Discusses teaching about the impact of weather and climate on societies and human activity. Suggests that this impact be demonstrated with study of the Dominican Republic during its formation. Presents several instructional strategies for consideration: focus on climate, historical events, and weather. Includes books to be used in each approach.…

Addresses Cuba's attempt to rebuild its tourism industry in an effort to combat its declining economy in the wake of reduced Russian aid. Provides a sketch of Cuban history and a discussion of the tourism highlighting contradictions between political rhetoric and economic policy. Reviews resource materials and ideas for classroom use. (DK)

Describes an instructional unit in which Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis is applied to Russian history. Suggests that the activities and recommended readings are perhaps best suited to Advanced Placement and honors classes. Includes a list of student readings, teacher resources, and step-by-step teaching procedures. (CFR)

Argues that developing and internationalizing discipline-based networks are effective ways to develop and disseminate good practices in learning and teaching, and to promote the structures necessary for accomplishing these networks. Calls on geographers in other countries to develop educational networks and suggests that all geographical networks…

Argues that the creation of a College Board Advanced Placement examination in geography is an indicator of the resurgence of interest in geographic education. Traces the history of the Advanced Placement Program and the place negotiated for geography within it. Discusses continuing challenges that exist for geography educators. (DSK)

The study of natural hazards, such as floods, hurricanes, and seismic disturbances, is most frequently relegated in American schools to middle school earth sciences courses or high school requirements in physical or environmental science. In those classes, the emphasis is on geophysical, "process-oriented" events or on what causes them…

Students completing a time calculation exercise identified the International Date Line (IDL) as a conceptual source of confusion and poor performance. From the early 1950s to the present, various geography textbooks have promulgated misstatements involving the occurrence of midnight at the IDL. This condition's persistence and ubiquity manifests a…

This paper contributes to the dearth of literature on the implementation of the National Geography Standards. A survey instrument was sent to Teacher Consultants from 25 randomly selected Geography Education Alliances. Based on the data presented we concluded that there is a relationship between the implementation of the National Geography…

An exercise to help improve the geographic skills of preservice teachers was developed and tested during a six year period on over 500 students. The exercise required these students to map two arrangements of roads and facilities within a small neighborhood. A set of special-temporal primitives (place, size, shape, distance, direction,…

Geography is defined as "a transition point between natural temporality and human temporality" (Maragliano, 1998). Presented like this, geography seems, at least at first sight, to assume an inexorable function as a linking discipline between nature and society. Unfortunately this pivotal role is not realised, given that geography is…

By using stream restoration as a seminar theme, geography faculty can create a topical course that helps provide a shared intellectual agenda for both physical and human geography students, while highlighting the holistic strengths of our discipline. Although it is not necessary that faculty have prior knowledge about the topic, a willingness to…

Short-term international field study is an attractive alternative for many students to traditional, longer-term study abroad programs. We present a discussion of critical planning, administrative, and curricular elements related to the development and implementation of such courses. In doing so, we share a number of checklists and planning tools…

This paper presents strategies for actively involving students in studying cultural geography through a research project on youth cultures. It provides a basic framework to investigate selected "subcultures" focusing on the origin and diffusion of each culture, its material and non-material aspects and the attributes and meanings of spaces used by…

The geographical analyses and descriptions of Appalachia "not only reflect reality, but they help to constitute this reality." This work first analyzes the status of the North American (United States and Canada) regional courses in the 210 geography degree-granting institutions listed in the Association of American Geographers…

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…