This is the first in a series of six articles about how spatial reasoning can help children "read" maps, graphs, and geographic texts. Since the late 1900s, neuroscientists and psychologists have used new brain-scanning and eye-tracking technologies to do a "lot" of research about visual perception and spatial thinking. One key…

This activity is part of a larger set of activities and presentations developed by the Michigan Geographic Alliance to help teachers meet the proposed Social Studies standards in 6th and 7th grade. The Michigan Geographic Alliance website also has explanatory presentations, supplementary maps, and readings. In this 20-40 minute intermediate…

This activity is part of a larger set of activities and presentations developed by the Michigan Geographic Alliance to help teachers meet the proposed Social Studies standards in 6th and 7th grade. The Michigan Geographic Alliance website also has explanatory presentations, supplementary maps, and readings. In this 10-20 minute intermediate…

It is difficult for students who are just being introduced to major geographical concepts to understand how relatively free countries like India or Mali can have such high levels of human rights abuses as child brides, dowry deaths, and domestic violence. Textbooks explain it and video clips show examples, but it still seems surreal to teenagers…

Movable or moving maps, made so that children can manipulate and assemble parts, promote active learning. Activities which can be used with elementary and secondary students are described. (RM)

Map skills should be a basic part of the elementary curriculum. Activities are described for teaching location, direction, scale and distance, symbols, and about globes. (RM)

Presents five lessons in a unit designed to teach about land and water forms on relief maps. These lessons rely on teacher instruction, small-group or whole class interaction, and directed and independent practice. Includes four worksheet examples. (Author/AEM)

Many junior and senior high school students think that up and down are related to the directions north and south. Ways to correct this directional misconception of students are discussed. (RM)

Described are activities which will increase fluency in the use of north, south, east, west, up, and down; reinforce the proper positioning of the cardinal directions on a map grid; relate map symbols to familiar surface features; give practice in identifying map symbols; and provide an opportunity to construct maps. (RM)

In this kindergarten unit, students learn to name and talk about their address. The purpose of the lesson is to meet requirement K.4 of the California History Social Science Standards, to guide young children as they become aware of themselves in relation to the earth upon which they live, to develop a story which focuses the student's learning,…

Discusses the importance of teaching place names and locations to students. Targeting rote memorization as an unstimulating method, offers an exercise and several activities using an incorrectly labeled map to teach place-name and location geography in an interesting manner. (AEM)

Discusses ways in which K-12 social studies teachers can teach students to discover three functions that maps can serve: presenting information, recording data, and functioning as a basis for quantitative analysis. (RM)

Vernacular regions are part of the broader field of place awareness. Gives directions for a unit which selects three popular sports and asks students to construct vernacular sports regions. This involves students in collecting, processing, and evaluating work in a more behaviorally oriented geography than is usual. (CS)

Undergraduate science majors need practice in critical thinking, quantitative analysis, and judging whether their calculated answers are physically reasonable. Develops exercises using handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Reinforces students' abilities to think quantitatively, make realistic "back of the envelope"…

Discusses the desirability of teaching latitude and longitude concepts to upper elementary students. Includes a four-lesson unit on the topics. Employs hurricane tracking information available from the National Hurricane Center. Provides a foundation for future lessons on Middle and North American geography. (SG)