The National Council for Geographic Education Announces 2018 Award Winners

Celebrating the best geography educators of 2018

WASHINGTON D.C. – For over 100 years the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) has worked to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning at all levels of instruction.  Through our annual awards program, NCGE recognizes excellence in geography teaching, mentoring, research, instructional design and service.

Award nominations are received each year from geography teachers, professors, and experts from around the world. Nominations are evaluated by award specific committee experts who select the award recipients. This year 35 educators from 16 states and 5 countries have been selected to receive NCGE awards honors.

The National Council for Geographic Education is pleased to announce the following 2018 Award Winners:

The George J Miller Award - Our highest honor, this award for lifetime service to geography education goes to:

• Carol Gersmehl – Michigan Geographic Alliance, Oshtemo, MI
• Phil Ggersmehl – Michigan Geographic Alliance, Oshtemo, MI

Distinguished Mentor Award - This award for mentoring future geographers and geography educators goes to:

• Randy Bertolas – Wayne State College, Wayne, NE

The Brunn Creativity Award for Outstanding Teaching of Geography - This award recognizes outstanding elementary, middle, and high school teachers who have demonstrated great creativity, originality, and innovation in their teaching of geography.                                                                      

• Michael Robinson – Houston High School, Germantown, TN

Outstanding Support for Geographic Education - This award for outstanding contributions to geography education outside the formal classroom goes to:

• Susan Lahti – Maine Geographic Alliance, Farmington, ME
• Ashley Melville – Cobb County School District, Marietta, GA
• Amy Miller – DFW World Affairs Council, Dallas, TX
• Paul Rittenhouse – James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 
• Germaine Wagner – Geography Improvement Project, Casper, WY

Salvatore J. Natoli Dissertation - This award is for outstanding doctoral research goes to:

• Jinhee Lee - Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

E. WILLARD AND RUBY S. MILLER GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION RESEARCH GRANTS - This award that provides financial assistance to advance the frontiers of geographic education supporting and promoting innovative research goes to:

• Injeong Jo - Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

Distinguished Teacher- Higher Education - This award is for excellence in geography teaching and leadership at the post-secondary level goes to:

• Karen Barton – University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO
• Katherine Nashleanas – University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
• Michael Pretes – University of North Alabama, Florence, AL
• Vanessa Slinger-Friedman – Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

Distinguished Teacher- K-12 - This award is for excellence in geography teaching and leadership at the K-12 level goes to:

• Melanie Davis – Pass Road Elementary, Gulfport, MS
• Kevin Dockery – Fred J. Page High School, Franklin, TN
• Allison Ewing – Bullis School, Potomac, MD
• Teresa Goodin – Henley Middle School, Crozet, VA
• Angela Hutchinson – Poteet High School Mesquite ISD, Mesquite, TX
• Amanda Killough – Flower Mound High School, Flower Mound, TX
• Scott Mace – Charlottesville High School, Charlottesville, VA
• Theresa Pierce – Rowan County Early College High School, Salisbury, NC
• Mark Skeie – Jupiter Community High School, Jupiter, FL
• Megan Smith-Keenum – Forest Hills Elementary, Florence, AL

Journal of Geography Awards

Best Elementary Teaching Article - “Problem-Oriented Learning in Geography Education: Construction of Motivating Problems”

• Gunter Weiss – University of Cologne, Köln, Germany    

Best Secondary Teaching Article - “Bridging the Divide: The Potential Role of Contemporary Geographical Research in Schools”

• Aleksandra Kazmierczak – European Environment Agency, Copenhagen K, Denmark
• Peter Mackie – Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Best College/University Article - “Preparing Preservice Teachers to Incorporate Geospatial Technologies in Geography Teaching”

• Wendy Harte – Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

Best Article for Geography Program Development - “Guided Educational Tourism as Informal Physical Geography Education on St. Helena Island, Michigan”

• Joseph Lane – Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
• Joseph Stoltman - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

The Geography Teacher Awards

Best Content Article -“The Mixed Plate: A Field Experience on the Cultural and Environmental Diversity of the Big Island of Hawai'i”

• Ava Fujimoto-Strait – Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
• John Strait – Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

Best Lesson Plan - “Exploring on the Overland Trail, Missouri to California, 1858: Including Adaptations for English-Language Learners”

• Rosa Brefeld - University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO
• Sarah Coppersmith  - University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO

Geographic Excellence in Media Awards

“Student Atlas of Nebraska”

• Randy Bertolas  – Wayne State College, Wayne, NE

“Atlas of South Carolina Modules”

• Jerry Mitchell - University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

Award recipients will be honored during a ceremony held at the 2018 National Conference on Geography Education presented by the National Council for Geographic Education. The 2018 National Conference on Geography Education will be held August 6^th - August 10th at the Convention Center in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

For more information about the NCGE award program and application process, visit www.ncge.org/awards.

NCGE President's Column - March 2018 by Audrey Mohan, NCGE President

Spring is in the air! Or at least the date on our calendars that says “First day of Spring” is rapidly approaching. It is also that time of year that schools begin gearing up for ‘testing season’ – the week(s) of the school year filled with bubble sheets, crazy schedules, and, unfortunately for many students, overwhelming stress for taking these exams. In most states, geography is not a ‘tested’ subject, allowing geography teachers to breathe a sigh of relief that our subject area has not been over-taken with the testing pressures that our colleagues in other subject areas feel (math?!?). But, like it or not, testing has become part of school cultures around the country and educators and students alike feel the collective stress and anxiety that testing brings. Teachers ask themselves, “Did my students get it? Did I cover enough material this year to help them on the exams? Will they forget everything we did at the beginning of the year?” These are all valid questions that bring me to the topic of this newsletter.

Much of my work in my role at BSCS is crafting science storylines for students. This approach to science teaching can transform the way students think about and apply scientific ideas to explain phenomena in the world. Rather than memorizing all the diagrams related to photosynthesis, we craft a different story for students: for example, a science story in which they are presented with a 200-year-old redwood tree and asked how it came to be: Where did all that stuff come from that makes up this tree? Through a carefully sequenced series of questions and investigations, students discover the ‘stuff’ that makes up the tree ultimately comes mostly from the air—a counterintuitive explanation that begs further investigation. If you want to know how that works, here is some additional reading. 

Geography educators have long lamented the traditional focus on places names, facts, and map memorization in geography classrooms. A storylines approach to geography instruction is one way to move our field forward. If geographic knowledge is communicated through compelling storylines that make students wonder, that motivate students to figure something out, and that require students to apply their thinking to something in the real world, there is far greater potential for students to develop robust geographic knowledge.  

The success of a storylines approach depends on how you anchor students’ learning at the start of a unit. If you were to tell your students on the first day of class that one of the things they can do after taking your class is to “explain why migration happens,” most of your students would probably NOT be motivated to investigate this idea. It’s not explicitly connected to anything students experience or care about, at least not on the surface. But what if you pose this to students instead:

Residents in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania are upset because their town has changed. Prior to the change, the town was declining economically with a loss of jobs and business. Now it is economically prosperous with a growing population. What happened and why are the residents upset about it?

This situation is a real one and nothing about it makes sense on the surface until students dig into how and why the town has changed politically, socio-culturally, and economically as a result of shifting populations [note: you might choose a less politically and racially charged example]. The geography storyline that explains this situation is: People move around for many reasons. They are ‘pushed’ to leave their homes because of things like war, famine, lack of economic opportunity, or political oppression. They are ‘pulled’ to other places, such as opportunities to experience safety, freedom, or to get jobs to support their families. This movement of people into and out of places can change the identity and culture of a place. It can lead to a richer economy or diversity of cultures, but can also give rise to new tensions over changing identities. Often both of these things happen as people move and places change.

If students understand this storyline about push and pull factors that influence migration, along with the consequences of that movement, they can apply this thinking to all kinds of scenarios in the world: tensions over immigration in Europe (or the US), the Rohingya crisis, or economic growth and/or gentrification of some places and the decline of others.

The point of crafting a storyline for students to uncover big geography ideas through a purposeful sequence of activities around compelling problems and student-generated questions about those problems. It is less about memorizing facts and more about supporting students as they piece together geography concepts into a framework that helps them explain things in the world. This type of thinking allows classrooms to focus less on memorizing everything before testing season and focus more on piecing together a geography story across the year that has broad explanatory power for students.

So, as you approach the final months of the school year, I challenge you to think about the geography story your students are learning. What is the story they will walk away from your classroom with at the end of this year? Is it a well-connected story that helps them explain what is happening in their world? And, what can you do to help strengthen the connections in the students’ geography story? 

November / December  2017

"Food for through" by Gary Gress, NCGE President

As we are in the holiday season I can’t help but think of food. Probably not in the sense that you’re thinking when you heard the word “food”. Demographically, I would suggest the majority of our readership is well enough off to eat a decent healthy meal if they choose to, more than once a week. It’s that time of year when food pantries and community shelters make us keenly aware of those in need. We know it ought to be more than just a “one-shot” November or December though, but instead a yearlong act of benevolence. Food is a big deal. Teaching about food and the geography of food should be an even bigger deal. Every day we are bombarded by an unending litany of choices of what to eat, including food that may not be the best for us. “Live Mas”, “Finger-Lickin' Good”, “America Runs on Dunkin”. You get the idea. I know we’ve all indulged, but these places aren’t supposed to be everyday options or choices, right? Besides, fast food can get expensive!

So where does our food come from? How is it processed? What constitutes a good diet, or healthy eating? Do we really know? Surely it’s not consistently eating sugar, trans fats or sodium-laden food that has been overly processed with preservatives we can’t even pronounce. Okay, I know the answer as most folks do. What we’ve been told is to eat from these four main groups: meat, dairy, grains, fruits, and veggies. If you consume those you’re generally on the right track, unless of course, you go over 1,600-3,000 calories, depending on your recommended intake.

Seize the opportunity. I suggest that we go beyond the occasional week or month of school awareness regarding food donations, issues, and education. Why not teach the geography of food whenever and wherever we can? It’s hard to think of a subject where the geography of food couldn’t be taught from a local or global context. Still, in many of our classrooms, students don’t know about healthy eating or the problems associated with food insecurity, malnutrition, hunger and other related medical issues. I’m sure some of our own students experience these challenges on a regular basis. Educating our students and all folks on food issues will help to intensify awareness and understanding. Knowing what’s at stake, finding solutions and hopefully solving some of these problems will create an active and engaged classroom.

A teaching idea: One of my colleagues recently was relating to me how prevalent “food deserts” are here in the United States. In fact, the eradication of these food deserts is becoming a USDA national priority. It’s a term that has been around for a few years. A food desert is where there is a lack of access to affordable vegetables, fruits, and whole grains for a healthy diet. You can easily find food desert maps and related stories online. Availability of healthy foods is both a rural and urban dilemma. The USDA definition states that food deserts are “usually found in impoverished areas,” which is generally linked to socio-economic problems. Many reasons abound for these “deserts”. For starters, lack of thoughtful urban planning, availability of urban land and dollars for stores, high costs for healthy food, decreasing rural population and transportation issues. In my home state of Oklahoma, we rank at a miserable 46th with regards to the availability of healthy food. However, thanks to a growing awareness of this issue, Senate Bill 506 was signed into law this past June. This bill encourages the construction and expansion of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and accessibility to affordable healthy foods in “desert” areas. Thankfully, many states are beginning to take action regarding their own food deserts.

This holiday season could be the best time to educate folks about food. Not in an effort to deprive ourselves of enjoying great traditional food, but rather to become more aware of what food issues surround us. Helping students see the relevance of geography, becoming informed and being part of a solution is so important. I encourage each of you to relate not only the issue of “food deserts” to your students but also find out about food in your own “backyard”. What are your community’s food needs and delivery systems to those experiencing food insecurity and hunger? Everyone deserves access to healthy foods and healthy eating. A little food for thought. Happy Holidays and warm blessings to you and your family!  Gary

NCGE AND YOU by Gary Gress, NCGE President

As I was writing this column, epic climate-related events were unfolding in Texas and Florida. Many of us, myself included, have family and friends that were impacted by the sheer magnitude of this event, that will take years to recover from. It’s tough to be strong with such life-changing forces happening on a personal basis. Many organizations and individuals with compassion and love stepped in, for which all are truly grateful for. Thank you! We’re all reminded that change is a constant, and how we respond is important. 

The focus of this column was actually about the foreseeable NCGE “changes” that were inspired by alliance coordinators and members alike, prior to and after our summer conference in Albuquerque. First of all, “we hear you” be it Zach, our board, past presidents and those that are most important, you. Though still in embryo mode, there are 4 main areas of focus that NCGE would like to assess and make changes where needed as we move forward, in this evolving geographic education environment. If you frequent COSCO or

SAM’s on any given Saturday, this discussion is just intended to be a “taste” or a brief sample of our thinking. More definitive specifics will be coming in the following months, as our staff, board and all suggestions are reviewed. The 4 areas of focus currently will be membership, community, resources, and professional development. As your “go to” organization we will always focus on what we do best and has been successful, popular and supportive for your professional and organizational needs.

1) Membership:  Membership is changing. What it means to be a member of a nonprofit association, such as ours, is not what it was a decade ago. With the ever-evolving educational landscape, access to new technology, plus the largest generational workplace shift from Baby Boomers to Millennials any of us will ever see, it’s becoming clear that all associations today are struggling with dwindling membership numbers. Previously when NCGE has faced similar problems, the quick solution was to simply raise membership dues. This, however, had the adverse effect of making our membership less attractive to the people we value and serve. In order to grow, we must remove as many barriers to joining NCGE as possible. Currently, our staff and board are designing several sample membership programs that will strive to accomplish the goal of providing more NCGE accessibility to our members across the country. 

2) Community: We have heard from many NCGE members, partner organizations and state Alliances that NCGE would best support their work by serving as the national voice for geography education, establishing collaborations when possible. What truly separates NCGE from everyone else is that we are the only organization in the United States whose sole purpose is geography education. It only makes sense for us to serve in this capacity. With a small staff and limited resources, that will create some challenges. We will be working to scale up our communications and be advocates and partners. We’ll target various local, regional and national issues of concern and bring diverse voices from across the country to national attention, becoming even a more relevant organization than before. The development of grant writing partnerships and co-hosted events will also be a top priority and will be explored.

3)  Resources: Geography Education Resources are so very important for everyday curriculum development and classroom delivery. Resources need to be easy to find, simple to use, and effective in the classroom. The first step in this process is a long overdue update to our website. NCGE.org must not only provide relevant resources but help educate the general public on what geography is and why it’s important. In addition to updating our website, we are also exploring the possibility of, expanding the popular “bell ringer” series to include all resources for different K-12 educator’s levels, while maintaining our two popular publications (Journal of Geography and The Geography Teacher).  We’ll be looking at expanding our online NCGE store, to include more tools for your (K-20) classroom and professional area(s) of development. Be it beach ball globes, books, publications and maps, we will be looking at the best options for you.

4) Professional Development: Lastly, professional learning will be expanded. Besides more diverse webinar offerings, travel learning experiences will still occur such as Cuba or Iceland. Other considerations include the idea of certificates in various areas of geographic specialty, expanded partnerships with like-minded organizations, and involving businesses or persons that can offer their expertise to NCGE. With a “critical mass” of people, on-site geography and related training at various regional venues may also become reality.

Again, all of these exciting opportunities and ideas have been generated from you folks, our membership. It will take time, talent, commitment and of course substantial funding for many of these options to happen. We’ll still be offering tried and true programs and events, but will prioritize and offer new exciting “stuff” with your help and thoughts. It was a wonderful venue and conference this summer, thanks for all of your wonderful conversations! As we move forward we will announce specifics in the many months to come.

May you be experiencing a wonderful and meaningful new school year!

The National Council for Geographic Education Announces 2018 Award Winners

Celebrating the best geography educators of 2018

WASHINGTON D.C. – For over 100 years the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) has worked to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning at…

Read more

The National Council for Geographic Education Announces 2018 Award Winners

Celebrating the best geography educators of 2018

WASHINGTON D.C. – For over 100 years the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) has worked to enhance the status and quality of geography teaching and learning at all levels of instruction.  Through our annual awards program, NCGE recognizes excellence in geography teaching, mentoring, research, instructional design and service.

Award nominations are received each year from geography teachers, professors, and experts from around the world. Nominations are evaluated by award specific committee experts who select the award recipients. This year 35 educators from 16 states and 5 countries have been selected to receive NCGE awards honors.

The National Council for Geographic Education is pleased to announce the following 2018 Award Winners:

The George J Miller Award - Our highest honor, this award for lifetime service to geography education goes to:

• Carol Gersmehl – Michigan Geographic Alliance, Oshtemo, MI
• Phil Ggersmehl – Michigan Geographic Alliance, Oshtemo, MI

Distinguished Mentor Award - This award for mentoring future geographers and geography educators goes to:

• Randy Bertolas – Wayne State College, Wayne, NE

The Brunn Creativity Award for Outstanding Teaching of Geography - This award recognizes outstanding elementary, middle, and high school teachers who have demonstrated great creativity, originality, and innovation in their teaching of geography.                                                                      

• Michael Robinson – Houston High School, Germantown, TN

Outstanding Support for Geographic Education - This award for outstanding contributions to geography education outside the formal classroom goes to:

• Susan Lahti – Maine Geographic Alliance, Farmington, ME
• Ashley Melville – Cobb County School District, Marietta, GA
• Amy Miller – DFW World Affairs Council, Dallas, TX
• Paul Rittenhouse – James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 
• Germaine Wagner – Geography Improvement Project, Casper, WY

Salvatore J. Natoli Dissertation - This award is for outstanding doctoral research goes to:

• Jinhee Lee - Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

E. WILLARD AND RUBY S. MILLER GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION RESEARCH GRANTS - This award that provides financial assistance to advance the frontiers of geographic education supporting and promoting innovative research goes to:

• Injeong Jo - Texas State University, San Marcos, TX

Distinguished Teacher- Higher Education - This award is for excellence in geography teaching and leadership at the post-secondary level goes to:

• Karen Barton – University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO
• Katherine Nashleanas – University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
• Michael Pretes – University of North Alabama, Florence, AL
• Vanessa Slinger-Friedman – Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA

Distinguished Teacher- K-12 - This award is for excellence in geography teaching and leadership at the K-12 level goes to:

• Melanie Davis – Pass Road Elementary, Gulfport, MS
• Kevin Dockery – Fred J. Page High School, Franklin, TN
• Allison Ewing – Bullis School, Potomac, MD
• Teresa Goodin – Henley Middle School, Crozet, VA
• Angela Hutchinson – Poteet High School Mesquite ISD, Mesquite, TX
• Amanda Killough – Flower Mound High School, Flower Mound, TX
• Scott Mace – Charlottesville High School, Charlottesville, VA
• Theresa Pierce – Rowan County Early College High School, Salisbury, NC
• Mark Skeie – Jupiter Community High School, Jupiter, FL
• Megan Smith-Keenum – Forest Hills Elementary, Florence, AL

Journal of Geography Awards

Best Elementary Teaching Article - “Problem-Oriented Learning in Geography Education: Construction of Motivating Problems”

• Gunter Weiss – University of Cologne, Köln, Germany    

Best Secondary Teaching Article - “Bridging the Divide: The Potential Role of Contemporary Geographical Research in Schools”

• Aleksandra Kazmierczak – European Environment Agency, Copenhagen K, Denmark
• Peter Mackie – Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom

Best College/University Article - “Preparing Preservice Teachers to Incorporate Geospatial Technologies in Geography Teaching”

• Wendy Harte – Griffith University, Queensland, Australia

Best Article for Geography Program Development - “Guided Educational Tourism as Informal Physical Geography Education on St. Helena Island, Michigan”

• Joseph Lane – Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
• Joseph Stoltman - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

The Geography Teacher Awards

Best Content Article -“The Mixed Plate: A Field Experience on the Cultural and Environmental Diversity of the Big Island of Hawai'i”

• Ava Fujimoto-Strait – Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX
• John Strait – Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

Best Lesson Plan - “Exploring on the Overland Trail, Missouri to California, 1858: Including Adaptations for English-Language Learners”

• Rosa Brefeld - University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO
• Sarah Coppersmith  - University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO

Geographic Excellence in Media Awards

“Student Atlas of Nebraska”

• Randy Bertolas  – Wayne State College, Wayne, NE

“Atlas of South Carolina Modules”

• Jerry Mitchell - University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

Award recipients will be honored during a ceremony held at the 2018 National Conference on Geography Education presented by the National Council for Geographic Education. The 2018 National Conference on Geography Education will be held August 6^th - August 10th at the Convention Center in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

For more information about the NCGE award program and application process, visit www.ncge.org/awards.

NCGE President's Column - March 2018 by Audrey Mohan, NCGE President

Spring is in the air! Or at least the date on our calendars that says “First day of Spring” is rapidly approaching. It is also that time of year that schools begin gearing up for ‘testing season’ – the week(s) of the school year filled with bubble sheets, crazy schedules, and, unfortunately for many students, overwhelming stress for taking these exams. In most states, geography is not a ‘tested’ subject, allowing geography teachers to breathe a sigh of relief that our subject area has not been over-taken with the testing pressures that our colleagues in other subject areas feel (math?!?). But, like it or not, testing has become part of school cultures around the country and educators and students alike feel the collective stress and anxiety that testing brings. Teachers ask themselves, “Did my students get it? Did I cover enough material this year to help them on the exams? Will they forget everything we did at the beginning of the year?” These are all valid questions that bring me to the topic of this newsletter.

Much of my work in my role at BSCS is crafting science storylines for students. This approach to science teaching can transform the way students think about and apply scientific ideas to explain phenomena in the world. Rather than memorizing all the diagrams related to photosynthesis, we craft a different story for students: for example, a science story in which they are presented with a 200-year-old redwood tree and asked how it came to be: Where did all that stuff come from that makes up this tree? Through a carefully sequenced series of questions and investigations, students discover the ‘stuff’ that makes up the tree ultimately comes mostly from the air—a counterintuitive explanation that begs further investigation. If you want to know how that works, here is some additional reading. 

Geography educators have long lamented the traditional focus on places names, facts, and map memorization in geography classrooms. A storylines approach to geography instruction is one way to move our field forward. If geographic knowledge is communicated through compelling storylines that make students wonder, that motivate students to figure something out, and that require students to apply their thinking to something in the real world, there is far greater potential for students to develop robust geographic knowledge.  

The success of a storylines approach depends on how you anchor students’ learning at the start of a unit. If you were to tell your students on the first day of class that one of the things they can do after taking your class is to “explain why migration happens,” most of your students would probably NOT be motivated to investigate this idea. It’s not explicitly connected to anything students experience or care about, at least not on the surface. But what if you pose this to students instead:

Residents in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania are upset because their town has changed. Prior to the change, the town was declining economically with a loss of jobs and business. Now it is economically prosperous with a growing population. What happened and why are the residents upset about it?

This situation is a real one and nothing about it makes sense on the surface until students dig into how and why the town has changed politically, socio-culturally, and economically as a result of shifting populations [note: you might choose a less politically and racially charged example]. The geography storyline that explains this situation is: People move around for many reasons. They are ‘pushed’ to leave their homes because of things like war, famine, lack of economic opportunity, or political oppression. They are ‘pulled’ to other places, such as opportunities to experience safety, freedom, or to get jobs to support their families. This movement of people into and out of places can change the identity and culture of a place. It can lead to a richer economy or diversity of cultures, but can also give rise to new tensions over changing identities. Often both of these things happen as people move and places change.

If students understand this storyline about push and pull factors that influence migration, along with the consequences of that movement, they can apply this thinking to all kinds of scenarios in the world: tensions over immigration in Europe (or the US), the Rohingya crisis, or economic growth and/or gentrification of some places and the decline of others.

The point of crafting a storyline for students to uncover big geography ideas through a purposeful sequence of activities around compelling problems and student-generated questions about those problems. It is less about memorizing facts and more about supporting students as they piece together geography concepts into a framework that helps them explain things in the world. This type of thinking allows classrooms to focus less on memorizing everything before testing season and focus more on piecing together a geography story across the year that has broad explanatory power for students.

So, as you approach the final months of the school year, I challenge you to think about the geography story your students are learning. What is the story they will walk away from your classroom with at the end of this year? Is it a well-connected story that helps them explain what is happening in their world? And, what can you do to help strengthen the connections in the students’ geography story? 

November / December  2017

"Food for through" by Gary Gress, NCGE President

As we are in the holiday season I can’t help but think of food. Probably not in the sense that you’re thinking when you heard the word “food”. Demographically, I would suggest the majority of our readership is well enough off to eat a decent healthy meal if they choose to, more than once a week. It’s that time of year when food pantries and community shelters make us keenly aware of those in need. We know it ought to be more than just a “one-shot” November or December though, but instead a yearlong act of benevolence. Food is a big deal. Teaching about food and the geography of food should be an even bigger deal. Every day we are bombarded by an unending litany of choices of what to eat, including food that may not be the best for us. “Live Mas”, “Finger-Lickin' Good”, “America Runs on Dunkin”. You get the idea. I know we’ve all indulged, but these places aren’t supposed to be everyday options or choices, right? Besides, fast food can get expensive!

So where does our food come from? How is it processed? What constitutes a good diet, or healthy eating? Do we really know? Surely it’s not consistently eating sugar, trans fats or sodium-laden food that has been overly processed with preservatives we can’t even pronounce. Okay, I know the answer as most folks do. What we’ve been told is to eat from these four main groups: meat, dairy, grains, fruits, and veggies. If you consume those you’re generally on the right track, unless of course, you go over 1,600-3,000 calories, depending on your recommended intake.

Seize the opportunity. I suggest that we go beyond the occasional week or month of school awareness regarding food donations, issues, and education. Why not teach the geography of food whenever and wherever we can? It’s hard to think of a subject where the geography of food couldn’t be taught from a local or global context. Still, in many of our classrooms, students don’t know about healthy eating or the problems associated with food insecurity, malnutrition, hunger and other related medical issues. I’m sure some of our own students experience these challenges on a regular basis. Educating our students and all folks on food issues will help to intensify awareness and understanding. Knowing what’s at stake, finding solutions and hopefully solving some of these problems will create an active and engaged classroom.

A teaching idea: One of my colleagues recently was relating to me how prevalent “food deserts” are here in the United States. In fact, the eradication of these food deserts is becoming a USDA national priority. It’s a term that has been around for a few years. A food desert is where there is a lack of access to affordable vegetables, fruits, and whole grains for a healthy diet. You can easily find food desert maps and related stories online. Availability of healthy foods is both a rural and urban dilemma. The USDA definition states that food deserts are “usually found in impoverished areas,” which is generally linked to socio-economic problems. Many reasons abound for these “deserts”. For starters, lack of thoughtful urban planning, availability of urban land and dollars for stores, high costs for healthy food, decreasing rural population and transportation issues. In my home state of Oklahoma, we rank at a miserable 46th with regards to the availability of healthy food. However, thanks to a growing awareness of this issue, Senate Bill 506 was signed into law this past June. This bill encourages the construction and expansion of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and accessibility to affordable healthy foods in “desert” areas. Thankfully, many states are beginning to take action regarding their own food deserts.

This holiday season could be the best time to educate folks about food. Not in an effort to deprive ourselves of enjoying great traditional food, but rather to become more aware of what food issues surround us. Helping students see the relevance of geography, becoming informed and being part of a solution is so important. I encourage each of you to relate not only the issue of “food deserts” to your students but also find out about food in your own “backyard”. What are your community’s food needs and delivery systems to those experiencing food insecurity and hunger? Everyone deserves access to healthy foods and healthy eating. A little food for thought. Happy Holidays and warm blessings to you and your family!  Gary

NCGE AND YOU by Gary Gress, NCGE President

As I was writing this column, epic climate-related events were unfolding in Texas and Florida. Many of us, myself included, have family and friends that were impacted by the sheer magnitude of this event, that will take years to recover from. It’s tough to be strong with such life-changing forces happening on a personal basis. Many organizations and individuals with compassion and love stepped in, for which all are truly grateful for. Thank you! We’re all reminded that change is a constant, and how we respond is important. 

The focus of this column was actually about the foreseeable NCGE “changes” that were inspired by alliance coordinators and members alike, prior to and after our summer conference in Albuquerque. First of all, “we hear you” be it Zach, our board, past presidents and those that are most important, you. Though still in embryo mode, there are 4 main areas of focus that NCGE would like to assess and make changes where needed as we move forward, in this evolving geographic education environment. If you frequent COSCO or

SAM’s on any given Saturday, this discussion is just intended to be a “taste” or a brief sample of our thinking. More definitive specifics will be coming in the following months, as our staff, board and all suggestions are reviewed. The 4 areas of focus currently will be membership, community, resources, and professional development. As your “go to” organization we will always focus on what we do best and has been successful, popular and supportive for your professional and organizational needs.

1) Membership:  Membership is changing. What it means to be a member of a nonprofit association, such as ours, is not what it was a decade ago. With the ever-evolving educational landscape, access to new technology, plus the largest generational workplace shift from Baby Boomers to Millennials any of us will ever see, it’s becoming clear that all associations today are struggling with dwindling membership numbers. Previously when NCGE has faced similar problems, the quick solution was to simply raise membership dues. This, however, had the adverse effect of making our membership less attractive to the people we value and serve. In order to grow, we must remove as many barriers to joining NCGE as possible. Currently, our staff and board are designing several sample membership programs that will strive to accomplish the goal of providing more NCGE accessibility to our members across the country. 

2) Community: We have heard from many NCGE members, partner organizations and state Alliances that NCGE would best support their work by serving as the national voice for geography education, establishing collaborations when possible. What truly separates NCGE from everyone else is that we are the only organization in the United States whose sole purpose is geography education. It only makes sense for us to serve in this capacity. With a small staff and limited resources, that will create some challenges. We will be working to scale up our communications and be advocates and partners. We’ll target various local, regional and national issues of concern and bring diverse voices from across the country to national attention, becoming even a more relevant organization than before. The development of grant writing partnerships and co-hosted events will also be a top priority and will be explored.

3)  Resources: Geography Education Resources are so very important for everyday curriculum development and classroom delivery. Resources need to be easy to find, simple to use, and effective in the classroom. The first step in this process is a long overdue update to our website. NCGE.org must not only provide relevant resources but help educate the general public on what geography is and why it’s important. In addition to updating our website, we are also exploring the possibility of, expanding the popular “bell ringer” series to include all resources for different K-12 educator’s levels, while maintaining our two popular publications (Journal of Geography and The Geography Teacher).  We’ll be looking at expanding our online NCGE store, to include more tools for your (K-20) classroom and professional area(s) of development. Be it beach ball globes, books, publications and maps, we will be looking at the best options for you.

4) Professional Development: Lastly, professional learning will be expanded. Besides more diverse webinar offerings, travel learning experiences will still occur such as Cuba or Iceland. Other considerations include the idea of certificates in various areas of geographic specialty, expanded partnerships with like-minded organizations, and involving businesses or persons that can offer their expertise to NCGE. With a “critical mass” of people, on-site geography and related training at various regional venues may also become reality.

Again, all of these exciting opportunities and ideas have been generated from you folks, our membership. It will take time, talent, commitment and of course substantial funding for many of these options to happen. We’ll still be offering tried and true programs and events, but will prioritize and offer new exciting “stuff” with your help and thoughts. It was a wonderful venue and conference this summer, thanks for all of your wonderful conversations! As we move forward we will announce specifics in the many months to come.

May you be experiencing a wonderful and meaningful new school year!