DOCUMENT RESUME ED 418 908 SO 028 729 AUTHOR Gersmehl, Philip J. TITLE Why Not Here? Teaching Geography to a New Standard. INSTITUTION National Council for Geographic Education. ISBN ISBN-1-884136-09-0 PUB DATE 1996-00-00 NOTE 262p.; "With cartography and research by Althea Melisse Willette and Clay Mering and a chapter on sources by Darrell Napton." PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC11 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Community; Elementary Secondary Education; *Geographic Concepts; *Geographic Location; *Geography; *Geography Instruction; Global Education; Social Studies; Standards ABSTRACT This booklet is designed to help teachers in geography instruction, dealing with "where" things are located, "why" they are located there, and "what" difference their location makes. The first three chapters describe a spatial perspective, examine two different kinds of maps, and examine how geography deals with three strands of meaning at the same time. Each chapter uses maps or diagrams to illustrate the points in the text. Activities are designed to provide examples for a book on teaching geography, not a stand-alone course. Chapters are:(1) Introduction; (2) "One Perspective: A Way of Looking at the World";(3) "Two Blades of a Scissors: A Cooperative 'Split' within Geography"; (4) "Three Strands of Meaning: Cognitive Psychology and Geography"; (5) "Four Cornerstones: Foundation Ideas of Geography"; (6) "Five Themes of Geography: Meeting the Standards"; (7) "A Four-Wheeled Cart: Resistance to Educational Change"; (8) "Three Kinds of Tests for Three Kinds of Meaning"; (9) "Pairs of Tools, Working with Each Other"; and (10)"A Single Discipline: A Window on the World." (EH) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** 000 ON .1 er W U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION O Office of Educational Research and Improvement --JE] EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) @@- This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to 00 f@ [N/ 3fcg improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position cr policy. N PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL O HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Gersmehl 6-04-6 0.4 National Council for Ci) TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Geographic Education 1996 BEST COPY AVAILABLE National Council for Geographic Education Officers 1996 James F. Marran, President,Wilmette, Illinois Edward A. Fernald, Past President, Florida State University David A. Lanegran, Vice President, Curriculum and Instruction, Macalester College, Minnesota Gail Hobbs, Vice President, Curriculum and Instruction, Pierce College, California Donald J. Zeigler, Vice President, Research and External Relations, Old Dominion University, Virginia Martha B. Sharma, Vice President, Publications and Products, National Cathedral School, Washington, DC Celeste J. Fraser, Vice President, Finance, Wilmette, Illinois Sandra Pritchard, Recording Secretary, West Chester University, Pennsylvania Ruth I. Shirey, Executive Director, Indiana University of Pennsylvania National Council for Geographic Education 16A Leonard Hall Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, Pennsylvania 15705 3 Why Not Here? Teaching Geography to a New Standard Philip J. Gersmehl University of Minnesota with cartography and research by Althea Melisse Willette and Clay Mering and a chapter on sources by Darrell Napton South Dakota State University 1996 4 To Herbert Gross, who once asked a class if there were fjords here, at this place on this map, and then gasped for dramatic effect when they answered correctly; those who were there know what it was like to learn from a master. Many people have contributed to this book in many ways.The list of people I am indebted to includes Carolyn Anderson, Eric Anderson, Clark Archer, Chandra Balachandran, Sarah Bednarz,Jerry Benson,Mark Bockenhauer, Elaine Bosowski, Osa Brand, Dwight Brown, Jae-Heon Choi, Greg Chu, Bryce Decker, Charlie Fitzpatrick,Larry Ford,Carol Gersmehl,Herold Gersmehl,Louise Gersmehl, Paul Hanson, James Harrington III,J. Fraser Hart,A. David Hill, Sidney Jumper, William Kammrath, Cary Komoto, Charles Kovacik, Raymond Krishchyunas, Hsiang-te Kung, David Lanegran, Mui Le, Ann Lewandowski, Pierce Lewis,Catherine Lockwood,Gail Ludwig, Jim Marran,Clay Mering, Judith Meyer, Peter Muller, Shuichi Nakayama, Darrell Napton, Alexei Naumov, Harris Payne,Jerry Pitzl,Milton Rafferty,Karl Raitz,Merrill Ridd,Sergei Rogachev, Carlos Ruiz-Rodriguez, Cathy Riggs Salter, Ted Schmudde, Leonid Smirnyagin, Everett Smith, Joseph Stoltman, John Tichy, Fumio Wada, Fred Walk, Stephen White, Brenda Whitsell, Althea Willette, and Jim Young. Comments about anything that is in this manual (or should be!) are welcome at any time: please send them to: Phil Gersmehl, Department of Geography, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455 Copyright 1996 by Philip J. Gersmehl; a classroom teacher may make one copy of each transparency master for use in his/her own classrooms; except for that fair use, all rights are reserveddo not quote or make any copy by any means without written permission. ISBN 1-884136-09-05 5 Teaching Geography Table of Contents 0 -- Introduction: Before we start Postscript: an optional note about student activities 1 One perspective: a way of looking at the world Postscript: about levels and standards 2 Two blades of a scissors: a cooperative "split" within geography Table: design principles for take-home worksheets and projects 3 -- Three strands of meaning: cognitive psychology and geography Postscript: about those taxonomies of learner outcomes Tables: design principles for slides, transparencies, etc. 4 -- Four cornerstones: foundation ideas of geography 5 -- Five themes of geography: meeting the standards Postscript: National Geography Standards, grades K-12 6 A four-wheeled cart: resistance to educational change 7 -- Three kinds of tests for three kinds of meaning 8 -- Pairs of tools, working with each other Postscript: about computers in geographic education 9 -- A single discipline: a window on the world Appendices Sources of information about local areas Key geographic facts everyone should know (a short list for geographical literacy) Overhead Transparency Masters (grouped together to facilitate making transparencies, with outlines for student activities on the back) Glossary/Index Table of Contents 6 Why do we study geography? To find out why something we know 'for sure," here, is wrong, over there, and why something that works for someone else, where they are, won't necessarily work for us, here. 7 iV Teaching Geography INTRODUCTION: BEFORE WE START A Los Angeles policeman abruptly stops the car, takes out his pistol, and checks the safety. He puts the pistol in his lap, with the muzzle aimed out through a marked area in the reinforced door. Then, seeing a "more than mildly concerned" expression on the face of his tour passenger (me!), he says: "You're along to learn about graffiti code? how gangs tag their territory? Let's review: what does that asterisk over there mean?" "The wrong person going beyond that bridge could get killed?" "Right. Well, look farther to the right.That's my badge number, with the kill sign on it.It's been there awhile, and it's probably just bluff, but why take chances?" Like barbed-wire fences in Kansas or mine-perimeter signs in West Virginia, the graffiti on the wall are territorial markers, Territorial markers -- physical signs on the landscape to warn people that the area behind the sign is different in some way. Usually, there are particular Landscape features kinds of behavior that are expected (or not allowed) in that that mark areas marked area. where particular kinds of behavior A month later, near the Blue Metro line in Washington, DC, are appropriate I asked what some graffiti meant. The answer: "nothing much; we don't mark territory the same way here as they do in LA." Geography emerged because people need a way to organize, teach, and learn what is appropriate in a given place. Geography tells you how to dress -- for the climate, for the company, for the culture. Like a book of etiquette, it can be trivial or extremely important, depending on what content is chosen and how it is taught. a About here, some self-styled "reformers" would say, "see, this is the 'new' geography, and it's not about memorizing state capitals." But in fact, geography is about capitals, among other things, because capitals are among the key places where people make rules and mark territory. To do that well, citizens and their representatives must know about truth, time, and space: Truth, time, Some truths change (and others stay the same) from one and place time to another. Learning why is the goal of history, and it is important. As an old adage says, people who are ignorant of history are condemned to repeat mistakes. Some truths change (and others stay the same) from one place to another. Learning why is the goal of geography. People who remain ignorant may do the wrong thing in the right place, or the right thing in the wrong place. Of course, people can also study history and geography because they are interesting and fun!Exploratory curiosity is as important as practical applications in justifying a study of geography. In an age of tight budgets and competing demands, however, it is difficult to argue in favor of teaching a subject unless it appears to have a clear value to students, parents, and school boards. It pays, therefore, to follow a variant of old scout motto: be prepared, at any time, to explain why it is important to learn geography. Sermonettes on the practical value of geography We assume you are reading this book because you are interested in teaching geography. Given that prior interest, you probably do not need to be reminded why a geographic perspective is important in everyday life. One might also assume, however, that you have to deal with students, parents, colleagues, and administrators.