Presents activities and resources for teaching about the former Soviet Union in the elementary grades. Describes 13 activities dealing with the historical beginnings of the Soviet Union through 1992. Includes a list of resource organizations and an annotated bibliography of children's books on the topic. (CFR)

Asserts that efforts to achieve educational reform can have significant personal and professional effects on participants in the process. Presents "Ten Verities" as a perspective on the tremendous investment that participation in the reform process requires. Concludes that, the end product of world class geography standards will justify…

Presents a lesson plan for grade 5 social studies in which small groups of students use computers and three software programs to develop geography skills (latitude, longitude, compass reading, plotting courses on maps), create their own continents, and keep a five-day journal of exploration. Includes examples of student work. (PEN)

Criticizes the emphasis on job and skill training that has gained recent support in the United Kingdom. Discusses the Dearing Report of 1997, a government review of the purpose and practice of higher education. Maintains that education should enhance students' critical-thinking skills. (MJP)

Describes the context and objective of a Work-Place Cooperative Project (WPCP) established in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds in 1995. The project presents students with business, commerce, industry, and environmental research issues that have geographical dimensions. Includes a number of examples from the WPCP. (MJP)

Discusses the continuing contribution of "Anthronotes," a Smithsonian publication supporting efforts to teach pre-collegiate anthropology. Anthronotes works to keep teachers informed about recent findings in anthropology, help teachers use community and instructional materials in their courses, and create a support network for teachers…

Discusses the research design for an educational evaluation of the Alexandria Digital Earth ProtoType (ADEPT), a digital library of geo-referenced information resources. Reviews the deployment of digital libraries in educational settings, the role of information technology in developing students' scientific thinking, and evaluation of digital…

Contends that excitement can be infused into the K-12 geography curriculum by involving teachers in real research projects led by professional geographers. Describes a project where K-12 teachers and geographers participated in geography field research in the mountain highlands of the Valle Nuevo Scientific Reserve of the Dominican Republic. (CMK)

Expounds that "The Geography Discipline Network Guides on Teaching, Learning, and Assessment" that were produced by the English Geography Discipline Network are a worthwhile addition to the efforts to promote geographic literacy. Maintains that there are deficiencies since the guides aim only at individual lecturers and instructors of geography.…

Illustrates how Disability Studies provide an alternative setting for the teaching of classroom geography. Argues that there is a link between disability and geography demonstrating how disabilities are not only a personal impairment but also social phenomena. Offers a student-based activity that recognizes the role of disability in geography.…

Defines intercultural education and describes the Finnish geography curriculum. Focuses on geography's role in enhancing cultural understanding by discussing the five dimensions of geographical education: (1) spatial; (2) temporal; (3) physical and environmental; (4) methodological; and (5) value. (CMK)

DECIDE is a teacher-friendly, integrated approach designed to stimulate learning by allowing students to make decisions about situations they face in their lives while using scientific weather principles. This learning unit integrates weather science, decision theory, mathematics, statistics, geography, and reading in a context of decision…

The Sidney Heitman Germans from Russia Collection at the Colorado State University Libraries is named in honor of the late Dr. Heitman's years of research and teaching about Colorado's second largest ethnic group. Created to support his Germans from Russia in Colorado Study Project, active at the university in the late 1970s, the collection's…

Many observers have commented on disparities between the theoretical understandings of environmental education portrayed in academic literature and the environmental education that takes place in schools. In much of the literature and in curriculum documents there has been an increasing emphasis on promoting positive attitudes towards the…

Current pressure on education programs is leading to increased evaluation of course requirements. Alignment with national and state standards and demands for greater accountability are being reflected in teacher certification requirements and graduation proficiencies. There is a great deal of literature that identifies the need and value of…