Geographical thinking is a cornerstone of modern geography education. Despite its universal value, no large-scale international study has systematically examined its integration into diverse curricular documents. This study investigates how geographical thinking is embedded in the curricula of nine countries, focusing on content and procedural…

This article examines various meanings of the term landscape. It advocates a deep engagement with the concept to enable high school students to carry out a range of thought-provoking geographical inquiries. Each aspect of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority's definition of landscape, shown below, is examined by reference…

"Research has consistently found that pedagogy informed by knowledge of students' existing ideas is more efficient in promoting conceptual change than traditional methods of instruction". Learners in the sub-field of environmental geography exhibit preconceptions that frame and sometimes hinder their knowledge acquisition. Those…

This paper is part of a larger study, conducted as part of a Christa McAuliffe Fellowship research project, "A Comparative Geography of Three Ecologically Similar Regions." The study compared the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland with the Murray River region of South Australia and the Rio de la Plata region of Uruguay. The project was…

This paper shows comparisons among the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland, the Murray River region of South Australia, and the Rio de la Plata region of Uruguay. Through comparative geography, students are to draw their own conclusions about the similarities and differences of the three regions. Teachers are encouraged to use other resources to aid…

Profiles the current geography curriculum in Australian schools and discusses the policy decisions that resulted in its implementation. Australian geography education features a prominent social education component that emphasizes development, the environment, and other social issues. Includes several tables listing national curriculum goals and…

Focuses on the 11th grade geography curriculum which was introduced into Australian schools in 1974. Outlines the background, objectives, structure, and content of the curriculum syllabus. For journal availability, see SO 505 212. (Author/DB)

This lesson focuses on student use of magazine pictures of a region in Australia to understand the region and discover more about it. The students begin by mental mapping of the area to discover what they already know, then proceed to explore the pictures for verification or for new ideas which they had not considered previously. This is an…

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…

Part of a geography series which stresses understanding of the environment through mastery of specific skills and concepts, the secondary level textbook examines environmental systems as they exist at present. A system is defined as one of a large number of elements (people, cities, rocks, soils, air, clouds) which make up the environment.…

Explores the use of concepts in geography teaching in Australia and reviews the relevant literature on the development of geographical concepts. For journal availability, see SO 505 212. (Author/DB)

Traces the development of environmental education in Australia and assesses change in the environmental content of geography curriculum. The conclusion is that teachers of geography should become more involved in environmental education. For journal availability, see SO 505 721. (Author/DB)

Presents examples of how fundamental geographic concepts, such as location and spatial interaction, may be used in the secondary classroom to stimulate inquiry learning. Available from: Business Manager, Geographical Education, Sydney Teachers College, P.O. Box 63, Camperdown, N.S.W. 2050, Australia. (Author/DB)

A social studies unit and student workbook explore changes in land use that have occurred over time in a semiarid area of eastern Australia, the Back Lachlan District. Part of the "outback," the District consists of a huge level plain with low rainfall, only one river, and vegetation ranging from timber to grass and shrub. Chapter I…

Explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, related to geography skills (mapping, locational distribution, directional skills, locational change, decision making), on topics such as geographic place names, location of indigenous language speaking groups, traditional stories as navigational tools, shifts in population, and mining.…