The document initially describes Part 1 of a two-part National Association of Secondary School Principals article, "Geographic Literacy: Essential in a Global Age," published in September 1986, and written to inform educational decision-makers about the need to institute, update, and enrich geography programs in U.S. schools. The second article,…

This issue of Update contains four separate geography lesson plans on the topics of: (1) the mobility and interactions of people, goods, and ideas; (2) creating thematic maps and comparing the relative wealth of South American countries; (3) identifying and applying key geographic concepts; and (4) human-environment interactions. Each lesson plan…

A theme issue of the Iowa State Historical Department magazine ("The Goldfinch") focuses on elementary readings and activities about Iowa prairie life. A total of 13 articles is included. In "History Makers," eight letters recount student and teacher prairie experiences. "The Prairie: Problems or Paradise?" recounts…

The 20th anniversary of the establishment of the information and Documentation Center for the Geography of the Netherlands (IDG) occurred on September 21, 1984. To mark this anniversary, the 1983/84 issue of the "IDG Bulletin" is devoted to a review of the past 20 years. The first section consists of four review articles by specialists:…

In the face of widespread geographic ignorance, the article applauds the improved status of geography in the schools, describing it as the science best able to meet the challenge of ensuring that students' mental maps of the world are filled in with great and accurate detail. The field is defined through a multiple definition as both a physical…

The nature and use of names are the focus of a resarch report published in a Canadian journal. The article presents the results of a study of college and university sports teams' nicknames, including major categories of names (human, animal world, mythical, etc.), and frequency of names. The report concludes with a discussion of the social…

This publication briefly describes the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in geography. In early 1994, about 19,000 students in grades 4, 8, and 12 across the nation participated. This was the first comprehensive geography assessment by NAEP and will provide baseline data to measure future progress. Sample questions…

This document summarizes the results of a national survey that tested 4th, 8th, and 12th graders' ability to analyze geographic data in a variety of formats; explain complex geographic phenomena and processes; and show knowledge of relationships between human and geographic events. The survey tested three content dimensions: space and place,…

The results of a national census are too often viewed as of little use except for allocating seats in the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress. This essay argues that a broader view of census data should be taken; the data can prove valuable for instructional use across the secondary school curriculum. An overview of population education…

This quarterly publication of the State Historical Society of Iowa features articles and activities for elementary school students. This summer issue focuses on the topic of lake life. The issue includes the following features: (1) "Where the Lakes Are Map"; (2) "Letter from the Lake"; (3) "Lake People"; (4)…

The study of demography must begin with an understanding of the three sources of population changes: fertility, mortality, and migration. This paper leads prospective demographers--or anyone interested in population--through the dynamics of these three variables, introducing them to the forces that cause populations to grow or decline, and that…

The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation has commissioned studies of state academic standards in five core subjects. This is the third of these studies, concentrating on geography, the core subject that has been the most neglected in the U.S. academic curriculum. Standards documents were solicited from all the states, and were submitted by 38 states and…

On January 1, 1987, the total population including Armed Forces overseas approached 243 million, having increased by 2.2 million or 0.9 percent since January 1, 1986 and 15.7 million since the April 1, 1980 census. The number of births per 1,000 population dropped slightly from 15.7 in 1985 to 15.3 in 1986. The 3.7 million births in 1986 were the…

Population projections are "what if" computational exercises. Given selected assumptions about future trends in fertility, mortality, and migration, population trends can be projected. Government and business planners need this information, and they also require enough time to put facilities in place to meet future needs. Everyone benefits from a…

There are two currents of social studies reform. One involves the search for an appropriate social studies core and is spearheaded by state governments and scholarly organizations. The second reform movement flows toward a social studies curriculum based on urgent domestic issues and the realities of global interdependence. The cross-purposes of…