Using a stakeholder debate based on a real-world case of regional construction--that of Turkey's application to join the European Union--improved students' critical thinking in an introductory world regional geography course. Such courses are a staple offering among US geography departments, and often the only exposure of non-majors to geographic…

One of the demands imposed on geography instruction is to inform about the world, but there is some disagreement on how this is to be achieved. Criticism is most frequently directed at the regional geography approach of subdividing the world into culture regions. This paper addresses the question of whether global subdivision by culture regions…

This activity book for teachers contains lessons designed to motivate students to master world geography. Questions on geographic concepts are formulated as mysteries for students to solve. The materials are written with seventh-grade students in mind, but could be adapted for use with other grade levels. Some of the lessons are more challenging…

Today's students in the Western world show a widespread lack of basic world knowledge. Geography graduates in a Canadian and an Australian university were asked to locate 75 major cities in the world. The results indicated a wide knowledge of cities in the Western world but little knowledge of cities in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Only…

Explores the vital development of the Pacific Rim. Advocates integrating the study of this region into social studies curricula. Criticizes the Eurocentric bias that results in ignoring the Pacific Rim's geography, history, literature, and languages. Reports on social studies programs, primarily in Alaska schools, where study of the Pacific Rim…

Geographic illiteracy is prevalent in schools today. The objectives of this practicum were to increase 85 percent of the target group's geographic knowledge by 40 percent and to increase parental involvement with the academic success of the student by 40 percent. Activity sheets were created covering political boundaries, landforms, neighboring…