Asserts that using children's literature in primary grades enhances learning and helps achieve social studies objectives. Reports on survey of educators that identified 10 books, 7 book series, and 7 common characteristics of books or series that led to their selection. Includes chart indicating how these characteristics corresponded to social…

Describes the background and development of the Activities and Readings in the Geography of the United States (ARGUS) project. Indicates that the project is part of a cooperative effort with geographers and educators in other nations. Includes a content outline of the project and four illustrative maps. (CFR)

Contends that students in spatial analysis courses generally are familiar with computer use and programs but lack basic computer programing skills. Describes four exercises in which students learn programing using BASIC and dBASE. Asserts that programming exercises help students clarify concepts, understand the rationale behind calculations, use…

Recommends the use of freehand maps to teach geographic concepts. Argues that they can be used to highlight selected information. Contends that the technique can be used effectively by students and teachers. (CFR)

Presents an instructional strategy for improving students' awareness of African worldviews and the news media's coverage of that continent. Uses a research/writing project to evaluate the media's coverage of selected African events, helping students to become more inclusive in their own awareness of other cultures. (DSK)

Presents a lesson outline in which students study the application of geography to the tourism industry by first discussing tourism, then researching various tourist destinations and comparing them. Notes the geographic skills and national standards addressed, materials needed, lesson objective, suggested teaching procedures, and a student handout.…

Recounts a teacher's experiences with the development and use of online field trips in a fourth-grade classroom. Uses these to outline questions that need to be answered in creating virtual field trip Web sites. Provides an example of a field trip that follows the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska. (DSK)

Presents three activities adapted from the "How Big Is Africa?" Curriculum Guide developed by the African Studies Center of Boston University. Includes activities designed to make students aware of the diversity extant in Africa and the vastness of the continent. Targets students at the upper-elementary and middle school levels. (DSK)

Observes that the use of information technology in university geography instruction in the United Kingdom has gradually increased over the past two decades. Argues that experimentation with educational technology has been marginal but is becoming more mainstream due to the availability of funding under the Teaching and Learning Technology Program.…

Discusses software and logistical issues and proposed solutions in the development of a system for delivery of flexible and distance-based learning using a computer-assisted learning module and computer-based testing. Assesses initial evaluative responses to the new system and to this mode of learning in general. (DSK)

Discusses geography teaching, past and present, by focusing on ideas of Russian anarchist, Peter Kropotkin, and then describing Forms 5 to 7 of the New Zealand syllabus. Reviews the syllabus stressing that it is successful in providing ways to organize knowledge, but is less so on research as an orderly intellectual activity. (CMK)

Describes a collaborative project between a South Carolina History and Geography teacher of grades 7-8 and an American teacher of English-as-a-Second-Language in a Japanese high school. Describes class activities as students exchanged correspondence, sent packages, and finally met each other when the American students traveled to Japan. Notes…

Presents tips for helping young children explore basic aspects of geography. Includes suggested learning activities for 2- to 3-year-olds and 4- to 7-year-olds related to: (1) how people and the environment interact; (2) how people and products move; and (3) how information travels. Includes suggestions for preparing children for a move; a…

Describes an activity that introduces students to the geography of the Caribbean. Begins with students creating a map of the region using their own mental representations. The activity uses the Five Fundamental Themes of Geography. Includes a color map of the Caribbean islands. (CMK)

Describes an interdisciplinary project incorporating both geography and mathematics for fourth and fifth grade students. Focuses on reading a map with lines of latitude and longitude, learning about climatic regions, and using statistical measures to analyze data. Suggests additional activities to accompany the project. (CMK)