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You
are here: Transforming Geography in our Schools
"As a young man, my fondest dream was to become a geographer. However, while working in the customs office I thought deeply about the matter and concluded it was too difficult a subject. With some reluctance I then turned to physics as a substitute." - Albert Einstein
There are many reasons why geography has been overlooked in American schools. In spite of considerable effort on the part of some enlightened educators, the subject ended up at the bottom of the bureaucratic heap, below history, in social studies. No wonder the United States students come second to last (Mexico holds the last place honor), in geographical knowledge. Our educational institutions pay lip service to geography. It's an absurd injustice to young people who graduate from high school without knowledge of their country, their world and their universe.
How does a society that has never learned geography teach it to a new generation? The same way we teach nuclear physics or modern medicine. We need to let the experts in the field do their jobs. Teacher training is key, but there is more.
We must perceive the need for geography in a modern world where our very survival depends on attitudes towards our planet and our neighbors. Gone are the days when my buying colored toilet paper has no impact on our future; gone are the summer days when my lack of knowledge about the destruction of hardwood forests near lake Victoria can go unnoticed; gone are the winter days when I read about the annual ozone hole over Antarctica and think 'here we go again.' I AM responsible! We ALL are!
We do not need to focus on the historical reasons why geography became a second rate subject in school curriculums; we do not have to dwell on the fact that, even today, there is practically no training in methodology for geography teachers at any third level establishment; and we do not need to point out that most Americans could not define the science of geography, let alone incorporate it into living. But we MUST and we CAN do something to improve the situation right away.
We can carry out three simple propositions that will immediately transform geography education in schools across the nation? These suggestions are intentionally simple, involving the slightest mental shift, but are indispensable and effective to cause change!
1. Name it correctly. Call it Geography. Delete the ubiquitous term 'social studies' from the educational vocabulary.
2. Give it a place. Designate a Geography Laboratory. Put a sign on the door of one room in each school - the geography lab. This is where geography will be taught.
3. Know what it is. Geography is a science. It is not a list of capes and bays. Learn the definition and live it everyday.
Geography is an umbrella subject that accommodates easily people from all racial, ethnic, religious, cultural and economic backgrounds. It is all-inclusive! For this reason, geography will celebrate the differences rather than isolate and punish individuals who do not readily "fit in". Geography welcomes people because man is the key ingredient in the definition: a study of man in relation to his environment.
In other words, it is the study of earth as the home of people! It is possible to learn reading through geography. It is possible to learn math through geography, and singing, culture, history, vocabulary, language, art, and many more subjects. Since geography, by its nature, is all-inclusive and seeks the individual cultures of differing people, it would be impossible to exclude or alienate a child.
The following case study outlines the positive results that can easily be achieved with a little careful planning and a commitment to geography on a daily basis.
Case Study - The first Geography Theme-based school in the US.
Perry Elementary School in Erie, Pennsylvania could be a typical inner-city school, just like other schools with social issues, cultural diversity and ethnic challenges caused by immigration and poverty.
It has the same stats as other thorny neighborhood schools. But Perry Elementary is different because of one person, an educator who happens to also be a geographer. Principal Edward Grode runs the school. The curriculum is a reflection of his pragmatic, utilitarian belief that geography is both a science and an art. Following is a description of some of the highlights and programs at Perry Elementary.
Poised on the cutting edge of a growing geography reform movement in the U.S., Perry integrates geography throughout the curriculum. Teachers use geography as a springboard for launching instruction in reading, literature, science, match, and history. All the while, they are emphasizing the "Five Themes of Geography": (1) location, (2) place, (3) movement, (4) human-environment interaction, and (5) regions.
How does Perry build enthusiasm for geography school-wide? Here are some geo-friendly examples:
Global Approach, Local Results
Clearly, Perry's geography-immersion education is working. Its students-- an ethnically and socioeconomically diverse group, one-quarter of whom receive special education-- consistently rank above average in state and national standardized tests. And they're geographically literate. Just ask Gil Grosvenor, a man who knows a little something about geography (he's chairman of the board and former president of the National Geographic Society.) After visiting Perry Elementary School, Grosvenor offered this assessment: "I'd bet second-graders there would score better on geography tests than students at Ivy League schools."
Resources
http://esd.iu5.org/perry/geolab/geolab.htm
http://www.educarepress.com
http://www.earthweek.com
http://library.thinkquest.org/10157
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions
Kieran O'Mahony is author of a number of books concerning geography education. As head of an inner city geography department, he taught high school geography, for many years. He was instrumental in devising a program whereby new teachers were instructed in the art of geographical pedagogy. Chairman of the North West Branch of the Royal Geographical Society, O'Mahony is active in education and geography as it relates to all walks of life. As a founder of Educare Press in Seattle, he espouses the paedocentric motto: A mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled!
Read more about Kieran's latest book: Geography and Education: Through the Souls of Our Feet
He can be reached at Kieran@educarepress.com.
© March 2003 New Horizons for Learning
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