Promoted by National Geographic, here’s what you should know about Geography Awareness Week:
Too many young Americans are unable to make effective decisions, understand geo-spatial issues, or even recognize their impacts as global citizens. National Geographic created Geography Awareness Week to raise awareness to this dangerous deficiency in American education and excite people about geography as both a discipline and as a part of everyday life.
Each year more than 100,000 Americans actively participate in Geography Awareness Week. Established by presidential proclamation more than 25 years ago, this annual public awareness program encourages citizens young and old to think and learn about the significance of place and how we affect and are affected by it. Geography Awareness Week is supported by access to materials and resources for teachers, parents, community activists, and all geographically minded global citizens.
Here are excellent resources to promote geography lessons:
- 2-minute geology
- Atlas–Barefoot World Atlas is an interactive 3D globe for iPad
- BatchGeo—map locations
- Breathing earth–the environment
- Continents explained (with humor)
- Dig hole through the earth with Google Earth
- Digipuzzles
- Felt.com–map geographic locations in a spreadsheet
- forecast weather in any place around the world by typing “forecast for ***”
- Geography Activities—for teachers
- Geography Duel–two players see who knows the most geography trivia (app)
- Geologic movies–great and fun
- Globe of Extremes–extreme location around the globe, like the deepest trench
- Google Earth Timelapse–what changes to the planet over time
- Ology Sites
- Statetris–like Tetris, but instead of blocks, put the states or countries in their proper position (app)
Biomes
Virtual Tours
#GeoWeek and #ThatsGeography.
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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
Those seem to be great resources for learning Geography. When I was young Americans were not very knowledgable about Geography. I met people who thought you could drive a car from Europe to North America, and I remember a poll stating that 25% of Americans could not identify the United States on a world globe if you removed the names. It seems to be better now. I think teachers are making a difference with the new generation. I should say I met many Europeans who don’t know Geography either. I met an old friend in a ski slope in Sweden, and he asked me where I lived now. I said Texas. He said, so you live in Mexico. I explained to him that Texas is in the United States, the big country where there are cowboys.
I guess, my perspective is that in fourth grade I memorized all recognized countries, their location and capitals, and a little bit about them, so it bugs me a bit when people don’t know anything about geography.