic learning in geography and maintains that it is a positive teaching aid. Illustrates the use of mnemonics in instruction and recommends mnemonics workshops at geography education conferences. (CFR)

Discusses beavers and their geomorphic impacts on their environment. Considers dam building, bank burrowing, and canal building. Suggests using the beaver as a classroom and field trip example to illustrate animals' effects on the physical landscape. Provides a review of published works on beavers in their roles as geomorphic agents. (DK)

Suggests enhancing geographic education by teaching geography as a relationship between humans and the environment. Explores how to use the geographic themes of location, place and relationships, movement, and regions in the classroom. Provides suggestions for teaching geographic skills and developing geographic tools. Argues geographic awareness…

This curriculum unit teaches students about the basic physical and political geography of Africa and introduces or reviews fundamental geographical concepts and vocabulary in an African context. The unit offers a geographic introduction to the map of Africa with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa in terms of its examples and information. Each of the…

This curriculum unit teaches students about the basic physical and political geography of Asia and introduces or reviews fundamental geographical concepts and vocabulary in an Asian context. Each of the unit's five lessons can be integrated into the curriculum where it best suits students' needs, but it is suggested that the unit be taught as a…

These lessons, designed for high school classrooms, focus on the country of Germany in teaching the five themes of geography (location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region). The lessons can be used individually via integration into the curriculum or collectively used as a complete stand-alone unit. The lessons are desigend…

Four lessons for secondary school geography instruction focus on creative thinking through generating alternatives, imagining consequences, generating analogies, and creating products. In lesson 1 students lay out alternatives to solving a problem and decide the best course of action. Suggested activities include consideration of alternatives in…

Building upon Course I, this teaching guide for the first of four units of Course II introduces the secondary student to geographic concepts and generalizations of the physical world to which man has related over time. All units of the second course emphasize the process of development whereby man, coping with given conditions in his physical…

In this Learning Activity Packet (LAP) students examine the geographic and ecological bases of the Eastern international region. The overall objective of activities is to help students comprehend the man-earth relationship concept. By studying this familiar relevant region students gain geographic knowledge and skills applicable to other areas.…

This instructional package, consisting of a text and 13 transparencies, is designed for high school classrooms. The five lessons in the instructional package relate to the "Five Themes of Geography" (Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement, and Region) as promoted by the National Geographic Society. The lessons are…