Mission Geography

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Mission Geography

• Introduction to the National Geography Standards
• Geography for Life

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Opinions
DISAGREE
AGREE
STRONGLY AGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE
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Agree or Disagree?

• Geography is an important part of the social
  studies.
• Geography has a great deal to contribute to the
  study of science.
• Geography is an important life skill.
• More teachers are interested in geography and
  good geography materials than in the past.
• Students are learning more, and better, geography
  now than in the past.

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Mission Geography

• Teaching geography to reach a new standard
• Exploring the new world of geography education

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Geography for Life

• New definition of geography
• An integrated study of the physical and human
  dimensions of the world
• People, Places, and Environments

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Geography for Life

• Two perspectives
• Spatial
• Ecological

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Six Essential Elements

• The World in Spatial Terms
• Places and Regions
• Physical Systems
• Human Systems
• Environment and Society
• The Uses of Geography

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Innovation Student Centered

• What students knowAND CAN DO!
• By the end of 4th grade the student knows and
  understands1. The characteristics and purposes
  of geographic representationsTherefore the
  student is able toshow spatial information on
  geographic representations

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Innovation Environment

• Physical processes that shape our environment
• Human processes that influence our environment
• The interaction between society and the
  environment

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Innovation Thinking Centered

• Thinking like a geographer
• ? Applying geographic skills and perspectives to
  solve problems, make decisions, draw conclusions,
  make generalizations
• ? Maps, maps, maps
• ? Observing and analyzing the world through rich,
  detailed images

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Innovation Integrated Skills

• Emphasis on DOING geography
• ? Asking geographic questions
• ? Collecting geographic information
• ? Organizing geographic information
• ? Analyzing geographic information
• ? Answering geographic questions

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Innovation History and Geography

• Knowing geography to understand our world
• ? Past
• ? Present
• ? Future

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Classic Geography

• Locations
• Innovation
• ? Why things are located where they are and the
  consequences of location

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Classic Geography

• Map and Globe Skills
• Innovation
• ? Making and interpreting maps
• ? Using maps to tell stories and solve problems
• ? Using maps and related images produced with new
  technologies
• ? Using maps to enhance reading comprehension

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World in Spatial Terms

• By the end of 4th grade
• The characteristics and purposes of geographic
  representations such as maps, globes, graphs,
  diagrams, aerial and other photographs and
  satellite produced images
• The characteristics and purposes of tools and
  technologies such as reference works and
  computer-based geographic information systems
• How to display spatial information on maps and
  other geographic representations
• How to use appropriate geographic tools and
  technologies

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The World in Spatial Terms

• By the end of 8th grade
• The characteristics, functions, and applications
  of maps, globes, aerial and other photographs,
  satellite produced images, and models
• How to make and use maps, globesto analyze
  spatial distributions and patterns
• The relative advantages and disadvantages of
  using maps, globes, aerial and other photographs,
  satellite produced images, and models to solve
  geographic problems

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The World in Spatial Terms

• By the end of 12th grade
• How to use maps and other graphic representations
  to depict geographic problems
• How to use technologies to represent and
  interpret Earths physical and human systems
• How to use geographic representations and tools
  to analyze, explain, and solve geographic problems

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Teaching to a new standard

• In your state?
• In your school?
• Implications?