"Sorting" out AP Human Geography - Low-fi, Old school, hands on learning activities
2024-10-19 14:15 - 15:00 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Coference Room: Joshua Tree
Overview
Stop on in and participate in old school activities for AP Human Geography students. These fun, engaging, comprehensive activities are designed to immerse students in the Human Geography content without being on their screen! (We love tech, but we also know that there is a place to get students away from it!). Students work in groups “sorting” out terms, concepts and data. Throughout the process students will be actively involved in categorizing and organizing information based on thematic connections, spatial relationships, and analytical frameworks inherent in human geography. These activities aim to promote collaboration, communication, and active engagement among students as they work together to identify patterns, make connections, and draw conclusions about the diverse ways in which human societies interact with their environments across the globe.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Engaging | Student focused | Collaborative | Old school hands-on technology
Conference Room
Joshua Tree
Meet the Presenters
Greg Sherwin has taught AP ® Human Geography from its origins in 2000-2001 at Stevenson High School in Chicago’s northern suburbs. Recently, he recently coauthored Human Geography for the AP ® Course with Erin Fouberg, Alec Murphy and Paul Gray (March 2020). Additionally, he has teamed up other expert AP® Human Geography teachers to create an app (iScore5) to prepare students for the exam.

Kolleen Madeck
Jim Dzialo

Redlining is Only Part of the Story
2024-10-19 14:15 - 15:00 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Xavier
Overview
Redlining, some scholars contend, has become a “narrative crutch” that obscures a much longer history of housing discrimination. Redlining didn’t create systemic racism in American housing patterns – it sanctioned it. Vulnerable communities still feel the impacts of this profitable disinvestment in vast and far-reaching ways. The perpetuation of racist residential patterns far exceeds the reach of government actors. Public and private actors are, in many ways, equally responsible for the spaces we do and do not inhabit to this day. This session will include a deep dive into new maps and resources added to “Mapping Inequality” and other related digital humanities projects from the University of Richmond’s Digital Scholarship Lab and New American History. Participants will have an opportunity to unpack, understand, and explore OER resources designed to help seek solutions in the modern era.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Redlining | Housing | Environment | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Xavier
Meet the Presenter
Annie Evans is the Director of Education and Outreach for New American History at the University of Richmond. Annie is a National Geographic Society Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, a NatGeo Certified Educator and Trainer, and Co-Coordinator of the Virginia Geographic Alliance. With over 30 years of classroom and educational leadership experience, she designs digital humanities curricula, and facilitates professional learning for K-16 teachers and museum educators, focusing on Historical Thinking Skills, GeoLiteracy, Instructional Coaching, Project-Based Learning, and Performance Assessments. She hopes New American History will inspire the next generation of public historians, history educators, and civic leaders.

What Sports Leagues can tell us about Globalization
2024-10-19 14:15 - 15:00 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Dolores
Overview
Global Sports Leagues can be the perfect way to draw students’ attention to the geographic phenomena of globalization and glocalization. Using case studies from European Soccer Leagues, we will examine a spectrum of reactions to global forces; from Athletico Bilbao (the club resisting globalization through the adoption of unique local identity) to Manchester City (the club thriving through global networks including foreign investment and global player pools). Parallels to Major League Baseball will also be discussed with relationship to neo-imperial efforts of American sports businesses in Latin America and East Asia.
Session Focus
APHG | Globalization | Sports | Culture | World/International
Conference Room
Dolores
The Presenter
Daniel Duncan

Tool to Assess Student Understanding of the Five Themes of Human Geography
2024-10-19 14:15 - 15:00 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Colonnade, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
Human geography acquaints students with a geographic perspective on topics such as culture, environment, population, migration, political systems, language, religion, ethnicity, urban challenges, and economic structures. The topics covered are closely connected to many events that dominate today’s news. A learning objective of Geographic education is to facilitate students in making the connection between the concepts and principles presented in the book with the actual world around them During the term, students are assigned to research recent current events and relate that event to course material. The assessment tool is a matrix that supports student observation and analysis of current events to identify and discuss course topics and the Five Themes of Geography: Movement, Region, Location, Human-Environment Interaction, and Place.
Session Focus
Higher Education | Assessment | Tool | 5 Themes | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Colonnade
Meet the Presenter
Serena Ota St. Clair, Ph.D., has been a faculty member at RCC since 1989. While retired from full time work, she still teaches Geography classes in the Social Science Departments at Southern Oregon University (Ashland Oregon) and Rogue Community College (Medford-Grants Pass, OR). She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geography from Oregon State University (OSU). A Master’s degree in Liberal Studies from Dartmouth, and her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from OSU. Throughout her career she has taught Human and World Regional Geography. With a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts at her college, she branched out to develop and teach other courses in Social Science: International Studies, Intercultural Communication, Multicultural Education, and Women’s Studies. St. Clair has coordinated professional development for K-12 teachers and community college instructors for her entire career. She also designed student support programs and cohort structures. She conducted education research on applied math, stackable credentials, and systems thinking in organizations.

Implementing Powerful Geography: Teacher and Student Attitudes
2024-10-19 14:15 - 15:00 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Covetto, 60 E 5th St., Arizona, 85281
Overview
Powerful Geography is a new approach to teaching and learning geography which aims to help students find connections between powerful geographic knowledge and students’ future career goals. It is based on related research in STEM fields, and it hopes to provide teachers with avenues to increase motivation and participation in their geography classrooms. Based upon my doctoral dissertation research, this presentation will highlight findings from a one semester implementation of Powerful Geography in several classrooms across Texas. This project included teachers from three separate high schools and students in on-level, PreAP and AP level high school geography courses. We will discuss teacher and student reactions to different implementation strategies, as well as suggestions and advice from participating teachers for teachers considering this new approach. Lessons, activities, and strategies for implementation will be provided.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Engagement, Real-world Connections, STEM | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Covetto
Meet the Presenter
Michelle Crane is a geography educator in Texarkana, Texas. She teaches geography, philosophy, sociology and diplomacy at Texas High School. She also sponsors Texas High’s Philosophy Club and Model UN team. She is a professor of geography at Texas A&M University at Texarkana and is currently completing a PhD at Texas State University in Geography Education. She loves to read, travel, cook and discuss philosophy.

Our National Parks as Classrooms of Geography
2024-10-19 15:15 - 15:45 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Xavier
Overview
‘National Parks’ and protected areas around the world serve as classrooms at large, providing spaces and places that are conducive to enriching education for students. No matter the subject matter, whether physical, environmental, social, cultural, or technical, our parks provide case studies and applied lessons that educators should consider taking advantage of. By integrating parks and protected areas into our curriculum, whether by assignment, field trip, or digital medium, we can open our student’s eyes to the world and ground our lessons in ways that students will remember and carry on with them. Geography as the discipline of synthesis is particularly well-suited to benefit from this interdisciplinary setting opportunity, although all disciplines can benefit as well.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Parks and Geography | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Xavier
The Presenter
Seth Kannarr

The Case for Case Studies: Using Truffle Farming to Promote Inquiry and Mapping Skills
2024-10-19 15:15 - 15:45 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Dolores
Overview
Geography is inherently a visual social studies that requires students to practice a new literacy and observation skill set with maps, charts, visuals and data sets. Case studies can be extremely useful in the classroom to bridge critical thinking and problem solving with mapping and modeling skills progressions. Students move from identifying and describing data points on maps to interpreting distribution patterns and constructing maps through the inquiry process. Participants of this session will engage with materials regarding the implementation of case studies in the geography classroom. Participants will take a deep dive into the conditions required for truffle farming and use various maps to identify optimal locations for existing and potential truffle farms. This particular case study looks at the impacts of human-environment interaction and the use of maps and models to interpret and predict agricultural development and land use patterns through map construction.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School |Mapping | Inquiry | Application
Conference Room
Dolores
Meet the Presenter
Bethany Sanders is a Secondary social studies teacher at Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, SC. She teaches Human Geography and AP Comparative Politics. Bethany’s classroom focuses on guided inquiry and promoting student literacy to understand the impacts of globalization on politics, population, economic development, culture, and urbanization.

Purposeful Problems: Using Problem-Based Gameplay to Promote Geo-Capabilities
2024-10-19 15:15 - 15:45 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Coference Room: Joshua Tree
Overview
By immersing students in scenarios or problems reflective of real world scenarios, educators can promote deeper geographic understanding, independent decision-making skills, and the ability to transfer powerful geography knowledge to novel situations. Introducing Geo-Strat: A thrilling geo-political game that supports geography education through scenario-based and problem-based learning (S/PBL) adventures! Geo-Strat is an online gameplay app designed to emphasize and make use of geography’s powerful disciplinary knowledge. Initially a research tool for finding effective means in promoting Geo-Capabilities, 75 high school students readily volunteered to play Geo-Strat throughout a semester and participate in a mixed methods study. Results showed students who connected geographic content knowledge to their cooperation in S/PBL gameplay expressed increased awareness of global citizenship, problem-solving skills, and confidence in applying geographic knowledge and perspectives.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Gameplay | Geo-Capabilities | Scenario/Problem-Based Learning | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Joshua Tree
Meet the Presenter
Hello! I’m Dr. Penir, a geography and teacher educator out of California. I have a passion for teaching the power of geography and building geographic thinkers. With over 15 years of teaching geography in high school and at California State University, Fresno, I am convinced geography is essential to our curriculum and have dedicated my studies to exploring ways to understand and teach geography’s use and purpose. Through my research in geography education, which received the NCGE’s 2023 Dissertation Award! Yay!, I’ve had the opportunity to practice and build varying approaches which focus on promoting geo-capabilities and global citizens. I am grateful to the NCGE for providing opportunities for educators to share our ideas and learn new strategies!

Active and Experiential Learning in Geography through the Lens of a Local Urban Development Project
2024-10-19 15:15 - 15:45 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Colonnade, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
Metropolitan regions require innovative strategies for rapidly changing populations. One example is the Atlanta BeltLine, a major urban redevelopment program. With an estimated cost of $4.8 billion and projected economic impact of $10 billion, the Atlanta BeltLine is a nearly complete 22-mile loop of multi-use trails and planned transit on a former railway corridor encircling Atlanta, Georgia, one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States. Not only is the BeltLine a catalyst for economic growth and redevelopment of Atlanta’s Intown neighborhoods, but it is also a driver of gentrification and displacement. Additionally, the BeltLine has had local environmental impacts while also incorporating sustainable urban design practices. There are intersections of both human and physical geography on the Atlanta BeltLine landscape, including an ever-changing collection of public art and murals that link to broader societal changes, current events, and public discourse around such topics as gentrification, neighborhood change, diversity, equity, inclusion, sustainability, water, and ecology, all with broader implications. In this case study, we highlight an example of integrating a local urban development project such as the Atlanta BeltLine into geography education, fostering active and experiential learning and promoting high-impact practices such as undergraduate research.
Session Focus
Higher Education | Active Learning |Experiential Learning | Undergraduate Research | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Colonnade
Meet the Presenter
Paul N. McDaniel is an Associate Professor of Geography in the Department of Geography and Anthropology in the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Kennesaw State University in metro Atlanta, Georgia. He conducts research on the geography of inclusive place-branding practices, particularly in metro areas in the southeastern United States. He regularly teaches introduction to human geography, world regional geography, health geography, population geography, urban geography, cultural geography, geography of Europe, and geography of North America, in a variety of formats, including face-to-face, online, and study abroad.

Siloed AI and the Creative Commons: Supporting Teachers in Lesson Adaptation for Geography Education
2024-10-19 15:15 - 15:45 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Covetto, 60 E 5th St., Arizona, 85281
Overview
Virtual field trips highlight topics of importance in field-based and place-based education and help students learn physical geography concepts. To ensure effective and intentional Virtual Learning Experiences (VLEs) rich in concepts relative to space and place, VLE development should follow a process to ensure both theory and learning objectives are well matched for the targeted learning outcomes. Using the TECCUPD process, VLE architects initially identify theory and lesson objectives at the start of this process; however, identifying and using both can be a challenge for a teacher who may not have the time, extensive geography background, or subject matter expertise. To address this, a siloed AI Assistant named Strabo is employed, drawing from lessons featured in archives from the Arizona Geographic Alliance, the Gamification Academy, and GeoEPIC under Creative Commons 4.0 Share and Share Alike. Strabo enhances lesson development by buffering against misinformation and hallucinations while aiding in object identification, adaptation, and translation, including between Spanish and English. This advancement expedites geographic science communication and enriches learners’ understanding of physical environments and associated phenomena. Through improved didactical tools and workflows, teachers can broaden the learner’s perception of physical environments with their associated features, patterns, and processes at the landscape scale.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | AI | Virtual Learning Experiences | Didactical Tools | Technology
Conference Room
Covetto
Meet the Presenter
Dianna Gielstra is an Associate Faculty of the Masters of Science in Environmental Studies program at Prescott College in Arizona. Their research interests are in biogeography and geodiversity, geoheritage, and developing immersive virtual learning experiences and technologies for spatial storytelling for geography and environmental education. Dianna is a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Open Pedagogy Fellow.

Niccole Cerveny is a Professor of Geography and Sustainability at Mesa Community College in Arizona. Her research interests are in geomorphology, landscape evolution, Native American rock art conservation, and sustainable heritage management. She is a member of the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Geosciences.

Heather Moll, Ph.D. is the Co-Coordinator of the Arizona Geographic Alliance, whose mission is to advocate for geography education and geographic literacy. She is also an Instructional Professional at Arizona State University and guides the master's students through their final capstone projects. As a former high school physical and natural sciences teacher, she joined the first cohort class for ASU’s Master of Advanced Study Geography Education and graduated with her masters in 2009. Heather completed her Ph.D. with Dr. Ronald Dorn in Geography Education research in 2024 and loves helping students explore the world of Geography.

Karen Guerrero is an educator with 20 years of K-12 classroom experience, 16 years of teaching future educators at local colleges and universities, and 20 years of conducting teacher professional development. She has worked with a variety of students from inner-city children to urban adults. Her research focus is teaching integrated geography content across all curricular
areas to diverse learners. She is a National Geographic explorer with research on STEMSS (STEM + Social Studies with an emphasis of geography across the STEMSS fields) teaching and learning and continually looks for opportunities to collaborate globally.

Introduction to Google My Maps
2024-10-19 15:15 - 15:45 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: San Pedro, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
Easily create custom maps with the places that matter to you.
Draw: Add points or draw shapes anywhere. Search: Find places and save them to your map. Import: Instantly make maps from spreadsheets. Personalize: Show your style with icons and colors. Add photos and videos to any place. Get the word out: Share and send your maps to others. Make maps together: Work together on building your map, just like Google Docs. Works with Drive: Easily organize all your maps alongside your other documents in Google Drive.
The following student examples will be highlighted:

Shark Spotter Sites and Sightings Map using a Google Tutorial
1854 Soho Cholera Epidemic

Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | Mapping, Student-Centered | Technology
Conference Room
San Pedro
Meet the Presenter
Brian Smith is a full-time middle school teacher in Oak Ridge, TN where he teaches World History and Geospatial Technologies. He is also the Tennessee Geographic Alliance Executive Director.

The Imagery of Geography: Using Satellite Imagery and GIS to Enhance Learning in the Classroom
2024-10-19 16:00 - 16:30 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Xavier
Overview
This workshop will focus on leveraging satellite and aerial imagery to illuminate geographic concepts in the K-12 classroom. By delving into the realm of remote sensing and satellite imagery, we aim to offer educators a fresh perspective on the geographical features and phenomena under study. Participants will explore numerous data sources, lesson plans, and resources available from NASA, USGS, Esri, National Geographic MapMaker, AmericaView, and others. Attendees can anticipate gaining innovative approaches to captivate and motivate students in their exploration of geography.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Visualization | GIS | Remote Sensing | Technology
Conference Room
Xavier
Meet the Presenter

Amy Logan is passionate about helping K-12 teachers incorporate more geospatial technology into their classrooms. She has presented at state and national education conferences and has co-hosted a two-day workshop for the past 3 summers introducing teachers to a variety of geospatial tools that they can integrate into their current curriculum and lessons. For the past 13 years, Amy has worked at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Support and Research Facility, as a GIS Research Scientist, helping with GIS education and outreach efforts. She is the IowaView state coordinator for AmericaView, whose mission is to empower earth observation education. Over the past 5 years, Amy has been working to share GIS and remote sensing knowledge with more educators and students. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, spending time in nature, and going on bike rides with her husband and children.

Beat the Heat: Making Heat Safety Fun
2024-10-19 16:00 - 16:30 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Dolores
Overview
Join us to discover initiatives aimed at educating students on the importance of heat safety. Our online game, developed in collaboration with Arizona State University’s Ask a Biologist team, presents a virtual world where students embark on exciting quests, collect items, and learn about organisms, all while navigating a scorching city and striving to keep cool. Additionally, we invite you to explore the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning’s interactive map, which empowers students to monitor and report heat conditions nationwide.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | Interactive Mapping | Heat safety | Exploration | Technology
Conference Room
Dolores
Meet the Presenter
Dr. Heather Moll is the Co-Coordinator of the Arizona Geographic Alliance, whose mission is to advocate for geography education and geographic literacy. She is also an Instructional Professional at Arizona State University and guides the master's students through their final capstone projects. As a former high school physical and natural sciences teacher, she joined the first cohort class for ASU’s Master of Advanced Study Geography Education and graduated with her masters in 2009. Heather completed her Ph.D. with Dr. Ronald Dorn in Geography Education research in 2024 and loves helping students explore the world of Geography.

Group Testing in the AP Classroom
2024-10-19 16:00 - 16:30 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Coference Room: Joshua Tree
Overview
Enhance student learning through group testing in any classroom. The methodology in this session is geared toward the AP classroom but can be modified to fit the needs of any classroom where summative assessments take place. Group testing is student-centered and allows for a deeper understanding of the material as well as valuable test taking and communication skills.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Assessment | Collaboration | Student-Centered
Conference Room
Joshua Tree
Meet the Presenter
Over her 15-year career, Elizabeth Gonzalez has taught various courses in high school social studies, including US History, World History, Latino Studies, Holocaust Studies, AP World History, AP Human Geography and AP African American Studies. Elizabeth believes strongly in the importance of a global education and the need to consider one’s role in the larger community, encouraging students to seek and understand multiple perspectives. As a lifelong learner, Elizabeth has participated in various Professional Development opportunities, including the Qatar Foundation International & UT Austin’s Teacher Leadership Program; led an educational tour with the TransAtlantic Outreach Program & Goethe Institut; participated in a seminar with Echoes & Reflections at Yad Vashem; and most recently became a LEAD fellow with Notre Dame University; in an effort to promote a deeper understanding for her students in her classroom. Gonzalez currently teaches at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas.

Unite the APHG Curriculum with Six Place Processes
2024-10-19 16:00 - 16:30 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Covetto, 60 E 5th St., Arizona, 85281
Overview
Human geography courses tend to be compartmentalized into distinct topics, such as the geography of migration, religion, linguistics, politics, land use, agriculture, urbanization, and economics. This segmented approach, akin to a “grand tour,” can hinder learners’ abilities to recognize overlaps among geographic phenomena. Spatial thinking is frequently cited as a key tool for making connections in Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG). While spatial thinking is useful for discerning patterns across space, it falls short in helping to explain the diverse processes that underlie people-place relations. I propose incorporating David Seamon’s six place processes–interaction, identity, release, realization, intensification, and creation–into the APHG curriculum. Specifically, I illustrate how each APHG unit can be framed according to the six place processes, offering a holistic understanding of human geography.
Session Focus
APHG | Place | Spatial Thinking | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Covetto
Meet the Presenter
Thomas Larsen is 2024 President of the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE). He serves as Co-Coordinator of the Geographic Alliance of Iowa (GAI) and teaches geography at the University of Northern Iowa.

Tales & Travels: First Chapter Friday
2024-10-19 16:00 - 16:30 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: San Pedro, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
Embark on a global storytelling journey! World Geography meets middle grade books through First Chapter Friday. Students make real-world connections through weekly reads that have a setting in a current region of study. The World Geography curriculum shines through weekly read-alouds while fostering inclusivity and a love for books.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | World Geography | Literature | World/International
Conference Room
San Pedro
Meet the Presenter
Kelly Zander Patterson, is in her tenth year of teaching at Charlotte Country Day School, however she has been teaching for a total of thirteen years. She was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. She is a graduate of the College of Charleston, where she received her History and Secondary Education degrees. She is a wife, mother, and sister, who enjoys spending time with family. She loves to read, bake, and she also has a passion for entertaining, whether it’s organizing a small impromptu get-together, or hosting a large social gathering. She enjoy the details of personalized stationery, beautiful gift wrap, and a handwritten note. She is currently teaching and advising seventh grade students, while also serving as the chair of the Social Studies Department at the Middle School.

Lessons Learned from Creating a Local Atlas
2024-10-19 16:00 - 16:30 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Colonnade, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
A resource geographer, a cartographer, and an educator collaborated to make an atlas of a local watershed as a tool for geographic education. This project addresses declining geographic literacy and the homogenization of geographic products and school curricula. The fifteen maps help illustrate key terms of geographic literacy and prompt discussion of compelling dilemmas of managing resources and human needs in the complex dynamic of culture, environment, and physical systems. The companion narratives promote critical thinking about local issues. Written at grade 10 literacy level, the atlas is meant to function as both a geographic education tool in secondary education venues, but also to provide basic watershed-scale geographic information that is accessible to citizens, local government and resource managers within the watershed. Of interest to educators and civic groups is the template to generate similar products for place-based education in other locations.
Session Focus
Higher Education | Place-based | Literacy/STEM
Conference Room
Colonnade
Presenters
Gina Bloodsworth and Naomi Petersen, Professor, Central Washington University

How High Impact, Career, and Experiential Learning Opportunities Support Geography Students
2024-10-19 16:45 - 17:15 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Xavier
Overview
This project explores the ways in which faculty and undergraduate students at a midsize- regional comprehensive university in eastern Colorado have found ways to partner with U.S. parks and protected areas through firsthand, experiential learning and career-based workshops. We use data from ten years of partnerships with Colorado and Arizona parks to illustrate the ways in which our largely first-generation student population has benefited from community-engaged research with the park service and ultimately influenced their future career trajectories beyond graduation. We acknowledge that high, impact experiential learning opportunities may create more liability and risk for faculty and staff at resource-strapped institutions, but that they can also lead to follow-on synergies that benefit both campuses and students in unanticipated ways. We share ten years of qualitative data from program assessment as a tool for other institutions who want to create engaged experiences of their own.
Session Focus
Higher Education | Experiential education, high impact practices, field geography | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Xavier
Meet the Presenter
Karen Barton is a Professor of Geography, GIS, and Sustainability at the University of Northern Colorado. Her work focuses on community resilience in marine and agricultural communities in the wake of global environmental change. With support from Fulbright and NEH, she published, “Africa’s Joola Shipwreck: Causes and Consequences of a Humanitarian Disaster,” which investigates the second greatest maritime shipwreck in non-wartime history. She is a member of Homeward Bound, a global leadership initiative for women in science. Barton currently serves as a Fellow of the Explorers Club, the Royal Geographical Society, and past President of Fulbright Colorado.

GIS in the Community: Giving students practical experience while making meaningful community connect
2024-10-19 16:45 - 17:15 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Dolores
Overview
As part of the Department of Geography and Sustainability at UTK GIST curriculum, we offer an elective 400-level course titled GIS in the Community. This is a community engaged learning course in which students are exposed to challenges facing local community organizations. They then work collaboratively with the organizations, using their expertise and drawing on their collective understanding of interdisciplinary perspectives to plan, develop and implement a GIS project that satisfies the needs of a community organization. Our students have had the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of state and local agencies, as well as with non-profit organizations and research groups. This presentation will aim to explain the importance of community engaged learning as part of the educational experience of any student and how GIS software and products assist to achieve meaningful connections with local community organizations.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Community Engaged Learning| GIS
Conference Room
Dolores
Meet the Parents
Mayra Román-Rivera is a coastal geomorphologist specializing in post-storm recovery and remote sensing and GIS applications of coastal environments. Her research focuses on understanding changes that occur in the coast over time (i.e. erosion, accretion, sea-level rise), how they change the landscapes, how they affect communities and people, and how, if possible, can those changes be mitigated. She also participates in community outreach and citizen science programs. She believes it is our responsibility as scientists to take what we have learned through research to the communities and help them become more resilient and better prepared to face changes happening in their communities. As part of that interest, She works in the incorporation of community-engaged learning in the courses she teaches.

Where it's at: Interpreting Marine Biological Research for Creating Geographic Education Activities
2024-10-19 16:45 - 17:15 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Coference Room: Joshua Tree
Overview
Marine biological research activities provide a rich and engaging basis for geographic educational activities with a strong foundation in STEM content. In this presentation, learning activities based on marine biological research are described, as activities conducted in field and lab were documented and delivered to audiences from pre-K students to professionals. Multiple research activities conducted with scientists from NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego State University, State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other organizations, provided the data and experiential content for engaging students in both passive and active, student-centered, learning activities. Research technologies applied included GIS, GPS, satellite, UAS/drone; piloted aircraft; small boat and ship platforms; and various observation and data collection techniques. Research subjects addressed included the presence and movements of dolphins, whales, sharks, tuna, and marine schooling fish. A centerpiece in the geographic narrative is, of course, the map. In addition, the richness of data and its use for inquiry and summary can lead aspiring geographers into statistics, charting, photographic and image analysis; photogrammetry, and other pursuits. The key thread among all these considerations is the geographic narrative with emphasis understanding our living Earth from a spatial perspective.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | STEM | Interpretation | Narrative | Technology
Conference Room
Joshua Tree
Meet the Presenter
Alex G. Kesaris, B.S., M.A., GISP, is a volunteer educator who loves presenting geographic knowledge
through narratives about the research with which he is most familiar. He has conducted field research
from shore, small boats, ships, and aircraft with scientists from SDSU, UCSD SIO, NOAA, and CDFW.
Along the way, he developed and delivered educational activities, posters, presentations, technical
memoranda, and peer-reviewed publications for diverse audiences. For the past 12 years, Alex has
provided GIS services with Sustenant, CDFW, GISinc, Axim Geospatial, and NV5 Geospatial.

Joining the Mapping Revolution
2024-10-19 16:45 - 17:15 (America/Phoenix) | All Grade Levels | STEM | Mapping
Overview
TeenMaptivists is a national student organization where students contribute data in OpenStreetMap all around the world. Students are learning the power of the map and making a difference one edit at a time. Come learn more how your students can become part of the mapping revolution!
Session Focus

Secondary/High School | Mapping, Activism, Community | STEM
Conference Room
Colonnade
Meet the Presenter
Greg Hill has enjoyed a twenty-six-year career in education. He teaches High School AP Human Geography,World Regional Geography, and African-American Studies in Mesquite, Texas. Mr. Hill began his Social Studies teaching career as a World History teacher in Dallas Public Schools. He is also currently a Graduate student of Geography at Marshall University focusing on Urban Geography, Latin America, and the African Diaspora. He is the 2016 recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award: K-12 from the National Council for Geographic Education. He is also the 2020 recipient of the International Educator of the Year Award from the World Affairs Council of Dallas-Ft. Worth. At Horn High, Greg sponsors the Global Young Leaders and coaches the Current Events Team.

Celeste Reynolds has enjoyed a twenty one year career in education at Mashpee Middle High School, in Mashpee, MA. She teaches AP Human Geography, Women’s Studies, US History, Current Events, and is the coordinator for Senior Seminar. Celeste was awarded American Geographical Society Teacher Fellow in 2016, 2017 & 2019, the recipient of the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies John Reilly Award for Excellence in Teaching Geography 2018, and awarded in 2020 the National Council Geographic Education Distinguished K-12 Teacher. Celeste is also an Advanced Placement reader for College Board, a member of the steering committee of TeachOSM, a Teacher Advisory Board Member for American Geographical Society, and serves on the Board of Directors for National Council Geographic Education.

Double Displacement: Unlikely Intersection of Americans
2024-10-19 16:45 - 17:15 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Covetto, 60 E 5th St., Arizona, 85281
Overview
During WWII, President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 resulted in approximately 125,000 people of Japanese ancestry to be forcibly removed from their homes on the West Coast, then incarcerated in government-built concentration camps. Two of the ten War Relocation Camps were located in Arizona, notably on American Indian reservation lands. 13,000+ incarcerees were “relocated” to the Rivers confinement site on the Gila River Indian Reservation, with 18,000 sent to Poston located on the Colorado River Indian Reservation. Through the analysis of primary and secondary sources, including multimedia and maps, participants explore the intersecting histories and geographical perspectives of Japanese Americans imprisoned in these camps and the Indigenous communities on whose lands the U.S. government built them. This culturally responsive lesson appeals to educators of Geography, US History, and AP Human Geography, serving as a case study for Population, Migration and Political Geography.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Place-based | Cultures | Migration | U.S. History
Conference Room
Covetto
Meet the Presenter
A self-proclaimed “geofanatic” with 30+ years in education, Jeannine Kuropatkin teaches World History/Geography and Holocaust Studies at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona. As a coach for the Model UN Team and as the campus liaison with both the Sister Cities Mesa, Youth Ambassador Exchange Program and Global Ties Arizona, Jeannine promotes student awareness of global connections as well as opportunities for citizen diplomacy and travel abroad. Participation in two Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (Morocco and Indonesia) and teacher fellowships in Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar, and the US Territories (Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands), have allowed Jeannine to share authentic cultural experiences in the classroom and at teacher workshops. An avid curriculum writer, Jeannine’s Geography and History lessons are published on websites such as PBS Learning Media, Arizona Geographic Alliance, University of Arizona’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Fred T Korematsu Institute, GeoCivics Project, as well as in the journal, “The Geography Teacher.” Jeannine actively embraces leadership roles in Social Studies Education, serving as the current Vice President of the Arizona Council for the Social Studies (ACSS), long-standing Teacher Consultant with the Arizona Geographic Alliance (AzGA), and member of the Holocaust Education Advisory Committee for the Arizona Jewish Historical Society. Jeannine has received the NCGE Distinguished Teaching Award, Herff-Jones/Nystrom & NCGE Lesson Plan Award, and NCGE/CRAM Award for Exemplary Classroom Lesson. She is also a three-time recipient of the Great Moments in Teaching Social Studies Award, as well as the Isidore Starr Distinguished Social Studies Teacher Award from the Arizona Council of Social Studies. Jeannine was selected for the City of Mesa, Martin Luther King Jr. “Educator of the Year” Award.
Courtney Peagler is Vice President and Director of Education for the Fred T. Korematsu Institute in San Francisco, CA. A mixed-race descendant of Japanese Americans forced to leave their homes in California during WWII, she is committed to ensuring this shameful history is not forgotten and that its lessons are applied to the fight for social justice for all. Prior to joining the Institute, she was on the Advisory Committee and served as a docent for the exhibition “Then They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans During WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties” in the Presidio, San Francisco. A parent of two, she is an active board member at Daruma No Gakko, a non profit, co-op, parent-run summer program designed for elementary-aged children to learn about Japanese American heritage. She also serves on the Council of Friends of the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to these roles, Courtney is a partner with her husband at Year 26 Consulting, where they provide strategic advisory, execution, and project management services to mission-based organizations. Previously, Courtney was on the executive management team at a New York-based education technology company and worked in a variety of roles in both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She has been designing and facilitating learning experiences for adults in a variety of professions, from nurses to university educators for over a decade. Her prior experience also includes instructional design for both online and live learning experiences, the evaluation of emerging technologies for education, assisting educators in their use of technology, website design and development, and media production. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Harvard and her MA in Educational Communication and Technology from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education.

Grant Skinner is the Social Studies Content Specialist for the Phoenix Union High School District (PXU). He has worked for PXU for 23 years spending 19 years in the classroom as a Social Studies teacher and Instructional Leader. He has extensive experience in writing and developing curriculum. This includes Culturally Relevant U.S. History courses from the perspectives of Mexican Americans, Native Americans, African Americans, and a Navajo Government course. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of New Mexico and his MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Ottawa University.

The “Space Time Continuum”: GeoHistoGram Style
2024-10-19 16:45 - 17:15 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: San Pedro, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
Timelines provide students with a look at chronology. Maps allow students to observe spatial information. The GeoHistoGram provides educators with a resource that puts spatial information and chronological information all in one place for students. In this session, participants will experience the GeoHistoGram, completing several different classroom activities utilizing the GeoHistoGram in different ways. Participants will leave the session with several, classroom ready activities to use with students. Participants will also have the opportunity to see the Michigan Geographic Alliance website and the variety of other GeoHistoGram resources.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | Resource | Curriculum | World History
Conference Room
San Pedro
Meet the Presenter
Cynthia Bloom is an experienced Middle School educator and member of the Michigan Geographic Alliance. A seasoned presenter, she enjoys sharing her knowledge with other educators at local, state, and national levels. Her time with the Alliance has led to several rewarding opportunities, including a Teacher Excellence Award for American Councils, with an exchange experience in Tajikistan, as well as a 2019 Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship which included an amazing expedition to the British and Irish Isles.

Addressing Individual Needs to Learning: Blended Personalized Learning in Secondary Geography Course
2025-10-17 13:00 - 13:45 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Iowa
Summary
Ninth-grade World Geography is often students’ first formal exposure to geography, leading to varying levels of prior knowledge and learning gaps. Geography teachers must address these differences within limited instructional time and resources. Blended and Personalized Learning (BLPL) offers a flexible, student-centered approach that integrates digital tools with face-to-face instruction, allowing teachers to tailor content, pacing, and strategies to individual student needs. The purpose of this study is to examine a high school geography teacher’s professional knowledge, skills, and pedagogical reasoning in implementing BLPL to address students’ diverse learning needs. Using a single-case study of a World Geography course, data was collected through pre- and post-interviews and classroom observation videos over a semester. The anticipated findings will identify key factors influencing instructional decision making, including curriculum design, student backgrounds, and technology integration.
The study also aims to uncover specific instructional strategies—both planned and impromptu—that teachers employ to meet individual student needs in their classroom within the BLPL framework. By analyzing these pedagogical decisions, this research will clarify the underlying rationale for how BLPL enhances personalized learning in geography classroom. In the NCGE 2025 conference, this presentation will provide attendees with actionable insights into implementing BLPL in the secondary geography classrooms. Attendees will gain hands-on access to a curated website showcasing real-world BLPL case studies from K-12 classrooms, along with a printed resource.Through interactive discussions and practical recommendations, we will explore how BLPL can bridge learning gaps, foster student engagement, and create more inclusive geography classrooms. Whether the audience are new to BLPL or looking to refine your approach, this session will equip them with tangible strategies to enhance their teaching practice.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Curriculum and Instruction | Blended and Personalized Learning, AP Human Geography, Differentiated
Learning
Conference Room
Iowa
Meet the Presenter
Sojung Huh

Geography: The Key to Our Global System of Agriculture
2025-10-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Lewis
Summary
This workshop explores the critical role of geography in shaping agricultural production and its impact on food, clothing, and shelter. Participants will connect these concepts to the Big Ideas of AP Human Geography (APHG)—Patterns and Spatial Organization, Impacts and Interactions, and Spatial Process and Societal Change—and gain strategies for engaging students in analyzing geographic influences on agriculture. The session introduces the SPEED model (Social, Political, Economic, Environmental, Demographic) as a framework for understanding these impacts. Attendees will also explore strategies for facilitating student discussions and conducting risk assessments on bioengineered foods, organic vs. conventional farming, food sustainability, and antibiotic use in dairy production.
Presenters will share free, standard-aligned lesson plans linked to the National Geography Standards, Common Core, and National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Curriculum and Instruction | Agriculture, APHG, Population
Conference Room
Lewis
Meet the Presenters
Brooke Carpenter serves as the Director of Education for the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, where she leads a team of educators, oversees the development of educational programs, and coordinates statewide initiatives aimed at advancing agricultural literacy among students and teachers. She also represents Nebraska as the State Contact for the National Agriculture in the Classroom program. Brooke holds a B.S. in Agricultural Education from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Nurturing Curiosity with Earth Observation Day Games
2025-10-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Winnebago
Summary
Earth Observation Day (EOD) is a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and outreach event AmericaView participates in annually to celebrate the Landsat program. Since 1972 the Landsat program has maintained a collection of satellites that provide a continuous space-based record of the Earth’s surface and its changes. Scientists, researchers, farmers, forest managers, policy makers, and many others utilize Landsat satellite imagery to help make wise decisions about how to utilize precious natural resources and how to better manage our physical environment. AmericaView is a nationwide, university-based, and state-implemented network that advances Earth observation education. As part of the annual EOD celebrations, held annually as part of Earth Science Week (October), AmericaView develops engaging new tools to teach students about the beauty and power of satellite imagery.
Join representatives from DelawareView and IowaView as they bring a selection of these games to NCGE Conference attendees. After ‘testing’ several of the games, workshop participants will be given one of the game posters to take back to their classroom and ideas of integrating in classroom lessons.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High| STEM | Earth Processes, Satellite Imagery, Critical Thinking
Conference Room
Winnebago
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Tracy DeLiberty and Amy Logan

Teaching the Middle East and Global Migration Through Graphic Novels
2025-10-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Clark
Summary
This interactive workshop introduces secondary geography educators to graphic novels as powerful pedagogical tools for teaching spatial concepts related to human migration, geopolitical borders, and transnational movement. Drawing on GW’s Middle East Studies research collection curated by Dr. Amal Cavender, participants will explore how graphic narratives can transform complex geographic theories into accessible spatial stories. Dr. Cavender will highlight works like “Baddawi,” “Hakim’s Odyssey,” “The Arab of the Future,” “Persepolis,” and “Arab in America” that effectively visualize human mobility, cultural landscapes, and territorial conflict. These narratives provide geography teachers with compelling resources to illustrate concepts of place, space, and human-environment interaction through the lens of Middle Eastern experiences. Participants will receive a comprehensive research guide for integrating graphic novels into geography curricula, with attention to migration patterns, boarder politics and spatial perspectives.
Through guided activities, geography teachers will develop lesson plans that enhance students’ spatial thinking while fostering cross-cultural understanding, helping students recognize geographic patterns in human movement and develop nuanced perspectives on how geopolitical forces shape migration experiences locally and globally.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | World/International | Human Migration, Geopolitical Borders, Graphic Novels in Education
Conference Room
Clark
Meet the Presenter
Dr. Amal Cavender, is a Middle East Studies research librarian in the Global Resource Center at George Washington University’s Gelman Library. Amal has a background in Arabic and Turkish languages, Islamic Art and architecture, and Middle East and North Africa research. She earned her Ph.D. in Global History from Purdue University and has worked in the US and abroad, teaching global history, religious studies, and Arabic and Turkish languages. Amal is fluent in five languages and focuses on collection development for Arabic, Turkish, and Persian languages, as well as literature, history, and religion. As a Middle East and North Africa area studies specialist with an academic teaching background, she is dedicated to enriching educational resources and promoting global understanding through her scholarly work and community engagement.

Inquiry into Pre-War Jewish Life as a Study in Cultural Geography
2025-10-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Nebraska
Summary
This session will focus on the outcomes shared in the forthcoming chapter, “Inquiry into Pre-War Jewish Life as a Study in Cultural Geography,” that is part of the University of South Carolina’s release, Teaching Holocaust Geographies in Middle and Secondary Schools. Participants will hear about approaches to this topic and experience hands-on activities that can be replicated in their own classrooms/schools.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels| Curriculum and Instruction| Holocaust, Pedagogy, Cultural
Conference Room
Nebraska
Meet the Presenters
Jennifer Gross

If You Give a Teen a Nuke...Geographic Scenario Gameplay in the Classroom
2025-10-17 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Flannigan
Summary
Inspired by our favorite educational philosopher, Ms. Frizzle, I sought an immersive way to engage my teenage students in the global issues we explore in class. Simply showing pictures of immigration, war, or international relations can only go so far before these topics begin to feel distant and abstract. Enter Geo-Strat!, an online strategy game I designed for classroom
integration. This game places students in national leadership roles, challenging them to navigate complex global issues and discover how geography shapes our world. As their nations face refugee crises, natural resource depletion, and political conflicts, students actively engage with geographic concepts, asking “where?” and “why?”, fostering critical thinking. Join us for a fast-paced play through of Geo-Strat, where you will take on a national role and explore how this interactive tool brings geography to life. Participants will leave with practical strategies for incorporating the game into their curriculum—and a FREE join code!
In order to get the full benefits from this workshop, your personal laptop is required.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Global Issues| World/International
Conference Room
Flannigan
Meet the Presenters
Hello! I’m Dr. Ashley Penir, a geography and teacher educator out of California. I have a passion for teaching the power of geography and building geographic thinkers. With over 16 years of teaching geography in high school and at CSU, Fresno, I am convinced geography is essential to our curriculum and have dedicated my studies to exploring ways to understand and teach geography’s use and purpose. Geography is alive and I endeavor to teach it that way! I can’t wait to think through exciting ideas in geography education with everyone here at the NCGE!

Why Are There So Few Black Farmers in America? A Look At The History Of Racism In Rural Land Use
2025-10-17 15:15 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Conference Room: Clark
Summary
Participants in this session will examine the history of racism in US rural land use and farm systems, attempting to answer the question, “Why are there so few Black farmers in America today?” It wasn’t always this way, so how did we arrive here? This session aims to develop educators’ content area knowledge and is suitable for all grade levels but best applies to secondary school US History or AP Human Geography teachers. Participants will leave the session with a grab-and-go unit plan that is ready to use directly with students.
Session Focus
Secondary/ High School | U.S. History/Human Geography | Diversity in agriculture
Conference Room
Clark
Meet the Presenters
Leah Hood (she/her) grew up the sixth generation of Hoods on R. G. Hood Family Farms Inc. in NE Iowa. After earning her B.A. in Geography & History from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, she began teaching secondary social studies in 2008. Leah completed her Master of Arts in Teaching in 2013 from Hamline University (St. Paul, MN). She has spent the last 18 years teaching middle school and high school social studies & adult basic education in the Twin Cities, as well as undergraduates at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN. Leah is passionate about turning a spotlight on the history of the intersections between US agricultural systems and civil rights movements, and takes very seriously her responsibility as a farm owner and an educator to act with social responsibility to support diverse and emerging farmers.
