Suggested activities for integrating language concepts and comprehension skills into elementary school geography instruction are presented. The activities focus on concept formation through semantic mapping and making analogies, and on comprehension through recalling, generalizing, interpreting, and making inferences. Semantic maps indicate spoke…

Twenty teacher-developed elementary and secondary instructional activities on geography-related topics are available in a single activity, loose-leaf format as an on-going series. Simulations, role playing, mapping, group discussion, experiential learning, and field excursions are some of the instructional approaches. Materials include case…

Presents lessons on the geography of the desert designed to teach that different subjects are interrelated and dependant on each other. Explains that the goal was to help students understand that geography is a way of looking at the world not just a study of maps. Includes activities in reading, mathematics, art, and science. (DK)

This unit, designed for use with students in grades 6-12, concerns the diverse and unifying forces that characterize life in Brazil's urban centers. Comprised of seven lessons and used with a set of slides, lesson 1, "Geography," distinguishes Brazil from other South American countries through an examination of the country's geographic…

Inspired by America 2000, the educational reform initiative proposed by President George Bush, these materials describe a way of rethinking the place of geography in the curriculum. It is proposed that both natural geography and social geography be taught, and that both should be taught in science and social studies classes. Activities to be used…

This document is the second curriculum development project of the Connecticut Geographic Alliance. The Alliance focuses on equipping teachers for more effective geographic instruction by providing leadership training so teachers can conduct workshops in local districts, and offering institutes for teachers that focus on important geographic…

A packet of resources for helping students develop map skills is presented. The packet includes: 18 stencil masters of mapping exercises for elementary students; an aerial photograph; the course guide, entitled "A Course to Understand Maps," designed to help secondary students understand maps through problem solving; and a teacher's…

This report describes a project designed to develop geography based activities that could be used to supplement an ongoing social studies program. The purpose was to help secondary social studies teachers in the Memphis, Tennessee area develop geography based activities dealing with concepts of urban spatiality. The project staff organized and…

Recommends making choropleth maps as a fun and interesting way to teach geographic concepts. Choropleth maps represent data and ratios (population density, voter registration) and can be constructed easily. Includes suggested activities and representative maps. (MJP)

Presents a series of questions and activities designed to teach the geography of Africa. The activities relate to, and are collected under the five themes of geography: Location, Place, Human/Environment Interactions, Movement, and Regions. Includes four maps and a list of resources. (MJP)

Presents an instructional activity which can be used to introduce teachers to the five basic themes of geography, or to help intermediate or secondary students relate geography to their lives. The material can be used in several variations and is organized around the five concepts of location, place, relationships within places, movement, and…

Describes a learning exercise to combine the goal of global understanding and appreciation with global knowledge. Suggests that students (1) take a systematic inventory of their personal possessions, (2) record the origin of each on a world map, and (3) analyze and discuss their findings. Reports results of student surveys listing origins and…

Describes an integrated thematic unit for children from kindergarten to third grade. Explains that the unit incorporates reading, speaking, writing, science, mathematics, social studies, and art into the study of whales. Suggests learning activities on echolocation, migration, measurement, scrimshaw, history, and human interaction with the…

Selects and annotates 25 documents and articles on geography education from the ERIC database. Provides information about accessing and ordering materials. Items include surveys of geographic knowledge, suggested classroom activities, and discussion of geography's place in the social studies curriculum. (CH)

Describes the background and development of the Activities and Readings in the Geography of the United States (ARGUS) project. Indicates that the project is part of a cooperative effort with geographers and educators in other nations. Includes a content outline of the project and four illustrative maps. (CFR)