Empowering Geo-Inquiry: How the Science of Reading Can Strengthen Secondary Student Participation

Conference Room: Nebraska

Summary In 2022, our nation’s 8th graders scored at mere 29% proficient readers. 71% of our 8th grade students are below reading level and yet we know as Educators that a strong Geography based curriculum revolves around the ability for students to learn to independently access knowledge. Geo-Inquiry not only opens students to the possibilities […]

AAG – A Workshop on the Geography Pipeline from High School to College

Conference Room: Winnebago

Summary The AAG task force on undergraduate geography education (aka the Gen A Project) seeks to develop strategies to address the challenge of declining undergraduate geography majors in the US today. This interactive workshop will provide some basic background information on the problem and the work of the task force. The organizers will then facilitate […]

Teaching Holocaust Geographies

Conference Room: Flannigan

Summary This session will focus on the interdisciplinary relationships between geography education and Holocaust education. The session will begin by focusing on an edited book (co-edited by the presenters) that features geographers, historians, and education experts, including many voices from NCGE members, on the benefits, obstacles, and methods of teaching the Holocaust using the perspectives […]

Canceled Art, Dance, Theatre, Oh My! Using Arts-Methodologies in the Geography Classroom

Conference Room: Winnebago

Summary Come explore how art, dance, theatre, and other creative methodologies can deepen student understanding of geography! In this session, participants will engage in hands-on activities that bring historical narratives, social movements, and global issues to life through tableau theatre, protest art, and cartographic storytelling. Attendees will walk away with ready-to-use lesson ideas, creative assessment […]

Beltrami on Expedition: Exploring Minnesota in 1823 in search of the Headwaters of the Mississippi River

Conference Room: Lewis

Summary Throughout the 1800's, as the United States expanded north and west after the Louisiana Purchase, there were numerous explorers who came to northern Minnesota searching for the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Though the mouth was well known and much of the lower and middle river well charted, it proved to be difficult to […]

Globalizing the ‘Yellow Peril’ and Anti-Asian Racism with Human Rights Education

Conference Room: Iowa

Summary This presentation examines how human rights education (HRE) can help teachers frame and globalize themes related to anti-Asian racism. This session will demonstrate how human rights concepts can help teachers identify stereotypes and discrimination faced by Asian people across the globe, and promote citizenship that interrupts these forces. Following a brief overview of HRE […]

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 […]

The Journey Begins: Building a State Atlas for Iowa

Conference Room: Nebraska

Summary State atlases are a tool to teach students about the social, cultural, and natural history and current affairs within the context of a state’s geography. Maps help students make richer connections to a subject by engaging students to connect events to an actual place. In 2024, several members of the Geographic Alliance of Iowa […]

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 Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) is the premier educational program by the Library of Congress. The TPS Midwest Region at Illinois State University has helped distribute funding to over 180 unique organizations, including education networks like the Geographic Educators of Nebraska (GEON) in 2023. Across its 11 states, which span from Nebraska to […]

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 […]