North Carolina Social Studies Conference February 12, 2009.

North Carolina Social Studies ConferenceFebruary 12, 2009

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How can we use technology tools and 21st century skills to teach the five themes of geography?

DO YOUR STUDENTS KNOW…?

According to a Roper poll by National Geographic:

• Polled Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could not find Louisiana on a U.S. map.

• Only 14% believed speaking another language is a necessary skill.

• Six out of 10 could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.

• Three quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken native language.

-http://www.nationalgeographic.com/roper2006/findings.html

“Geographic illiteracy impacts our economic well-being, our relationships with other nations and the environment, and isolates us from the world.”

-John Fahey – National Geographic President

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION?

According to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, geography gives students a spatial perspective. The goal of geography is to produce an informed person who sees meaning in the arrangement of things in space and applies a spatial perspective to life situations. Technological advances connect students at all levels to the world beyond their personal locations. The study of people, places, and human-environment interactions assists learners as they create their spatial views and geographic perspectives of the world. Analysis of tensions between national interests and global priorities contributes to the development of possible solutions to persistent and emerging global issues in fields such as health care, economic development, environmental quality, universal human rights, and others.  

WHY TEACH GEOGRAPHY?

• Helps students understand the physical and cultural characteristics of the world.

• Provides the skills that help us better understand ourselves and our relationship to others.

• Contributes to international understanding and our interdependence with other peoples of the world.

GEOGRAPHY and TESTING

• Read various texts including maps and charts

• Interpret information from diagrams, charts, and maps

• Make predictions

• Draw conclusions

• Formulate questions

(NCDPI ELA/ EOG Report 2004)

NAEP RESULTS National Assessment of Educational Progress

• Average geography scores for fourth and eighth graders were higher in 2001.

• Score increases occurred among lower performing students.

• Only 21% of fourth graders performed at or above “Proficient.”

DPI GEOGRAPHY SURVEY

HB 2431 Studies Act of 2008, sec. 23.1

The Studies Act of 2008 (House Bill 2431, Section 23.1) requires the Department of Public Instruction to study the effectiveness of geography education in middle and high schools and to consider potential changes to geography education. The Department of Public Instruction shall report the results of this study, including any recommended changes, to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on or before January 15, 2009. 

Survey results: Which of the following indicators are students expected to

demonstrate during geography instruction?

Some of the other responses of instructional tools were:

United Streaming

Videos

Trade/picture books

Time Life for Kids

Newspapers

Active Boards

Daily Geography

What instructional tools/resources are used to teach geography in your classroom?

RESPONSES FROM TEACHERS IN N.C. ON GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION

• “Geography education is often a student’s first ‘window on the world.’ It enables students to understand our world, its processes and patterns, and it develops spatial thinking and awareness.”

• “Geography education provides students with a broad understanding of how the world is connected historically and politically.”

• “Geography education is lacking in quality. Students are coming to high school without prior knowledge.”

• “The use of technology should be a major focus for geography.”

MOST CHALLENGING TOPICS IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY

• Landforms

• Latitude and longitude

• Map and globe skills

• Staying up-to-date with technological advances, resources and materials

• Helping students make connections to the real world

• Environmental and cultural factors that impact geography

GEOGRAPHY OF ICE CREAM

Connection to the National Geography Standards:Standard 3: “How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places and environments on Earth’s surface.”

North Carolina Standard Course of Study:

Grade 3: Competency Goal 4: The learner will explain geographic concepts and the relationship between people and geography in real life situations.

Grade 4: Competency Goal 1: The learner will apply the five themes of geography to North Carolina and its people.

Grade 5: Competency Goal 1: The learner will apply key geographic concepts to the United states and other countries of North America.

FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

LOCATION

• Position of a place on the earth’s surface• Relative location• Absolute location

PLACE

• Physical characteristics – mountains, rivers, deserts, climate• Human characteristics – ethnic groups, languages, customs

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

• Humans adapt to the environment• Humans modify the environment• Humans depend on the environment

MOVEMENT

• Where, why, and how people, products and ideas move from one place to another• Where resources are located, who needs them and how they are transported

REGIONS

• Areas grouped together based on commonalities• Physical regions: grouped by landforms, climate, soil and vegetation• Cultural regions: grouped by languages, religions, and economics

GEOGRAPHY OF ICE CREAM:USING GOOGLE MAPS to TEACH the

FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

Lesson- Essential Question: In what ways can you use (Google

maps and Google Earth) to determine the relative location of businesses within a community and their impact on human movement?

• Ask your students to think about where ice cream shops are located in their community and why they are located where they are.

• Guide students to estimate how many ice cream shops are in their community.

• Go to google maps to pinpoint the locations and addresses of these shops.

http://maps.google.com

Suggestions to consider:

• Who lives near the ice cream shop(s)? Why are located where they are? What are the advantages and disadvantages to living near an ice cream shop? What is the shortest route you could take from your home? Can you get there quicker by car, bicycle or walking? Are any of the ice cream shops close together? If so, is there competition among these shops?

• Discuss other factors that influence the choice of ice cream shops, including quality and price. How do they affect the patterns you’ve determined? (Supply & Demand)

• If you were going to open an ice cream shop in your community, where might you put it? In your state? In your country? Why?

• Investigate the number of locations of gas stations, florists, restaurants, grocery stores and parks. Compare findings to the number of ice cream shops located in your community.

GOOGLE EARTH

http://earth.google.com/tour.html

Lesson extension: Investigate how your community has changed throughout time.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Jolene Ethridge, Consultant(919) [email protected]

Lisa Llewellyn, Consultant(919) [email protected]

Tracey Greggs, Section Chief(919) [email protected]