GEOGRAPHY: EXPLORING THE WHOLE WORLD THROUGH INTERDICIPLINARY
INSTRUCTION
GEOGRAPHY
- 1994 National Geography Standards states:
geography is for life in every sense of that expression, life
long, life sustaining and life enhancing. Geography is a field
of study that enables us to find answers to questions about
the whole world around us- about where things are and how and
why they get there. We can ask questions about things that
seem very familiar and are often taken for granted.
TEACHING GEOGRAPHY
- USE OF CHILDRENS LITERATURE
-this would encourage students thinking, discussing and
analyzing information
-it encourages questioning and discussion
-Provides common ground for continued study
-textbooks present factual information and explanation
whilst literature can make geographic concepts come alive
5 FUNDAMENTAL THEMES IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY
1. LOCATION- position on the Earths surface
2. PLACE- physical, human and observed characteristics
that distinguish one place from another
3. RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN PLACES- how people have modified
or adapted to natural setting
4. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLACES/ MOVEMENT- movement of
people, ideas and materials
5. REGIONS- area that display unity, way of organizing
and subdividing people and places
GOAL: To convey teachers that it is no longer acceptable
to stop teaching geography after teaching only location
and place.
PARTS OF GEOGRAPHY
1. SUBJECT MATTER- essential knowledge that students must have
2. SKILLS- based on the essential knowledge that includes asking
geographic questions, acquiring, organizing and analyzing
geographic information and answering geographic questions
3. PERSPECTIVE- knowledge and skills then are viewed from either
spatial or ecological perspective
GEOGRAPHIC SKILLS
1. ASKING GEOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS- students will find the answers to
the questions where? and why there?
2. ACQUIRING GEOGRAPHIC INFROMATION- students will gather
information from variety of ways such as interview,
questionnaires and others
3. ORGANIZING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION- students will organize and
display information in ways that help with analysis and
interpretation of data. They may be able to encode and decode
maps.
4. ANALYZING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION- students will look for
patterns, relationships and connections
5. ANSWERING GEOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS- students will develop
generalizations and conclusions based on geographic knowledge
SIX ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
1. THE WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS (LOCATION)- studying the relationships
between people, places and environment by mapping information
about them in spatial context
2. PLACES AND REGIONS- discovering how the identities and lives of
individuals are rooted in particular places and in human
constructs called regions.
-concept of physical and human features, changes in places
and regions over time, regional interaction, political and
historical characteristics of regions
3. PHYSICAL SYSTEMS- examining the physical processes that shape
Earths surface and that interact with plant and animal life to
create, sustain and modify ecosystems
-how climate and weather affect our lives
4. HUMAN SYSTEMS- looking first at population and then at the human
activities from culture to economics to settlement and to
conflict and cooperation
-why people migrated, why they choose that route and
learning why these movements were necessary
5. ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY- understanding the interaction between
physical and human systems, knowing why human actions modify the
physical environment, understands the causes and implication of
pollutions, resource depletion and land degradation
6. USES OF GEOGRAPHY- learning how geography, when taken as a whole
help us understand the past, interpret the present and plan for
the future, influence of geography in world history
DIFFICULTIES IN TEACHING GEOGRAPHY
1. Many teachers have not taken formal geography courses while at
college.
2. Transcript analysis of 32005 high school graduates indicated that
only 31% of them had taken a course on world geography
CIVIC EDUCATION IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
- DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING
CIVIC EDUCATION
-formerly known as citizenship education
- helping all young people to become informed, committed citizens
dedicated to the values and principles of democracy
COMPONENTS:
1. Civic
2. Civic
3. Civic
4. Civic
knowledge
skills
dispositions
participation
CREATING A DEMOCRATIC CLASSROOM
1. Teacher should be role model.
2. Foster an open and supportive climate.
3. Encourage multiple perspectives and sources.
4. Respect and cooperation be observed and practiced.
5. There shall be shared goals and rules.
6. There shall be group decision making.
ROLE OF THE CITIZEN
Students need to develop personal skills such as:
1. Being able to communicate their own personal convictions,
beliefs and feelings.
2. Being able to adjust their own behavior in group situations.
3. Ability to participate in making rules and guidelines as well
as to be good leader or follower.
4. Being able to delegate tasks and duties.
5. Ability to identify situations in which they themselves should
take action.
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD CITIZEN
1. Personally responsible- one who has good moral character
2. Participatory citizen- active members of the community
3. Justice-oriented citizen- one who critically assess issues
CIVIC LIFE, POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
- Students must have the opportunity to learn and practice
essential citizenships skills, respect for human dignity and
the value of democratic practices.
- E.g. student government/council
DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINGKING SKILLS
THINKING CRITICALLY-carefully exploring the thinking process to
clarify our understanding and make more intelligent decision.
BECOMING A CRITICAL THINKER:
1. Thinking actively
2. Analyzing issues
3. Discussing ideas in an organized way
4. Supporting diverse perspectives with reason and evidences
5. Viewing situations from different perspectives
6. Thinking independently
7. Carefully exploring situations with questions.
-critical thinking skills develop higher level of thinking to make
evaluations and judgments which may come with the help of scientific
methods.
-use of propaganda approaches can be introduced for students to
determine which statements were facts and which were opinions:
1. Appeal to the elite- uses flattery to persuade the listener to
buy something
2. Bandwagon- ad appeals to the peoples desire to belong to the
group
3. Card attacking- present only one side of an issue
4. Glittering generality- ads make broad and dazzling claims but
were not backed with facts
5. Name-calling- calling something or someone by negative term
6. Plain folks- appeal to people
7. Rewards- free prizes or reduced costs are advertised
8. Testimonial- well-known person serves as product endorser
9. Transference- ad features a famous person using the product.
CHARACTER EDUCATION
-includes values clarification, moral education, transmission of
cultural values and socialization.
Character-refers to persons moral constitution
Ethical- refers to universal standards and code of moral principles
Moral- rightness and wrongness of something based on what community
believes to be good
Values- refers to what we desire
Virtue- refers to moral qualities
BRAIN RESEARCH
- DANIEL GOLEMAN, 1995, found out that children with emotional
intelligence or ability to understand other people and manage
their own emotions are better to get along with others
- His findings indicate that children with high emotional
intelligence are better learners, have fewer behavioral
problems, feels better about themselves and are better able to
resist peer pressure
It also indicates that such children were better at resolving
conflicts, happier, healthier and more successful
BASIC EMOTIONAL SKILL
1. Develop self-awareness of what they are feeling and why
2. Ability to manage their own mood
3. Self-motivation or directing emotions towards goals
4. Developing empathy towards others
5. Handling relationships
HUMAN RIGHTS
-human rights education encourages students to become responsible
citizens. For instance children learn to respect the rights of others
in a classroom where guidelines are established cooperatively,
expression of opinion is encourage and taken seriously, problems are
discussed openly and responsibilities are shared by all.
REFERENCES:
Chaffee, J. (2006). Thinking critically. (8th edition) New York,
U.S.A.: Houghton Mifflin Company
Chapin, J. (2011). A practical guide to middle and secondary social
studies. (3rd edition). Boston, U.S.A.: Pearson Education Inc.
Farris, P. (2001). Elementary and middles school social studies: an
interdisciplinary instructional approach. New York: McGraw Hill
Companies, Inc.
