This article addresses the lack of outcome-based research on the integration of technology into pedagogy at the undergraduate college level. It describes a study performed at a Midwestern university, testing the relative effectiveness of paper and electronic topographic maps for teaching map-reading skills, and considers the relationship between…

The purpose of this article is to describe a capstone course in undergraduate student geographical research in which GIS and other geospatial tools were used to teach undergraduate students basic geographical principles. The course uses the "cooperative learning" pedagogical approach to address one of a number of client-supplied research projects,…

This document consists of a final report and executive summary. The report is that of a project involving eight college and university faculty who were given the responsibility of developing new versions of introductory level geography courses. The plan of the project involved bringing together college or university professors, local school…

The project described in this paper addresses the major issues surrounding content standards, provides a model for their identification, and applies this model to identify standards and benchmarks in subject areas. This update includes a revision of content standards and benchmarks published in earlier updates and the synthesis and identification…

This publication, intended for Spanish-speaking students in grades 6-10, has three main objectives. First, it serves as an introduction (or refresher) to basic geographic concepts. Second, it is an examination of the physical and political geography of Latin America. Third, it is designed to help students examine maps in a critical manner. The…

This document presents the initial set of research findings for social studies that is part of Project BETTER, a project of the Maryland State Department of Education to promote more effective instruction. The project has three major objectives: (1) to identify current research on effective instruction; (2) to synthesize this research in the form…

This paper describes a study of students' abilities to read and understand maps that are essential for understanding how geographical factors played in shaping a country's history. The maps help to: (1) relay location of countries; (2) demonstrate changes in the geographical boundaries caused by historical events; and (3) elevate the students'…

This unit is designed for students in grades 7-12 and can be adapted for individual settings. The unit provides student-centered instruction in geography through content specific teaching strategies. The unit is divided into five sections with lessons in each section. Sections include: (1) "Basic Perspectives"; (2) "Cultural Perspectives"; (3)…

This unit, developed for grades 6-12, is designed to help students grasp what life is like in a highland village in Guatemala. It is intended that students develop skills in geography and begin to discuss such ideas as rural poverty, migration to urban centers, land distribution, and agricultural methods. The unit involves the use of a set of…

This practicum was designed to incorporate the study of geography into a ninth grade world history class with the aim of improving student awareness of the influence of geography upon the historical development of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. By means of a questionnaire and map tests it was determined that ninth grade world history…

This activities unit for teaching about Japan is designed for use with elementary students. The activities reflect the growing importance of Japan in today's world, and the belief that the social studies curriculum should reflect principles of global education. The unit is intended to explore seven major goals included in the social studies…

During 1990, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reported findings about elementary and secondary school students' knowledge of U.S. history, geography, and civics. In 1988, the Joint Council on Economic Education reported findings from its national study of high school students' knowledge of economics. The designers and…

This unit for high school students uses two dissimilar places in time; (2) Jamestown, Virginia, founded in 1607, one of the earliest settlements in the United States and (2) Disneyland, California, built in 1956, an institution of contemporary culture. The lessons address two fundamental questions in geography: (1) where? and (2) why here rather…

Efforts to develop geographic literacy, specifically "place-name" knowledge, need to be based in an understanding of cognitive psychological principles. This paper argues that developing knowledge of place-names, including memorization of such names, is important if students are to achieve geographic literacy. A cognitive psychology model of how…

Designed to help classroom teachers implement the Alabama Course of Study for the social studies, this state curriculum guide covers two areas: the world geography and Alabama history. World geography looks at geographic themes and concepts, physical geography, human geography, the developed world, and the less developed world. Alabama history…