Summary Integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into study abroad programs offers students an immersive, hands-on learning experience that bridges classroom concepts with real-world applications. This presentation will provide a practical guide to designing and implementing a GIS-focused study abroad program, from selecting a destination and identifying local partnerships to navigating logistics, budgeting, and curriculum integration. […]

Summary The Borchert Map Library at the University of Minnesota started a summer Teacher Fellowship in 2023, bringing five teachers per summer together for a two-month deep dive into the resources of the library. Teachers have time to connect with other teachers, research in the Map Library, learn new technologies, connect with UMN faculty and […]

Summary In this session, we share experiences of our collaborative, three-year pedagogical project that focuses on building elementary pre-service teachers’ geographic awareness and geographic lens with a purposeful eye towards connecting social studies, geography, science and STEM engineering processes that contribute to geographic thinking. Engaging the most popular global sport on the planet, Formula 1, […]

Summary This session will share information on the construction of an EcoBrick together with results of a case study evaluating the pedagogical outcomes of incorporating EcoBrick construction into undergraduate geography and sustainability curricula. Drawing on submitted student documents and EcoBrick events over the past four years, the project investigates how hands-on EcoBrick construction fosters appreciation […]

Summary The South Asia Book Award (SABA) celebrates outstanding literature that authentically portrays the cultures, histories, and lived experiences of South Asians, both in South Asia and across the globe. This session introduces geography educators to the wealth of award-winning books that can enhance students' understanding of the diverse countries and cultures that make up […]

Summary The Nebraska State Legislature passed a law in 2024, prohibiting public school classrooms from using the Mercator map projection, in favor of Gall-Peters and AuthaGraph. Although there are exceptions described in this statute when it is permissible to use projections outside of Gall-Peters and AuthaGraph, it has led to confusion among public school educators. […]

Summary This session shares ongoing efforts by the presenter to promote critical perspectives in a geography methods course for pre-service teachers. This presentation explores how interdisciplinary connections have raised student consciousness about the utility of the field of geography to frame issues of power and inequality. Drawing from decolonial thought, ethnic studies, and media literacy, […]

Summary In a rapidly changing educational world filled with AI, social media, loosening teacher requirements, and curriculum concerns across states, what can we do in geography education to ensure our existence beyond all the unnecessary noise? In this presentation we will share ways to keep geography relevant and get students engaged in the classroom. We […]

Summary This session explores the lyrical content of the music of Midnight Oil, an Australian rock band active for more than 40 years, as a strategy to illuminate the varied political, social, and environmental landscapes of Australia. The band’s lyrics use place names, evocative place description, and Australian vernacular terms to create for the listener […]

Summary Given the complexity of our world today, it’s never too early to introduce students in the elementary grades to geographic thinking. While it’s not unusual for schools to include as part of their cultural programming an experience of “ethnic” foods, the subject of food can be used in a more substantive way, acquainting students […]

Summary Studies indicate climate literacy remains low across the U.S. K–12 system. Funded by the Virginia and Maryland Geographic Alliances, the Chesapeake Bay Climate Institute has introduced educators to the issue of climate change since 2019. Using America's Estuary as a place of learning, the immersive multi-day, professional development experience includes expert lectures constructed around […]