Resources for Geography Teachers
| Geography Education |
"Geography
is the study of spatial aspects of human existence. . . . Geography has much
more to do with asking questions and solving problems than it does with rote
memorization of isolated facts.
[It] is an integrative discipline that brings together the physical and human
dimensions of the world in the study of people, places, and environments.
Its subject matter is the Earth's surface and the processes that shape it,
the relationships between people and environments, and the connections between
people and places. "1
1(From Geography for Life, National Geography Standards, 1994. (c) National Geographic Research & Exploration, 1994, on behalf of the American Geographical Society, Association of American Geographers, National Council for Geographic Education, and the National Geographic Society.)
- Geography for Life: National Geography Standards were written with the collaboration of several professional organizations involved in geography education and published in 1994 by the National Geographic Society. A list of the 18 standards is available here.
- The Five Themes of Geography: Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement, and Regions have been the traditional way of organizing geographic content. The National Geographic Society suggests activities related to each theme.
Virginia's History and Social Science Standards of Learning, supplemented by the "Curriculum Framwork," outline the knowledge and skills in geography that should be mastered by students at each grade level. However, local school divisions have considerable control over their curriculum, which means that some offer a free-standing geography course at the secondary level and some do not. What follows is the state-recommended sequence of courses:
- In grades K-3, the SOLs identify geography as a separate instructional strand.
- In grades 4-7, geography content is integrated into other history and social science courses.
- In grades 8-10,
geography is:
- identified as a subject called World Geography
- integrated into the two World History courses: World History to 1500 AD and World History since 1500 AD
- In grades 11-12, some geography is integrated into Virginia and US History and Virginia and United States Governtment.
The Virginia Curriculum Framework, including the SOLs for all History and Social Science courses, is available here.
What's Going on in Geography Education?
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For a list of news and activities occuring in geography education in Virginia and beyond, click here.
Materials produced and/or distributed by the Virginia Geographic Alliance
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An Atlas of Virginia was produced for use in the Virginia Studies Program and other selected courses.
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Virginia in the World map and lesson plans: "Virginia in the World: The Geography of Commerce" was sponosored by the Governor's office and produced by the Virginia Department of Economic Development and the Virginia Tourism Corporation in 1997. The Virginia Geographic Alliance has produced lesson plans keyed to SOLS for middle school and high school.
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Other materials may be found at the Teaching Resources Center (TRC) at Radford University. The TRC no longer serves as a depository for Alliance materials and no longer distributes An Atlas of Virginia for the Alliance. However, the staff is more than happy to work with in-service and pre-service teachers who come to the Center and can provide some free materials. Please contact the TRC directly for further information.
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Earth 2U, Exploring Geography: discovery trunk and free curriculum guides produced by SITES (Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service) and the National Geographic Society is circulating through the state. Contact your regional coordinator for further information.
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Advanced Placement Human Geography: This is the College Board's site for all Advanced Placement Courses. Sample AP course syllabi, samply exam questions, resources for teachers, workshop schedule, etc., are some of the features
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An Introduction to Biomes: site created by Susan Woodward discussing the basics of biomes
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National Geographic Society. The Society is a leader in geographic education and has developed a variety of educational materials in addition to its famous maps and atlases.
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The National Geographic Society announces a new corner of the Web for teachers. In August 1999, the Society will launch a special Web site for educators. The site will feature:
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Free lesson plans
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Free on-line maps suitable for printing on 81/2 x 11 paper on a standard printer
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Interactive features for students and teachers
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Information on geography standards
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Descriptions of all NGS educational products and on-line ordering
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Teacher-to-teacher forums
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A growing on-line community for educators featuring news about Society-sponsored training, events and television specials, grant opportunities, and more.
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One-stop access to all educational resources currently on National Geographic's award-winning Web site.
Please visit us at www.nationalgeographic.com/education
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GeoTeacher, a site developed by a teacher at Denbigh High School in Newport News, VA, for teachers of World Geography and Sociology contains many useful links for geography teachers:
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- Virginia SOL: the Virginia DOE's official SOL site, with instruction, training, and assessment resources
- Commonwealth of Virginia: this link gives access to all departments and agencies of the state, including museums, libraries, and schools.
- A Commonwealth of Knowledge: First Lady Roxane Gilmore is developing a web site focusing on implementation of Virginia's SOL. Lesson plans will be available.
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Virginia Places: Here is a well organized source of online resources related to Virginia geography compiled by Charlie Grymes for a course at George Mason University.
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Physiographic Provinces of Virginia: This site was developed by Dr. Susan Woodward at Radford University for her class on the geography of Virginia. It includes descriptions and maps of the five physiographic provinces.
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County and City databook for Virginia
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US Census data
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Resources from the Media:
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NPR (National Public Radio): on-line coverage of latest stories
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PBS (Public Broadcasting Service): educational programming, including electronic field trips examining the rainforest, Egyptian pyramids, and slave life in Colonial Williamsburg.
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Many newspapers also have on-line editions
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Internet Resources for Geographers is made up of geographers from over 50 colleges and universities in the US and Canada. Working groups, organized according to topic, are developing on-line interactive modules, including virtual field trips, to support undergraduate courses. Some of these may easily be modified for use in the primary and secondary grades. Each working group is also compiling a resource list of on-line materials relevant to its specialty
Please note: this is only a partial list of resources available on-line. If there are others for which you think a direct link would be helpful, please email Matt Germroth. A URL and brief description of what's available at the site would be most appreciated.