This paper details the process and results of redesigning an introductory undergraduate World Geography course, from a survey of world regions to a project-based course. Through two student projects, one tracing commodities and another eliciting migration experiences, the course renders the world not as the sum of discrete regions but as the…

This study investigates the didactic educational use of Web GIS in the framework of SMART learning and its potential to help students' practice geospatial thinking. Using qualitative, exploratory action research methods, four classroom experiences were designed, developed, implemented, and analyzed. The findings support the claims that the use of…

Media are the arena where the discursive struggle over identities, cultures and geographies is carried out. Media organize our ways of thinking and acting vis-à-vis our ideas and perceptions of "us" and of "others." With the proliferation of participative information technology, (young) media users reinforce or challenge media…

By focusing on critical geographies, landscape, and spatial literacy, this article evaluates a semester-long spatial justice project conducted in a preservice teacher education program. The analysis recognizes the limitations of reading the products literally as a means of comprehending spatial representation. It expands the analysis by hacking…

In this article, participatory geographic information systems GIS (PGIS) is explored and established as a powerful platform for geographic education. PGIS pedagogy can help educators meet diverse learning objectives pertaining to: (1) local knowledge and place-based thinking; (2) community engagement; (3) field mapping with geospatial…

Project-based learning is a pedagogy that involves students in applying and developing theories, skills, and techniques to solve real world problems. Three faculty members used project-based learning to involve graduate students in an interdisciplinary seminar on sustainable development in Appalachian Ohio, which was convened under the auspices of…

Students frequently struggle when scientific instruction seems divorced from personal experience, especially in the physical sub-disciplines, like climatology, where exercise books often present historical or abstracted case studies. In contrast I present a three-phase project involving student input on experimental design, data collection, and…

Secondary students can study time and the motions of the sun by plotting an analemma, a graphic representation of the declination of the sun and the equation of time for every day of the year. They can collect data by measuring a dowel stick's shadow in the noon sun. (KC)

Describes an assignment for secondary or college geography instruction in which students are appointed as the "Minister of Development" of a developing nation. As students plan their country's future, they confront different facets of development and the consequences of their actions. Includes student and instructor activities, identifying…

A distance perception survey was used to get college students enrolled in a human geography course involved and interested in the topic of perception. Students were asked to arrange 12 European capitals in sequence according to their distance from Amsterdam. Survey results are presented. (RM)

Describes an approach used by the Wayland, Massachusetts, middle school to organizing students into instructional teams. Explains that each instructional team is organized into a "house" named after a significant individual around whom the curriculum and theme for field trips is designed. Highlights the Rachel Carson House activities of…

Presents a lesson plan that enables children to identify their community as a nodal region. Includes field trips, map tracing and comparison, discussion, and observation. Emphasizes children's analysis of the effect of rail transportation on their community. Suggests using the students' community as a geographic laboratory for hands-on experience.…

Presents a role playing lesson on Meriweather Lewis and George Rogers Clark's exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. Emphasizes integration of the five fundamental themes of geography: location, place, human environment interactions, movement, and regions. Suggests evaluation procedures, extension lessons, and materials and resources. Calls upon…

Describes a third grade class geography project in which students assembled a quilt from fabrics acquired from 29 foreign countries. Presents photographs of quilt squares obtained and excerpts from letters of contributors. States that the project made textbook locations seem more relevant to students. (DB)

Suggests using city directories to integrate original geographic research into the classroom. Explains that using directories allows students to think geographically, teaches map skills, and provides the basis for field experience. Provides a case study of the ethnic patterns using the city directory of Sacramento, California. Illustrates other…