This article provides a brief overview of the March 2014 workshop that the authors organized with approximately thirty pre-and in-service teachers from around the state of Virginia. The authors' broad focus in this workshop was the connection between race and the cultural landscape in Virginia. The goals were relatively simple: to get teachers and…

Greenways are prominent features of many urban landscapes and synthesize several geographic topics: human-environment interactions, urban ecosystems, and the promotion of sustainability within riverine corridors. Greenways are easily accessible and provide an opportunity for students at various grade levels to study interactions across physical…

Films are often used in schools to illustrate geography, but doing so may favor mainly passive learning. An experiment with twenty-eight pupils aged thirteen years (a whole class) had the aim of using cinema to promote active geographical learning. First, it was ascertained what the dominant geographical stereotypes were among the pupils and the…

This paper suggests that college-level geography instructors use novels to help students understand how people have interacted with particular environments within particular periods of time. In addition, it offers excerpts from approximately 20 novels that deal with topics often treated in human (cultural) geography courses. The author suggests…

The authors suggest ways in which the gravity model can be used in high school geography classes. Based on Newton's Law of Molecular Gravitation, the law states that gravitation is in direct ratio to mass and inverse ratio to distance. One activity for students involves determination of zones of influence of cities of various sizes. (Author/AV)

Suggests a way to resolve conflicts among college level teachers of geography regarding what should be taught in introductory human geography courses. The method centers on a list of core concepts which could be taught in all sections of the course. Concepts, selected through analysis of commonly used textbooks, include agriculture, industry, land…

A survey of grocery shopping patterns increases elementary students involvement in economic geography. (DE)

This article examines some geographical themes--such as migration and urban living--that are communicated by country music, and it illustrates the use of geographical themes for photo-music essays developed for the classroom. (Available from Southern Station Box 468, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39401.) (Author/ND)

Shows how geography instructors can capitalize on student interest in China and its unique images in teaching basic geographic themes. Demonstrates how China can illustrate these five themes (which are absolute and relative location; physical and cultural place; human-environment interaction; movement; and region) in a way that will capture…

Discusses how analytical behavioral geography can be taught at all levels of education. Fundamental concepts and principles of behavioral geography are examined including course content, models of man, models of the environment, perception and cognition, information diffusion and adoption, space preferences, and time-path analysis. (Author/RM)

An integration of human geography concepts and physical geography concepts into one course is proposed; and the conceptual framework, teaching strategies and materials, and difficulties of introducing an innovative course are discussed. (ND)

Discusses how instructors can design a local field trip for undergraduate students enrolled in an economic geography class. The purpose of the field trip is to help students observe and interpret familiar scenes in terms of geographical concepts such as central place theory, changing land use, and spatial competition. (RM)

A survey of 2,092 high school seniors in 16 Georgia schools shows that geography is liked the least of social science subjects by the most students and liked the most by the fewest. Reasons are teacher attitudes and methods. Recommendations include better teacher training, more use of the inquiry approach, and more emphasis on social concepts and…

Because economic geography is viewed as a field with too many different aspects for one person to master, teaching an introductory course in the subject poses the challenge of selecting an organizing theme. One specific approach, organized around higher level generalizations and theories, is the use of location theory. Coupling location theory…

Describes uses of analogies in the college or high school geography classroom. For example, logically stated analogies of locational relationships can be used as test items or starting points for lectures. Analogous relationships between cultures can serve as subjects for research papers. (AV)