Knowledge of geography is fundamental to understanding many other disciplines and many of the important issues which face the world, yet it has practically disappeared from our curricula, having been swallowed and dissolved by social studies. We know about malnutrition, but we know little about where millions are dying of famine. Ignorance of…

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.…

Concepts and methods of geography are applied to the study of school desegregation in this paper. Beginning with a spatial/temporal view of desegregation, the key legal events which have charted the course of desegregation are reviewed, and geographic patterns over time are examined. This discussion is followed by an investigation of the…

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 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…

Urban Geography was selected as the discipline for studying the physical structure of a city, as reported in ED 066 350. This second progress report presents a resume of the activities of the team and reflects upon the processes involved in curriculum building and instructional planning: 1) clarifying the nature of students involved, 2) finding…

This project examined the development of the physical structure of a city in preparation for the designing of a unit of study on Urbanization for grades five through twelve. The rationale is focused on the effect physical structure has on the processes and functions of urban life. Recognizing the need for a method or process to examine city forms,…

Raises the issue of prepublishing censorship by textbook makers in geography texts, provides some examples of this kind of screening, and suggests ways for teachers and students to address the problem. Indicates that textbook makers must be sensitive to public values, political forces, and the market. (TRS)

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2001 geography results show student improvement since 1994 at grades 4 and 8. The average score of twelfth-grade students, however, has not changed significantly when compared to 1994 results. This colorfully illustrated and easy-to-read report, which highlights findings of "The Nation's…

The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) was created by Congress to formulate policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Among the Board's responsibilities are developing objectives and test specifications and designing the assessment methodology for NAEP. This document provides the framework to guide the development…

Outlines several kinds of changes occurring in the history and philosophy of geography instruction in England. These are changes in the nature of the subject, changes in teaching methods, changes in school education, changes in undergraduate education; and student reactions to the subject. (MJP)

Examines children's knowledge and understanding of global spatial relationships. Utilizing cut-outs of continents to estimate their size in relation to Europe, the students consistently underestimated the size of Asia and overestimated Australia. Possible reasons for this are discussed and teaching approaches suggested. (MJP)

Asserts that the lack of adequate geography instruction for preservice teachers has reached the level of crisis. Identifies a number of academic pressures and prejudices that have contributed to this crisis. Discusses a series of established and proposed programs designed to address these deficiencies. (MJP)

Describes a teacher's experiments with improving students' writing in the geography classroom using peer editing exercises. Discusses the development and gives examples of the editing exercises and style sheets. Briefly reviews the theory of audience-centered communication. (MJP)