Teaching Geography

Teaching GeographyTeaching Geography TCH 347 Social Studies in the Elementary School

Department of EducationShippensburg University

Han Liu, Ph. D.

What is Geography

•Geography is the study of the Earth, how it shapes people’s lives and how it is shaped in turn by people’s activities

Subfields of Geography• Physical geography• Agricultural geography• Biogeography• Resources geography• Human geography• Political geography• Economic geography• Historical geography• Cultural geography• Urban geography• …

Five Themes• Location

• Absolute Location• Relative Location

• Place• Human Characteristics • Physical Characteristics

• Human-environment Interaction• Humans adapt to the environment • Humans modify the environment • Humans depend on the environment

• Movement• People • Goods • Ideas

• Region• Formal • Functional • Vernacular (perceptual)

Geography Standards• Spatial elements

• Globe and maps

• Places and region • Physical & human characteristics

• Physical systems• Landform, biomes, & ecosystems

• Human systems • Culture, settlement, interdependence, cooperation &

conflict

• Environment and society • Impact of human actions on physical systems and vice versa

• Applying geography • Using geography to interpret the present and plan the

future

The Universe • The Sun and Planets

1. Mercury2. Venus

3. Earth4. Mars5. Jupiter6. Saturn7. Uranus8. Neptune9. Pluto

Our Galactic Address

•U.S.A•North America

•Northern & Western Hemisphere•Earth

•Solar System•Milky Way Galaxy•Universe

Globe

• Globe (horizontal)• Parallels • Latitude• Equator• Northern &

Southern Hemispheres

• Tropic of Capricorn • Tropic of cancer• The Arctic Circle• The Antarctic Circle

• Globe (vertical)• Meridians • Prime Meridian• Longitude• Time Zones• International Date

Line• Eastern & Western

Hemispheres• North Pole & South

Pole

Map• Campus Rose• Cardinal directions• Symbols or Icons• Keys or Legends• Coordinates• Map Scale• Map Grid• Map Index• Map Title• Altitude or Elevation

Map Projections• Conic: Accurate distance, direction, and shape

for the limited area mapped.

• Interrupted: Accurate area and shape

• Mercator (Cylindrical): Accurate direction, but land and water are greatly distorted towards the two poles.

• Polar: Mapping hemispheres instead of the whole earth. Accurate direction and distance. Shapes and size are distorted towards the edges.

• Robison (Oval): Accurate shape and size of continents, water areas are distorted

Kinds of Maps• Political map• Physical map• Cultural map• Water map (charts)• Relief map• Distribution map• Relative location map• Topographic map• Climate and weather map• Outline map• Time zone map

Land Form Concept Cluster•Continents•Plains•Plateaus•Mountains•Mountain Range•Peak•Hills•Mesa•Dune•Deserts•Oasis•Jungle•River Valley•Basin

•Delta•Prairie •Marsh/Swamp•Harbor•Beach•Coast/Shore•Islands•Archipelago•Peninsula•Strait•Isthmus•Cape•Reef•Atoll

Water Body Concept Cluster•Ocean

•Pacific Ocean•Atlantic Ocean•Indian Ocean•Arctic Ocean

•Sea•Gulf•Bay

•River•Source•Course•Mouth•Estuary•Tributary

•Lake•Salt water lake•Fresh water lake

•Pond•Channel/Strait

The Biome Concept Cluster• Tropical rain forests• Tropical grasslands• Mediterranean regions• Temperate forests• Cool forests• Cool grasslands• Deserts• Tundra• Polar regions

Sample Topics• Landform and agriculture• Rivers and transportation• Population distribution• Petroleum reserves• Local industry• Regional resources• Forest fire• Hurricane• Settlement patterns• Urbanization• Air pollution • Global warming

Sample Inquiry Questions -1• What causes an earthquake?• What is the ranking order of the drinking

water qualities in the 10 largest cities in U.S.?

• Which city is closer to New York, Johannesburg or Helsinki?

• Which state has the most coal reserves in the United States?

• Please name five cities in the world where you can live comfortably across the four seasons with shirts and shorts on you.

• What do you find when comparing the population of China and that of Europe?

Sample Inquiry Questions -2• What are major factors that define a

land biome?• What are the five major religions in

the world?• How many languages are spoken in

the world? How are they distributed globally?

• Why Kyoto treaty is so controversial?• Why do people move from region to

region, and from country to country?• What are the major industries in your

State?

Concept Organizers• Pairs

• Gulf – Bay• Location – Place• Metropolis – Megalopolis • Longitude – Latitude • Territory – Border • Seaport - Airport

• Triad• Village – Town - City• Urban – Suburban – Rural• Climate – Weather – Temperature • Street – Neighborhood – Community• Regional – National - International

Concept Organizers: Clustering

Concept Organizers: Fishbone

Concept Organizers: Spider Map

Concept Organizers: Venn Diagram -2

Concept Organizers: Venn Diagram -3

Suggested Activities• Playing with prepositions to learn orientation,

direction, and relative locations• Conducting concept cluster relay contest• Searching for driving directions using search

engines• Collecting concepts of climate, weather, and

temperature from watching TV• Checking each others’ clothes/foot ware tags

to see where the product was made• Presenting “This is My Country” with PPT by

assigning each student with a country to investigate

• Using Venn Diagram to compare and contrast concepts

Learning Skills – Mnemonics

• NEWS - North, East, West, south• I Am A Person - The 4 Oceans (Indian, Arctic,

Atlantic, Pacific) • Pandas Are Interesting Animals - Four

oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic • HOMES - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie,

Superior • My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us

Nine Pickles! -The Nine Planets: Planets from the sun in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

Online Resources• NCGE

• http://www.ncge.org/• Five Themes

• http://www2.una.edu/geography/statedepted/themes.html

• The official US time• http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java

• Geography Knowledge Quiz• http://www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/

• Stats & State Capitals Quiz• http://www.apples4theteacher.com/map-of-usa.html

• Mnemonics of State & Capitals• http://unknownprogrammer.home.comcast.net/states/sindex.htm

• Longitude & Latitude • http://www.factmonster.com/p/brainpop/latitudeandlongitude.html

• Comprehensive Questions• http://www.mapping.com/Questions.html

• Mnemonics• http://users.frii.com/geomanda/mnemonics.html• http://www.happychild.org.uk/acc/tpr/mne/

• Origins of the Compass Rose• http://www.gisnet.com/notebook/comprose.html#32points

• Graphic Organizer• http://www.sdcoe.net/SCORE/actbank/torganiz.htm

• Interactive Venn Diagram• http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/vdiagram/index.html