Geographer Neal G. Lineback published an opinion piece last week in the Winston-Salem Journal (hat tip to GeoLounge). In the column, he discusses the failure of geographic education in U.S. schools over the past few decades. It's not an optimistic piece but he suggests that maps in schools are the ultimate solution for geographic education. What do you think?
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Spanish Class. Most of my students will tell you that they learn more about the importance of geography in history and development od cultures in my Spanish classes than they ever have had in a history class. We not only learn where the countries are, but what geographic features create the boundries, provide the water, precious metals and birth the cultural traditions. We also look at the age of discovery and the places that were invaded/colonized so that kids can understand the long term cultural impact of the clash of cultures. I don’t understand how anyone can teach about human beings, history, literature or language without a map!!!!!!
I think maps are a good idea but we need more. I think geography should be covered some in history/social studies & foreign language classes but should also be separate class.
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I am in agreement. I am the ONLY geography teacher who has a set of maps in the entire grade level! I had to beg for two years to get them! The other teachers have what I have been able to scrounge up for them. You tell me – which classes do you think are getting the best geographic education. I can tell you….its the ones with the maps!
More time in the school day to teach geography would be a big help too. Our social studies curriculum is so overloaded, so geography gets less time than it deserves when history, government, citizenship, and current events, etc. all have to share the 45 mins. a day.
I agree that maps are essential, but when teaching using maps, one must remember that reading a map is a skill in itself which, while easily acquired by most, is not so by a very many. A teacher needs to spend time teaching kids to read maps, starting from a map of their classroom and neighbourhood.
One of the best ways to teach map skills is for kids to create their own maps, drawing them on plain white paper FREEHAND. Suddenly all the bumps and lines make sense. For students who are not naturally spatial, drawing their own maps seems to help them make more permanent connections and develop deeper understandings. The best aid in this kind of instruction is a large map set that can be written on (Vis-a-vis) or something like an Interwrite School Pad and projector.
I agree with MLN. Beside maps, teach geography need more time