To develop geography curricula, elementary and secondary school classroom teachers must understand curriculum theory as well as geography subject matter content. Awareness of these two areas helps teachers decide what students should learn, how they can learn the selected material, and how student achievement can be evaluated. Teachers will…

Given that the subject matter of geography is commonly viewed as lacking definite character, form, and organization, this study was initiated as an attempt to evaluate the nature of the images high school students possess concerning the discipline of geography. Acquiring knowledge of these images is prerequisite to curriculum improvement attempts.…

This resource paper on urban geography is part of a series designed to supplement undergraduate geography courses. It sets forth some of the principles of urban geography with special reference to form development and land uses within cities. Chapter one examines the legal, administrative, population, dentistry, and functional definitions of a…

This resource paper on economic geography is part of a series designed to supplement undergraduate geography courses. It interprets regional economic development in terms of geographic spatial patterns of production, income, and physical or economic distance. Chapter two outlines some selected characteristics of spatial disparities of economic…

This study is an assessment of the effect of three criterion mastery levels and aptitude on the achievement, retention, and attitude of seventh grade students using a population geography text. The three criterion levels used were 90 percent, 80 percent, and 70 percent of the correct responses on each of 41 lessons in "Population Growth in…

This study examined the relationship between two independent variables, mastery and aptitude, on two dependent variables, achievement and retention. Aptitude was measured by administering the word meaning section of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. Achievement and retention were measured by a researcher-constructed test. The study involved 17…

This study compares self-instructional mastery and nonmastery treatments of a specially developed geography unit to determine if there were differences in learning, retention, and time-to-testing of high, middle, and low aptitude students. Mastery learning is an alternative which gives lower performing students the necessary additional time to…

This collection of essays, devoted to geographic research on environmental education, is part of the Commission on College Geography's publication program. Twelve essays comprise the publication, capturing the breadth and depth of geography's past and potential contributions to environmental education. This document is designed to enhance the…

Arguing that new strategies can improve upon traditional college and university geography teaching, based on a "feeding-in-of-information" model, selected assumptions of the High School Geography Project (HSGP) strategies are presented. The HSGP has utilized new findings in learning theory and studies of the structure of knowledge. (1)…

Eleven position papers, prepared by the staff and guest lecturers of the Summer Institute on Approaches to Introductory College Geography Courses, focus on the purpose, nature, scope, structure, processes, content, and key concepts to be emphasized in introductory college geography courses. Since each lecturer presented his point of view, the…

This is the final report of the High School Geography Project (HSGP), born of a joint committee of the National Council of Geographic Education and the Association of American Geographers, 1959-1961. Chapter one presents an interim, rather than final, assessment of the project as it stood in the summer of 1970, at its completion. Chapter two…

Prepared as a basic reference for in-service programs designed to improve geography instruction at the elementary and secondary levels, the Handbook gives one concise summary of the discipline for curriculum directors, social studies supervisors, and education faculty members in colleges and universities. The stated basic need in geography…

This experimental unit consists of developmental activities for grades 1-3 to help children become more aware of their environs. The three main areas of emphasis are: distance, direction, and symbols. The specific goals in each of these areas are: 1) Distance--to measure, compute distances and finally understand simple scales; 2) Direction--to…

Discusses ways in which social studies teachers can introduce a futures perspective into traditional courses. Explains how to identify futures concepts in a world history course, introduce a futures unit in U.S. history, use community resources in a government course, focus on approaches to futures issues in economics, and apply basic skills to…

Discusses a study of the local environment done in a first-year Integrated Humanities course. Focuses on the use of field trip explorations of the local community that were student-directed. Includes explanations of pre-site, on-site, and post-site activities. Emphasis was on cooperative group learning and purposeful oral and written…