Research on the use(fulness) of student-led film has emphasized the benefits of combining fieldwork and the production of moving image in terms of active, deep and reflexive learning. This paper contributes to this literature by discussing how a video documentary assignment can (also) help fostering relational thinking -- a main objective of human…

Digital divides--uneven patterns of access--are a major feature of cyberspace. This article opens by noting that most students are digital natives who grew up with the Internet. Second, it summarizes digital divides, including global patterns, rural--urban differences, ethnic and gender discrepancies, and the role of smartphones. The third section…

"Perspectives on Urban Geography" constitutes a major part of the AP Human Geography course outline. In this article, urban core revitalization and rising suburban poverty are considered as two challenges facing cities in developed countries; and industrialization and the growth of megacities as two challenges facing cities in developing…

This article first attempts to supply a definition of peoples' identity as scientific as possible and takes a close look at the conditions that make creativity possible. The study of science history clearly indicates that the periods of great creativity were those when communication was sufficient to make remote partners stimulate one another but…

The contribution of the discipline of geography to the field of education is complex since they have both been dependent upon the contributions of other social science disciplines, particularly those in the mainstream of social sciences (economics, sociology and political science). Indeed, the number of researchers who would consider themselves as…

This paper presents the metaphor of engineering and the social sciences located on either side of a chasm and connected by the bridge of information geography. Information geography is not an integral part of engineering and is a new field within geography, a social science discipline. The specialty of information geography is one of the newest in…

Teaching economic geography is not a matter of replicating textbook models. It requires engagement with the ever-changing global economy, which often puts the lie to existing theory. It demands that the teacher break down the economy into its major parts, in a way that students can grasp. This does not mean abandoning theory; on the contrary, it…

The world has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of new states in the past couple of decades. Many of these new countries are the result of ethnic nationalist movements dividing an existing state. Is the United States susceptible to the forces of division which we more commonly associate with the rest of the world? Or is the United…

Argues that the geopolitical theory of Halford Mackinder and Derwent Whittlesey is outdated. Applies a developmental approach in general systems theory to geopolitical analysis. Explains that the evolution of superpowers enables gateway states to attain independence, facilitating global equilibrium and allowing an international integrated system…

In this position paper, the authors outline some of the pressing trends in the recent development of economic geography as a sub-discipline in human geography. In particular, they note the lack of critical discussion of important pedagogical issues in teaching what might be termed "new economic geographies", and particularly those associated with…

Descriptions of global education tend to be either fragmented or nebulous. Consequently, the educator is left with little tangible basis for developing instructional programs. As a corrective measure, this paper advocates using fundamental ideas from the disciplines of geography and environmental sociology that collectively contribute to the…

Provides a framework for introducing students to the geography of the Soviet Union. Identifies basic themes for a geographical approach, including (1) advantages and disadvantages of size and location; (2) spatial impact of political economy; (3) paradox of economic development; (4) challenges of governing a multinational state; (5) integration…

This report illustrates how geography can play an important role in improving America's performance in international matters. The degree of interdependence among nations intensifies daily. Today world interaction affects everyone. For example, a frost in Brazil raises coffee prices in the United States and a strike in Africa's Copperbelt affects…

The essays in this collection originated at a symposium on the teaching of political geography focused on the implementation of Standard 13 (National Geography Standards), "How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of earth's surface." The 16 chapters (or essays) in the collection are: (1)…

Focuses on the industrialization and economic development section of the Advanced Placement (AP) human geography course, addressing four specific aspects: (1) the character of industrialization; (2) spatial aspects of the rise of industrial economies; (3) contemporary global patterns of industrialization and resource extraction; and (4) impacts of…