Summary This strategy is especially powerful in Human and Cultural Geography because it mirrors the way geographers analyze patterns, relationships, and spatial organization. In human geography, students are constantly asked to categorize economic activities, compare demographic trends, evaluate political boundaries, and interpret cultural diffusion. “Sorts” make these abstract processes tangible. When students physically group migration […]
Summary In this session, we will discuss how to use laboratory assignments to teach population geography. Population geography connects diverse topics including sustainability, economics, politics, and culture. Using labs to teach this topic allows students to use real world data to deepen their understanding of population geography concepts. In this session, we will begin with […]
Summary This presentation focuses on an upcoming book - International Perspectives on Geography Education (Edward Elgar, 2026) - that highlights the actions taken by geography educators who work to improve the teaching and learning of geographic content. Much that is published in geography education today is pessimistic and bemoans the status of the discipline compared […]
Summary In his book, Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time (2012), Jeff Speck offers ten planning steps for creating American downtowns that are useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting. While the ten steps emphasize walkability, they include improvements to land use, public transit, bicycle use, and traffic flow. In this […]
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, […]
Summary In the early 2000s, integrating geography and literacy at the elementary level garnered attention (Gandy, 2006; Holloway, 2015) in the wake of NCLB and the College and Career Readiness Standards. The need for such calls further intensified in the wake of recent nationwide science of reading initiatives and persistent standardized testing. Consequently, elementary teachers' […]
Summary Why do the Five Themes of Geography often feel like a flat checklist of definitions rather than a dynamic lens for understanding the world? Too often, geography instruction in the secondary classroom stops at memorization, leaving students disconnected from the human stories behind the maps. This hands-on workshop seeks to enliven the geographic experience […]
Summary In this interactive session, explore how OER Project: Big History helps middle school students investigate 4.5 billion years of change through a geographic lens. From plate tectonics and biomes to trade routes, migration, and industrialization, participants will examine how physical landscapes shape human possibility. Presenters will model strategies for teaching Big History at key […]
Summary Computer mapping using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) has become the way all modern maps are made, and GIS has become much more accessible and easier to use. This session introduces a new interactive GIS atlas of Maryland designed to support geographic learning through inquiry and spatial thinking. Developed for middle school and high school […]
