This study investigates critical thinking in a Physical Geography course and illustrates how students can understand physical geography in the context of their world. As a general education science course, most students are in non-science disciplines and feel disconnected from the material. By using exercises that challenge learning and concept…

The "Into Thin Air" unit, based on the book by Jon Krakauer, was designed as an interdisciplinary unit for a small group of academically gifted sixth-grade students. It included hands-on, minds-on activities that would immerse students in the scientific, social, and personal struggles people face while attempting to climb the world's tallest…

Teachers involved in the implementation of a curriculum innovation can be prepared for this task through a professional development program. In this paper, we describe essential characteristics (identified empirically and theoretically) for such a professional development program that promotes the acquisition of competences by these teachers. The…

Collaborative international research projects represent excellent opportunities for students to obtain unique and life-altering educational experiences. Dynamic interactions with people from a variety of countries, institutions, and departments, in diverse situations, provides students with new perspectives, encourages them to operate in a…

Multidisciplinary courses are being developed at a number of US colleges and universities to highlight the connections between the rise or fall of world civilizations and the sustainable or unsustainable uses of soil and water resources. The content presented in these courses is complex because it includes concepts from disciplines as varied as…

Examines why the influences of climate on history have not received much attention. New information about climates of the past indicates a much greater influence than has been acknowledged up to now. (RM)

A total of 641 paperback books by commercial publishers and university presses, including a brief sampling by the United States Government, published between 1950 and 1970, with the majority appearing after 1965, are listed in this bibliography for geography and social studies teachers. Emphasis is on a broad coverage of geography including…

Recounts problems related to the law of the sea and suggests that these problems could be dealt with in the classroom in an interdisciplinary manner. Problems include pollution control, fishing rights, development of deep sea mineral deposits, and shore access. (Author/DB)

A diagrammatic model that illustrates the nature of urban growth processes and their resultant physical form is presented. The model can be used to describe attributes of urban form in the preindustrial city or to provide a framework for studying contemporary patterns of development. (RM)

This paper provides examples of how music can be used in geography instruction at the elementary, secondary, or college levels. The occasional use of music can foster imagination and promote greater aesthetic awareness with regard to landscapes and human situations. Many concepts and terms in physical geography can be lined with music. A good…

Place names alone can provide an illuminating picture of Manitoba's (Canada) history. Discusses settlements of native cultures, the Hudson Bay Company, and various ethnic groups, including the French, English, Mennonites, Icelanders, and Ukrainians. (RM)

This curriculum unit requires students to use science, geography, and language arts skills in studying the weather. Students are asked to report on weather anomalies and are provided with background information, detailed instructions, online resources, and reflection questions. The teacher's guide describes the unit's purpose, correlation to…

The world is in a constant state of flux and as a consequence, definitions and perceptions of the word "intellectual" are subject to change. This paper undertakes a succinct historical review regarding this notion by considering two paradigms, which are called here the "Lake Paradigm" and the "Well Paradigm". It is argued that these two paradigms…

The process of developing a distinctively Canadian junior high school curriculum unit integrating subject content of history, science, and geography around a common theme is discussed. The unit focuses on the life cycle and environment of the Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar. (MJB)

To introduce primary grade children to the five themes in geography, a play about the United States is presented as a musical. The five themes are location, place, human environment interaction, region, and movement. The play is designed to help students understand the multicultural nature of U.S. history. Eleven states are located on a map and…