Beyond the Hype: Critical AI Literacy for Geography and Social Studies Educators

Conference Room: Clark

Summary The rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has sparked both optimism and unease within education. For geography and the broader social sciences, GenAI tools such as ChatGPT promise efficiencies in curriculum design, data analysis, and feedback, yet they also produce errors, false citations, and cultural oversimplifications. The use of large language models poses […]

Poster Session: Minnesota State University and the Founding of NCGE

Banquet Level - Mezannine Area

Summary The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) was founded in 1915 by George J Miller and Cora Sletten, both teacher educators at the then State Normal School in Mankato, Minnesota (today Minnesota State University, Mankato). Both taught Geography in the Social Science Division during their tenure in Mankato. While it was originally called the […]

Poster Session: Teaching with Primary Sources Midwest Region

Banquet Level - Mezannine Area

Summary The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) was founded in 1915 by George J Miller and Cora Sletten, both teacher educators at the then State Normal School in Mankato, Minnesota (today Minnesota State University, Mankato). Both taught Geography in the Social Science Division during their tenure in Mankato. While it was originally called the […]

Poster Session: Drones in Geography Classrooms: Advantages and Challenges

Banquet Level - Mezannine Area

Summary Drones as remote sensing platforms have changed the way geographers map the world. Given the low cost and ease of use of drones, the need to educate geography students on scientifically sound and ethical use of drones has never been greater. As university geography departments develop drone courses to attract new majors and provide […]

Poster Session: Geographic Thinking in Interdisciplinary Research: Examining Conceptualization, Experience, and Communication

Banquet Level - Mezannine Area

Summary Geographic understanding is essential in academia, providing frameworks to interpret natural phenomena. Geoscience research often requires interdisciplinary collaboration and an appreciation of interconnected processes across spatial scales. However, limited research has explored how geographic methods influence scholars' research and communication strategies. This study investigates the impact of geographic thinking among graduate students in the […]

Field Mapping: Engaging Students by Collecting Data using Street Surveys

Conference Room: Flannigan

Summary Field data collection remains one of the most important ways to collect geographic information. An increasing number of commercial applications rely on OpenStreetMap so adding pedestrian-level detail to OpenStreetMap yields broad-based benefits for everyone in a community. Field mapping is a fun way to learn about the landscapes as well as how to collect […]

Mapping Majdanek: A Topographic Inquiry into the Bystanders of the Holocaust

Conference Room: Winnebago

Summary Using geo-literacy skills, students can engage in learning about the Holocaust in new ways. How we map the Holocaust can both answer and raise important questions. Knowles (2024) identified five challenges of mapping the Holocaust. Among the challenges, Holocaust maps tend to represent the actions of the perpetrators, perpetuate outdated narratives of the Holocaust, […]

Inquiry into Persecution, Scale, and Spatial Change with Holocaust Survivor Testimonies

Conference Room: Lewis

Summary This presentation is based on our chapter in Teaching Holocaust Geographies in Middle and Secondary Schools, which offers a unique perspective on using geography to understand how this genocide altered people, locations, and landscapes. Using the Geo-Inquiry Progress, students are empowered to use geographic tools to explore Holocaust survivor testimonies to analyze how policies […]

Spiraling to help students interpret random internet “facts”

Conference Room: Clark

Summary "Students can find facts on the internet; we should focus on teaching skills." This observation is common, but it is also naive and dangerous. If students lack a framework of accurate and well-connected facts for comparison, it is hard to teach a skill of evaluating new facts for accuracy or relevance. The key word […]

Publishing in NCGE Journals

Conference Room: Nebraska

Summary 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 as an author, […]

Exploring Climate Change Through Play

Conference Room: Iowa

Summary In this session, participants will explore one of the consequences of climate change, that of sea-level rise. Attendees will participate in a lesson which uses blocks to model the topography of various coastlines, and then document the effects of various levels of sea-level rise around the world. Participants will brainstorm possible solutions coastal communities […]

Chicago Today: Effects of Redlining and Urban Renewal

Conference Room: Flannigan

Summary Cities change their structural space and are a part of globalization, but how does this affect residents across a city? This two-part session discusses the challenges of urban growth, both in the past and present by centering on our third largest city, Chicago. The first part focuses on the effects of redlining in Chicago […]

NCGE BOARD OF DIRECTOR ELECTION

The 2025 NCGE Board of Director election is now open to all active members. We encourage you to review the candidate information and cast your ballot to help guide the future of NCGE. Deadline to vote is October 18, 2025 @ 11:59 PM (EDT)