Presents a lesson plan designed to teach about variations in infant mortality and life expectancy in the Arab world, to identify the concept of spatial correlation, and to learn the location of Arab countries. Includes oil exports as a variable. Discusses methods of data and map interpretation. (RW)

Describes two mini-units, a primary grade activity and upper grade activity, to teach elementary students location skills by becoming map-makers, rather than merely interpreting maps made by others. Students learn to locate areas of a grid, to use a compass rose, to use scale and plot distances, to solve proportion problems, and to enlarge…

Three formats of maplike displays containing historical event and location information were presented to 72 middle school students with learning disabilities (LD). Although recall of locations was significantly greater than recall of event information in all conditions, both mnemonic and elaborative encoding improved recall. (Author/DB)

Recommends including geography in history instruction. Suggests that the theme of time is implicit in the five fundamental geographical themes of location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions. Observes that maps enable students to visualize historic events. Concludes that geography can help students connect past and present.…

Discusses sketch maps that are free-hand maps drawn from memory that help to organize spatial information. Demonstrates how teachers can use sketch map activities in their classrooms and provides examples of students' maps that illustrate progressive levels of learning world place location. (DB)

Presents a lesson designed to enable the secondary student to formulate generalizations and to recognize the implications of global food production and consumption through the observation and analysis of thematic maps. Notes geographic skills and national standards addressed, materials needed, lesson objectives, teaching suggestions, and ideas for…

The environmental values of children from four different environments are investigated through a concept drawing tool alongside other media. The number of features commented upon by the children were related to age and experience while the type of environmental features and experiences valued by children stressed the significance of first-hand…

This interdisciplinary packet of materials on mapping is intended for grades 7-12. The lessons are organized around themes: location, navigation, information, and exploration. Each lesson has an introductory text and two main activities. Students learn basic mapmaking and map-reading skills and see how maps help answer fundamental geographic…

Activities in this elementary unit focus on developing students' locational skills while strengthening their ability to read and follow instructions. Seven maps of varying complexity are accompanied by worksheets containing 8 to 13 direction exercises. Students are instructed to place buildings, landmarks, and labels in accurate locations on each…

An analysis of the content and methods of college courses in map use yields a three-section result. The first is a rather traditional overview of the general uniformity in content (scale, coordinates, symbols, relief, and directions) but some diversity in methods. The focus is usually on map use skills. The second part classifies and analyzes the…

This paper discusses a study to determine the influence of study procedures on success at map-learning tasks. The hypothesis was that subjects who used certain (effective) learning procedures would perform better than subjects who stressed other (less effective) techniques. The effective procedures set comprised techniques for learning spatial…

This brief guide is designed to help teachers learn how to integrate content and problem solving skills in the social studies curriculum. Problem-solving skills include analyzing an in-depth question/problem, selecting a format for recording information, gathering and recording information, and writing a summary. Materials in the guide include: a…

The geography lesson plans in this collection were developed by Indiana junior high and high school teachers. There are ten lessons: (1) "Absolute Location Using GPS Technology" (Attachment 1 Powerpoint Presentation); (2) "Can You Find Me Now? Can You Find Me Now? Can You Find Me Now?" (Worksheet); (3) "Can You Give Me…

This document contains 7 geography lesson plans: (1) "Can You Give Me Directions to the Game?" by Tim Robison (uses Geographic Information Systems to establish directions to a place; grades 6-8); (2) "Crossing China by Sampan" by Marcie Ritchie (examines the role of geography in communication throughout China; grade 6); (3)…

This guide, designed for use in upper elementary and junior high classrooms focuses on literary works by authors Cynthia Voigt, Elizabeth George Spear, Katherine Paterson, and Marguerite Henry, as a means of developing map skills and exploring the roads, towns, homes, landscapes, and eras of the authors. The geographic setting of each story is…