The Silk Road and Geography: A Traveler’s Tale
2024-10-19 09:00 - 09:45 (America/Phoenix) | Mission Palms Conference Room: Xavier
Overview
Come travel the Silk Road! But wait, how will you get past the Taklimakan (Go in and you will never come out) Desert? What will you trade? Will your children be grown up by the time you get home? Participants will investigate the ancient Silk Road through two lenses, the first, a decision-making activity to choose the “perfect route,” and the second, focusing on the purpose, and trade goods, of the Silk Road. Participants will leave the session with two, classroom ready activities, focusing on both the physical geography of the route, and trade along the Silk Road.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | Geography | Trade | World History
Conference Room
Xavier
Presenter
Cynthia Bloom

Embark on a GIS journey by Investigating YOUR Local Landscape
2024-10-19 09:00 - 09:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Dolores
Overview
What’s it like here? If you are curious about utilizing dynamic maps to activate student spatial thinking skills, join us to learn about one pathway to engage learners with their local landscape. Walk through an investigation created by a 7th grade teacher and a GeoMentor that utilizes the new MapMaker application to empower students to use critical spatial thinking skills while exploring their community. This activity is envisioned as step one on a scaffolded introduction to using GIS in a Geography classroom.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Spatial Thinking | Place | GIS | Technology
Conference Room
Dolores
Meet the Presenters
Shana Crosson is a Spatial Technologies Consultant at U-Spatial at the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota, focusing on integrating geospatial technologies and spatial thinking across the curriculum in higher education and in K-12.

Jess Winkelaar

Teaching Geopolitical Theories through Current Events
2024-10-19 09:00 - 09:45 | Mission Palms Coference Room: Joshua Tree
Overview
This session will open up the discussion of the relevance of framing classroom conversations of global events within a lens of geopolitics. Through examining geopolitical theories from a critical geopolitical lens it is possible to help put world events into more of a geographic perspective. By teaching students to break about arguments and critique the usage of geopolitical theories to justify actions, we can help students be critical consumers of knowledge and help them form their own opinions of current events. A case study of the historical foundations and ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine will be discussed within the context of geopolitical theories before expanding into further discussions of the relevance of theories in understanding other world events. Information about classical and critical approaches to geopolitics will be presented along with teaching strategies for implementation.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Political Geography | Current Events | Geopolitics | World/International Focus
Conference Room
Joshua Tree
Meet the Presenters
Kyle Tredinnick is a high school teacher for Omaha Public Schools, and works with the University of Nebraska system and the Geographic Educators of Nebraska.

Every Region has a Reason
2024-10-19 09:00 - 09:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Colonnade, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
Every region has a reason. Large or small, political or physical, imagined or real, controversial or not, regions and the concept of a region are important for understanding our dynamic world. This engaging interactive session will provide plenty of handouts, discuss various examples of regions, and will involve critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Add to your students’ awareness of the world around them locally, nationally, and globally with your participation in this workshop!
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Regions | Hands-on | Inquiry | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Colonnade
Meet the Presenter
Passionate about Geography and Geography education for many years, Gary Gress has been a K-12 teacher, Alliance Coordinator, and past president of NCGE. He teaches in the Department of Geography at the University of Oklahoma focusing on environmental concerns and issues. Gress’s interests involve studying various global regions, “place geography”, and how Climate Change is changing specific urban/rural landscapes.

Tales from the Crypt: AZ Cemeteries and More
2024-10-19 09:00 - 09:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Covetto, 60 E 5th St., Arizona, 85281
Overview
Cemeteries are a unique cultural landscape. In this session, educators will see a showcase of AZ cemeteries and how they can teach local geography and history. Educators will then be introduced to a field study where students explore the symbols and demographics found in this unique environment. After gathering their information in the field study, students then present their findings in charts, graphs, and written communications. All materials needed for the field study are free and online. The concepts learned in this session can be applied to cemeteries in any location.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | Field Study | Local Geography and History
Conference Room
Covetto
Meet the Presenter
In the past 30 years, Gale Olp Ekiss has continually showcased the application of K-12 geography
skills and content at local, state, and national social studies conferences. Gale is a past Co-
coordinator of the Arizona Geographic Alliance (AZGA). During her 18 years as Co-coordinator, she
was the Project Manager for three National Geographic Society Education Foundation grant projects:
GeoLiteracy, GeoMath, and GeoLiteracy for ELLs. Gale helped secure consistent funding for the
Arizona Geographic Alliance making this alliance one of the most visible supporters of geography
education in the nation. She taught for Mesa Public Schools (Mesa, Arizona) for 28 years before
moving to the university level.

The Other South Korea in APHG
2024-10-19 09:00 - 09:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: San Pedro, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
South Korea in the U.S. curriculum is largely the Korean War and the Demilitarized Zone/Joint Security Area. In this session, the “other” view of South Korea is presented by APHG teachers who have participated in academic field study in the country. They will provide their field study-based observations within the context of APHG. Topics such as Korean traditions within urban society; cultural celebrations and places; marketing fish and flip-flops; population dynamics; and international issues and challenges. The captivation by K-Pop among U.S. youth via TV serials/streaming, music, games, manhwa, and food choices are discussed as a means to enhance Korean content contributions to the APHG course. The session will promote the importance of experiential learning and how it enhances content through virtual and place-based learning
Session Focus
APHG | Experiential | Field study | Application | World/International
Conference Room
San Pedro
Meet the Presenter
Amber Jeffords has been a Colorado girl since childhood, growing up in Colorado Springs and returning to nearby Fountain, Colorado as a social studies teacher at Fountain-Fort Carson High School. Amber just completed her 20th year teaching, all of them at FFCHS. In her 20 years, she has taught Global Studies, US History, Geo Geo of the National Parks, and has been a proud AP Human Geography teacher for the past 8 years. Amber created and co-sponsored an outdoor adventure program with her colleague (and BFF) Tinya, and has worked hard to ensure that students of all backgrounds and abilities have access to the great outdoors! She also loves travel and exploring the world around her to better bring it to life for her students.

Tinya Duffey teaches 9th grade Global Studies and AP Human Geography at Fountain-Fort Carson High School. She has taught for 19 years, and in nearly all those years she has been teaching Geography, by choice! She proposed AP Human Geography to her school 8 years ago and since, it has truly transformed her teaching. Additionally, Duffey co-sponsors an outdoor adventure program where her team take students on outdoor excursions for educational, career and team-building opportunities. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with her husband and two teenage kids. They are a vegan family, as she has spent the past 25 years organizing plant-based educational events in her community and advocating for animal welfare. Duffey is a long-time distance runner and lover of fitness. Duffey and her family spend their spare time remodeling their home, camping, river rafting and loving up on their rescued pets.

A.I. Chatbot Prompting in the Geography Classroom
2024-10-19 10:00 - 10:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Xavier
Overview
This session will focus on A.I. chatbots and the growing importance of prompt generating both in and out of the classroom. Much like a Google search, a chatbot’s result is only as good as its language prompt. We will talk about the importance of using specific and precise language that generates desired results. Through the consideration of Mishra and Koehler’s 2006 TPACK framework, we will learn about how to evaluate when the use of chatbots and prompt generating is best for your geography classroom. The presenter will discuss her observations on the ways that chatbots are being used in her school and the ways that prompt generating is being introduced in her geography and social science classrooms. Come ready with your questions, concerns, and current best practices to share. Bring a laptop and create a ChatGPT account prior to the meeting if you want to explore during the session.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Ai Chatbots | ChatGPT | Technology | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Xavier
Meet the Presenters
Samantha Serrano is a 21-year veteran teacher at James B. Conant High School, Hoffman Estates, Illinois where she has taught AP Human Geography since 2006. She currently serves as an NCGE director, is an AAG member, an AGS teacher fellow, and has completed the National Geographic teacher certification. Her favorite professional development includes the annual AP grading, the NCGE conference, and her teacher fellowships with Dr. Stoltman to South Korea presenting on the topics of virtual geographies and place names. Her geography education interests include the use of geospatial technologies, issues of equity and access, and virtual geographies. She is an alumnus of Illinois State University (Social Science Education), Northeastern Illinois University (M.A. Geography and Environmental Studies), and hopefully soon Texas State University (PhD Geography Education).

Building Logical Reasoning Skills Thru Geographical Inquiry: Exploring Various Cities of Progress
2024-10-19 10:00 - 10:45 | Mission Palms Coference Room: Joshua Tree
Overview
Exploring the cities of Constantinople, Florence, Hastings, Kyoto, and Timbuktu, the presenters will take participants through a Classical Educational Geo-Inquiry journey to learn more about how the 5 themes of Geography impacted the formation of these cities whether it was in a moment of glory or a sustained period of time, each of these cities were directly formed by the land around them. Participants within the session will walk away with the ready to use discussion based application within the 6-12th classroom to build Logic reasoning skills and Rhetorical discussion. This session will focus on participants to discuss, analyze and argue the common themes of Geography that allowed these cities to become Centers of Progress.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High |Geo-Inquiry | Discussion | Engagement | Inquiry
Conference Room
Joshua Tree
Meet the Presenters
Kendra Miller & Ansley Tomlin

Who Eats What Where? Using Primary Sources to Teach the Geography of Food
2024-10-19 10:00 - 10:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Colonnade, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
In this session, we will discuss how to incorporate the geography of food into the classroom using primary source materials. Food is an inherently geographic topic that is connected to both the natural environment and culture, making it a perfect vehicle for teaching both physical and human geography content. In this session, we will begin with an overview about teaching the geography of food, connecting it to geography and social studies standards as well as the practice of asking geographic questions and developing geographic skills. In the second part of the session, we will use the Library of Congress’ Primary Source Analysis Tool along with some freely available materials to study who eats what where. While the session is geared toward the secondary classroom, the content is easily adaptable to any grade level. Handouts will be available for participating teachers.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Food | primary sources | Inquiry
Conference Room
Colonnade
Meet the Presenter
Gillian Acheson is a professor in the Department of Geography & GIS at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She teaches a variety of courses including World Regions, Human Geography, Population Geography, Spatial Thinking & Behavior, Geography of Food, and Geography and Social Justice. Her research interests are in geography education and the cultural landscape with publications ranging from map reading and comprehension to representation of women in introductory geography textbooks to the cultural landscape of cemeteries. She is a past recipient of NCGE’s Higher Education Distinguished Teaching award.

Inquiry-based Human Geography Lessons for People and the Planet
2024-10-19 10:00 - 10:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: San Pedro, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
Engage in activities to help students understand the interactions and interdependence of individuals, societies and the environment, and to develop inquiry skills to better appreciate these interconnections. Presented activities are interdisciplinary with topics relevant to geography, economics, civics, life and earth sciences. These include demographics and human movements and settlements, as well as historical and current patterns of people’s use of natural resource use and altering ecosystems. Take part in a collaborative brainstorming exercise on identifying factors necessary for sustainable communities, create concept-maps that explore human-environmental connections, and play a role in a simulation of world population growth (with options for working with the data in a digital format). Lessons build skills in critical thinking, data analysis and collaborative problem solving. Receive lesson plans and background readings in an electronic format, matched to state standards, the C3 Framework, AP Human
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Human Geography | Population | Environment |Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
San Pedro
Meet the Presenter
Dianne McKee, MEd
GeoCivics Project Director | Arizona State University
Dianne McKee brings over 20 years’ experience teaching in both formal and non-formal settings, directing federal and regional grants, developing courses and curricula, and designing and delivering both in-person and online professional development for K-12 teachers. She is a Teacher Consultant for the Arizona Geographic Alliance, and a Teacher Trainer for Engineering is Elementary, Makey Makey and Population Education. She has also authored numerous science, environmental, and geographic student publications, as well as developed environmental programs, courses, and training guides for government agencies and non-profit organizations.

Using an Atlas to Develop Multiple Literacies
2024-10-19 10:00 - 10:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Covetto, 60 E 5th St., Arizona, 85281
Overview
An atlas can be more than a reference book. See how a student atlas can be a tool for developing the information literacies and analytic skills necessary to conduct geographic inquiries. Attendees will engage with instructional materials created for an atlas designed to align with 4th grade History-Social Studies standards in California. Through this hands-on experience, teachers will learn how to help their students use atlases and other information sources to practice geographic thinking and acquire geographic knowledge.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Inquiry | Atlas | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Covetto
Meet the Presenter
Thomas Herman is a Research Fellow in the Department of Geography at San Diego State University where he is the Project Director for the Young People’s Environments, Society, and Space Research Center. He also contributes to teacher professional learning, the development of teaching and learning resources, and advocacy for geography education as Director of the California Geographic Alliance, a member of the California Environmental Literacy Initiative, and Chair of the NCSS Geography Community.

Research Roundtable for Geography Education
2024-10-19 10:00 - 10:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Dolores
Overview
Research underscores the empirical value of geography education, not just its intrinsic value. Participants in the research roundtable will meet to identify pathways for collaboration, sources of funding, and possibilities for the future of research in geography education. This session is supported by the American Association of Geographers’ (AAG) Geography Education Specialty Group.
Session Focus
Research | Collaboration | Grant Applications
Room
Delores
Meet the Presenters
AAG’s Geography Education Specialty Group | Mary Curtis and Thomas Larsen
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.

Dr. Mary D. Curtis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Houston-Clear Lake in the College of Education where she coordinates the Social Studies teacher preparation program. Dr. Curtis is a geography educator with over 20 years of experience and service from local to international levels. She currently serves as the Vice Chair for the Association of American Geographers Geography Education Specialty Group and as Associate Editor for the Journal of Geography.

Maps and Models: How to choose which data visualization to use
2024-10-19 11:00 - 11:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Xavier
Overview
Every state has geographic standards that explore data, maps, and models. Geography standards ask you to analyze data, make a model, and explore patterns, but how do you know which type of model or map to use? This session will break down the types of data visualization and when you should use each type. When is a bar chart, scatter plot, choropleth map, or pie chart the best choice? This session will help teachers easily make those decisions, and also provide *free* tools to create different types of data visualizations! Teachers will walk out of this presentation having created various types of models and maps with various geographic data at local, regional, and global scales.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Data | Maps | Models | Inquiry
Conference Room
Xavier
Meet the Presenter
Jessica Flach is a former AP Human Geography teacher from Pensacola, Florida. Currently in graduate school at the University of South Carolina, Jessica works with the South Carolina Geographic Alliance in organizing professional development for K-12 geography teachers in South Carolina. Her graduate research focuses on youth geographies, travel, and citizenship. She is especially passionate about data literacy in geography classrooms, and strives to help geography teachers create engaging, inquiry-based lessons.

Michael Mewborne has taught in various grades, subjects, and capacities from 2006-2009 in private schools around Columbia, South Carolina. In 2009 he received his Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of South Carolina and in 2010 started teaching at Chapin High School where he first taught and fell in love with geography. Mewborne initially did not want to teach geography, so he needed a lot of support and turned to his state geography alliance. Through the alliance, Mewborne found a community of peers to challenge and encourage him, making him a better teacher. He moved to River Bluff High School, an Expeditionary Learning Education school, where He taught from 2016-2018, at which point he took on the position of Education Programs Manager with the South Carolina Geographic Alliance. Mewborne is now the Associate Director of the Alliance and on staff in the University of South Carolina’s Geography Department. He does outreach to other colleges and universities across the state working with pre-service teachers, school districts and in-service teachers to support them in their work to bring excellent geography education to every student in his state through resource creation, research, and professional development.

Where does my food come from?
2024-10-19 11:00 - 11:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Dolores
Overview
In this lesson demonstration, we will (1) explore the origins of selected food crops using a free interactive online map, (2) investigate which countries are the largest producers of these food crops today, and (2) consider the spatial relationship between food origins and today’s largest producers. We will then discuss how variations of this lesson plan can be used in world history and geography classes and adapted to different grade levels.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | Lesson plan, Geography of Food, Agriculture | World History
Conference Room
Dolores
Meet the Presenter(s)
Dr. Susan Hume is a Professor in the Department of Geography & GIS at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She previously taught 9th grade World Geography and 12th Economics and has been an APHG Reader. Susan served on the NCGE Board of Directors as VP for Research from 2012-2014, President in 2015, and Past President in 2016.

Federalism and Geography
2024-10-19 11:00 - 11:45 | Mission Palms Coference Room: Joshua Tree
Overview
This session aims to explore the correlation between geography and federalism, shedding light on the impact of state diversity on local control in specific policy areas. The ultimate objective is to convene a gathering of researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and scholars to delve into the intricacies of federalism’s decentralized structure, discussing the challenges and opportunities that come with it. As a valuable takeaway, participants will have access to the Civic Literacy Curriculum – a free resource from the Center for American Civics – equipped with classroom-ready materials that can be implemented right away.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | Federalism | Geography | Government and Civics
Conference Room
Joshua Tree
Meet the Presenters
Jeff Davis is one of the Program Directors of Civic Education at Arizona State University’s Center for American Civics. In this role, Jeff has been hosting professional development workshops for K-12 educators to learn how to strengthen civic education through inquiry approaches with primary sources. Before his current role, Jeff taught Social Studies for 18 years, with subjects including government, economics, American history, European history, and comparative politics at various grade levels, while also coaching his school’s Model United Nations team. He is currently a doctoral student at ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers’ College, seeking an Ed.D. in Educational Innovation and Leadership. His research focuses on methods to teach students the skills of civil dialogue through controversial topics in history and politics.

Liz Evans has over two decades of experience in civic education and has taught most of the social sciences in a public school setting, including middle and high school. She has a BS. Ed, Elementary, and an M. ED in secondary History from Northern Arizona University. She is currently a doctoral student studying Educational Leadership. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in Social Studies/History and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She has worked with the Bill of Rights Institute as a Program Manager and is now a Program
Director for Civic Education and Outreach at Arizona State University. Liz believes that teachers are the experts in their classrooms and loves making connections to help all educators and students succeed!

Importance of Narratives: Incorporating AAPI Voices into the Classroom
2024-10-19 11:00 - 11:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Colonnade, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
According to the Pew Research Center, the Asian population in the United States nearly doubled from 2000 to 2019 and yet only about 24% of those surveyed felt well informed about AAPI history in this country. Many cite the internet or social media being the primary platform of information. Without a doubt, there is a need for more education on AAPI history in this country. This session will highlight the multiplicity and heterogeneity of “Asian American” as a social and political category through the use of maps. The maps will include specific information about populations identified as Indian, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese and how the geographic clustering of these groups changed over time as a result of social, economic, or political forces. The workshop will also incorporate use of the Galtung Triangle to provide educators a framework of how to discuss injustices that may occur over time.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | AAPI history | Ethnic Studies | Inclusion | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Colonnade
Meet the Presenters
Jeanne Shin-Cooper has been a public high school educator for twenty years. Over the course of her career, she has taught multiple disciplines in the social sciences in addition to work within the field of EL. She is currently a consultant and exam reader for AP Human Geography and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She received her Masters in Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University and her Masters in Geography through the EDGE Program at University of Oregon. Currently, she serves on the Educator Advisory Committee for Harvard’s Religion and Public Life in conjunction with teaching College World Religions Dual Credit. Most recently, she was invited as a keynote speaker for Harvard University’s Global Studies Outreach Workshop.

The Handbook of Geography Education: North American Perspectives
2024-10-19 11:00 - 11:45 | Mission Palms Conference Room: San Pedro, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
The international community of geography educators has developed a Handbook for Geography Education. The book is intended to present a broad overview of research and practices in geography education at primary and secondary levels and to summarize the current state of knowledge in this sub-discipline of geography. The Handbook is organized around five components: the purposes of geography education—Why is it taught?; perspectives on geography education—What is taught?; practices of geography education—How is it organized and taught?; preparation of geography educators—How are geography educators prepared?; and possibilities for geography education—What are the futures of geography education from different national perspectives. In this proposed session, five authors of Handbook chapters from North America will present key ideas and findings from their chapter. Editors of the Handbook will moderate the session and summarize additional results.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Geography Education | Teacher Preparation | Practices of Geography Education | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
San Pedro
Meet the Presenters
Sarah Witham Bednarz is professor emerita of geography at Texas A&M University. Bednarz’s research interests are in the intersection of teaching and learning geospatial technologies and spatial and geographic thinking. She was PI on two major curriculum and educational research projects; co-authored the national geography standards, Geography for Life (1994 and 2012); participated in the National Research Council Learning to Think Spatially project, and helped to develop the National Assessment of Educational Performance (NAEP) framework in geography. In 2013 she co-chaired the Geography Education Research Committee (GERC) of the 21 st Century Road Map for 21 st Century Geography Education Project. She has been an AP Human Geography reader, table leader, question leader, exam leader, and served on the Test Development Committee.

Jerry T. Mitchell is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of South Carolina. He holds a BS in History and MA in Geography from Towson University, and a PhD in Geography from the University of South Carolina where he returned to the faculty in 2004 after teaching for several years in Pennsylvania. Jerry’s research has focused on environmental hazards and geography education. He was the coordinator of the South Carolina Geographic Alliance for 17 years, providing geography learning opportunities for more than 40,000 teachers and students. Additionally, he served as the Editor of the Journal of Geography from 2010-2019, was President of the National Council for Geographic Education in 2020, and was awarded the 2022 Gilbert Grosvenor Honors in Geographic Education from the American Association of Geographers.

Explore world cultures and geography with the new National Geographic MapMaker
2024-10-19 13:15 - 14:00 | Mission Palms Conference Room: San Pedro, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
Join us for an exploration of world culture and geography with the MapMaker. We’ll discover the new features and functions of MapMaker as well as the hundreds of maps and data layers available. Educational resources focused on world cultures will also be shared to enhance your start with MapMaker. We’ll also discuss broad pedagogical methods and ideas for teaching with digital atlases. This session will not require an ArcGIS Online account.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | STEM | Mapping
Conference Room
San Pedro
Meet the Presenters

Kylie Donia has worked at Esri for over twenty years, first developing the software and then supporting schools using GIS. On the software side, she worked on developer tools and field operations apps, with a focus on documentation and best practices. Since transitioning to support schools in 2020, Kylie uses her technical skills to translate GIS into simple, approachable ideas for the classroom. Still passionate about data collection, she helps teachers and students with project design and implementation. As a part of the National Geographic MapMaker team, Kylie uses her development expertise to help drive requirements and build an app that best serves teachers and students.

Anita Palmer is a past middle and high school technology and social studies, teacher. Mrs. Palmer is the CEO of the woman-owned business GISetc, which provides geospatial professional development, curriculum, and support to K-12 and higher education teachers and students. Over the past 25 years, she has authored and taught hundreds of geospatial technology institutes and classes for K-12 and post-secondary teachers focusing on the integration of GIS technologies throughout the curriculum both in the USA and globally.
Mrs. Palmer is the co-author of over a dozen books that provide activities for teachers and students to use geospatial technologies in which to teach and learn. She has created GIS StoryMaps for ten Cengage Publishing textbooks that are available to the public. She has been on the teaching staff of Esri, National Geographic, and the National GeoTech Center and has worked with multiple universities on teacher professional development. In her spare time, Anita works on their non-profit Geoporter which works to train communities around the world how to use geospatial technologies to examine resources and solve local issues.

Indigenous Sacred Places - A GeoCivics Perspective
2024-10-19 13:15 - 14:00 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Xavier
Overview
Every human possesses a “sense of place,” subjective feelings and memories evoked by a geographic location. Both culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions. This is especially evident of sacred places where physical and human characteristics interact to give spiritual meaning and significance. This inquiry-based lesson explores sacred places from a global to local scale of analysis, examines the unique nature of indigenous sacred places, and culminates with an investigation of local indigenous sacred sites. Based upon the 5E Model of Inquiry, this culturally responsive lesson incorporates active learning strategies and numerous scaffolds for diverse learners. This lesson is the product of a 2022 Summer Academy field study of The GeoCivics Project: “Westward Expansion Through the Lens of Indigenous Communities.” The GeoCivics Project is funded by the US Department of Education and operates through the ASU Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School |Place-based | Indigenous | Cultures | Inquiry
Conference Room
Xavier
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.

Publishing in NCGE Journals
2024-10-19 13:15 - 14:00 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Dolores
Overview
The editors of the two NCGE journals – the Geography Teacher and the Journal of Geography – invite you to learn about the publication process for the journals and how you can become a successful author. Take half an hour to learn about preparing and submitting manuscripts, completing the publishing process, and supporting the discipline as a reviewer. Attendees will be able to ask questions and solicit publication advice for the rest of the session.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | Publishing | Geography Education Journals
Conference Room
Dolores
Meet the Presenters
Injeong Jo is an Associate Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies and the Faculty Coordinator of the Online Master of Applied Geography in Geographic Education at Texas State University. Her research focuses on geography and spatial thinking education, geospatial technologies for teaching and learning, as well as teacher education.

Rebecca Theobald is Assistant Research Professor in the Geography and Environmental Studies Department at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She directs GeoCivics, asking
geographic questions to address redistricting and emphasizing the role geospatial technology plays in drawing electoral districts. She is editor of the National Council for Geographic
Education’s journal, “The Geography Teacher” and earned doctoral and masters’ degrees in geography from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Middlebury College.

Dr. Gregory Chu, Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, will begin his three-year term as editor of The Geography Teacher in January 2025. Throughout his career, Dr. Chu has held key roles such as Department Chair and National Science Foundation Program Director for Geography and Regional Science. His work includes numerous publications on geographic information science, cartographic design, and educational strategies, as well as authorship of two middle school geography textbooks. Dr. Chu’s extensive experience in the field will guide The Geography Teacher in continuing to provide innovative resources and support for geography educators.

Reversed Vocabulary: Flip Pre-Teaching Vocabulary on Its Head!
2024-10-19 13:15 - 14:00 | Mission Palms Coference Room: Joshua Tree
Overview
Discover a new way to pre-teach vocabulary with a strategy that combines image analysis, building language connections, and making predictions about the content right at the beginning of each unit.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | Vocabulary, Image Analysis | ELLs | Curriculum and Instruction
Conference Room
Joshua Tree
Meet the Presenter
Dylan Kane is a Social Studies Instructional Specialist and Department Chair at Mead Middle School in Aldine ISD. He graduated with his Bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 2013 and earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Sam Houston State University in 2020. In addition to leading his department at the campus and district level, he also acts as Mead Middle School’s campus sponsor for National History Day. This is his ninth year working in public education.

NASA GLOBE ... Connecting Global Issues Through a STEM Lens
2024-10-19 13:15 - 14:00 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Colonnade, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Overview
This session will share a cross-cutting perspective connecting geographic skills with STEM through the NASA GLOBE program. We will focus on how GLOBE is being used to develop STEM understandings through geographic skills and a C3 focus.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | STEM | Geospatial | Global
Conference Room
Colonnade
Meet the Presenter
Mike Jabot is SUNY Distinguished Professor of Science Education at the State University of New York at Fredonia. He is the Education Deputy for the NASA GLOBE Program as well as the Director of the Institute for Research in Science Teaching at the State University of New York at Fredonia. His research investigates students’ conceptions of the natural world and how these conceptions shape their interactions in the sciences. In particular, his work is increasingly focusing on how “place-based” conceptions of the natural world and sciences generally through the development of spatial visualization. This research looks at the role that spatial reasoning plays in students’ conceptual frameworks and the interplay of these frameworks with frameworks based on larger scales.

Thriving in an Academic Career: A new resource for early career geography faculty and mentors.
2024-10-19 13:15 - 14:00 | Mission Palms Conference Room: Covetto, 60 E 5th St., Arizona, 85281
Overview
This session provides an overview and sample chapters from Thriving in an Academic Career: An International and Interdisciplinary Guide for Early Career Faculty, a book that will be published by Taylor & Francis in late 2024 or early 2025. Edited by geographers Michael Solem, Ken Foote, Shannon O’Lear, LaToya Eaves, and Jong Won Lee, the book is aimed at helping graduate students and early career faculty get a quick, successful start in an academic career. Even the best graduate training can leave faculty with questions as they start new jobs: What are the expectations for research, teaching, and service; and what are effective strategies for meeting and exceeding these expectations? This book helps answer these questions with concise, to-the-point chapters focusing especially on the issues that are often the greatest source of stress for new faculty, including the ways academic responsibilities sometimes intersect with their personal lives. The book encourages faculty to adopt a healthy and balanced perspective in their life and career that accounts for the interconnections between teaching, research, and service. This session will overview the book, provide sample chapters, and discuss ways it can be used in workshops, classes, and seminars.
Session Focus
Higher Education | College and University Faculty at All Career Stages | Career Guide
Conference Room
Covetto
Meet the Presenter

Dr. Ken Foote is a professor in the Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community and Urban Studies at the University of Connecticut. Much of his work focuses on improving professional development for early-career academics and department leaders. His research focuses on historic preservation, heritage tourism, and the commemorative landscapes of the U.S. and Europe, especially the way events of violence and tragedy are interpreted and memorialized. Ken is a past president of the NCGE (2006) and a past president and fellow of the AAG (2010-11). He has received awards from the NCGE, AAG, University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (UCGIS), and the Royal Geographical Society. He has taught at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Colorado Boulder and holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Chicago. Among his books are Shadowed Ground: America’s Landscapes of Violence and Tragedy, Teaching GIScience and Technology in Higher Education, and Aspiring Academics: A Resource Book for Graduate Students and Early Career Faculty.

Introduction to using StoryMaps in your classroom
2024-10-19 14:15 - 15:00 | Mission Palms Conference Room: San Pedro, 60 E 5th St., Tempe, Arizona, 85281
Summary
There are tens of thousands of storymaps created by domain experts from around the world. This workshop will explore how to find, use, and evaluate student work related to existing storymaps in ArcGIS Online. The session will include discussion of national standards, readability, and elements of storymaps that may require special consideration (such as augmented or virtual reality). At the end of the session, participants will know how to locate and use a wide range of storymaps. This session does not require an ArcGIS Online login of software.
Session Focus
All Grade Levels | STEM | Mapping
Room
San Pedro
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Thomas R Baker is an education manager at Esri and serves the K12 and higher education communities. Prior to joining Esri, he was at the University of Kansas in the Center for Research on Learning where he co-wrote and managed federal education grant programs and assisted in the teacher training program at the university. Tom was originally trained as a middle school science teacher. Tom’s latest technical and academic work can be found online at https://tbaker.com

"Sorting" out AP Human Geography - Low-fi, Old school, hands on learning activities
2024-10-19 14:15 - 15:00 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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
