Discusses software that educators can use to teach about distortions associated with alternative map projections. Examines the Projection, MicroCAM, World, and Atlas-GIS software programs. Suggests using the software in either introductory or more advanced courses dealing with map design or thematic cartography. Explains how to obtain the…

The purpose of this paper is to promote a better understanding of contour map lines and the mental visualization of the topographic forms that they represent by detailing 17 principles of contour map reading and illustrating them with computer-generated, three-dimensional maps. (Author/BSR)

It is important to learn geography, yet most Americans leave school functionally illiterate in geography. Geography is fundamental to student maturation, the process of true education, and it is a springboard to every other science and humanities subject. Knowledge of maps and geographical information is crucial to the examination of economic,…

Discusses an experiment with students' free-hand mapping of Canada as a teaching-learning activity in a university level course on the geography of Canada. Explains objectives and problems of map-drawing exercises. (DB)

Introductory courses in Geographic Information Systems and cartography cover the fundamentals of map design. Students are given guidelines for producing a good map, but visual demonstrations are much more impressive. ArcView was used to produce illustrations of bad mapping practices and placed in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to demonstrate…

Every map depicts both objective realities and subjective elements and is a rich resource for studying the geographic knowledge and values of mapmakers and their societies. This paper considers cognitive mapping research and describes how world maps reflect world images. Cognitive mapping is defined as a process that allows people to acquire,…

Designates steps to be taken at all stages of the map production process from planning to printing. Pointers include making sure that the map is essential rather than purely decorative; considering the audience for whom the map is intended; determining the primary message that the map is intended to convey; and considering the dimensions of the…

This resource paper on thematic cartography is part of a series designed to supplement undergraduate geography courses. It reviews recent developments in the field and identifies problem areas which warrant future attention. Cartography is defined as both the conceptual, problem-oriented research and the technical processes of map making. It…

Explores the use of the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) computer program by undergraduate geography students. Argues that, through place name mapping, students can integrate geographic concepts and explore geographic themes in an atmosphere of self-discovery. Offers as an example a GNIS exploration of Wisconsin's valleys. (SG)

This book emerged from a "Summit in Geographic Education" at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, May 1993. This volume is comprised mainly of the papers prepared for the Summit. The book is divided into four sections: (1) "A View from the Summit"; (2) "The Reform Movement in School Geography"; (3) "Higher Education's Role in the…

Examines potential uses of mental maps in the classroom by reviewing research efforts, providing an example of the differences between mental maps of two student groups, and suggesting how to use mental maps in the geography curriculum. Mental mapping (or cognitive mapping) refers to individuals' processes of collecting, storing, and retrieving…

Examines teaching models of atmospheric circulation and resultant surface pressure patterns, focusing on the three-cell model and the meaning of meridional circulation as related to middle and high latitudes. Addresses the failure of the three-cell model to explain seasonal variations in atmospheric circulation. Suggests alternative models. (CMK)

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,…

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)

Fourteen hundred entries of British works on geography in education comprise this bibliography intended for teachers at the elementary, secondary, and college levels, for students, and for research workers in all branches of education. The purpose is to provide a guide to extensive literature that records a century of progress and achievement in…