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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T082500
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SUMMARY:Mapping the Professional Fall Line: A Grades 4-12 Geospatial Careers & GIS Curriculum
DESCRIPTION:Summary\nHow do we find tomorrow’s geospatial professionals today? The answer lies in “backwards mapping” industry requirements directly into our K-12 classrooms. \nJoin the author and presenter for a deep dive into Geospatial Approaches and Careers\, a curriculum passion project designed to bridge the gap between foundational education and professional practice. This session demonstrates how to scaffold high-level GIS workforce standards—such as executive briefing and professional data evaluation—into developmentally appropriate experiences for students starting as early as 4th grade. \nBy integrating interdisciplinary standards with geospatial thinking\, technology\, and advocacy\, this framework prepares students to move from classroom learners to industry-ready analysts. Attendees will explore a 4-12 pipeline that connects NGSS\, C3 Framework\, and AP Human Geography skills to the missions of agencies like the Department of Homeland Security. \nWhether you are a classroom teacher\, a school leader\, or a policy broker\, you are invited to explore these possibilities and discuss strategies for implementation in your own learning community. \nAttendee Take-away: Participants will receive a digital “Geospatial Career Readiness Toolkit\,” featuring the full curriculum draft\, the Parkdale GIS Graphic Organizer\, and the Professional Executive Brief Rubric. \nHow can we bridge the gap between classroom geography and the high-demand geospatial workforce? This session introduces a modular consultancy model derived from the Geospatial Approaches and Careers project. Rather than a “one-size-fits-all” curriculum\, this model offers a “backwards-mapped” framework that allows educational leaders to implement geospatial career pathways in part or in whole\, depending on their local resources and goals. \nThe presenter will demonstrate how to adapt industry-standard requirements—such as Executive Briefing and GIS Data Evaluation—for diverse settings\, including elementary enrichment\, middle school STEM modules\, and high school CTE programs. We will explore how these “pluggable” units align with NGSS\, C3\, and APHG standards to create a professional pipeline that is both developmentally appropriate and industry-aligned. \nSession Focus \nAll Grade Levels  | Geospatial Technology\, Human and Cultural Geography\,  & Geography for Life| Curriculum and Instruction \nConference Room\nRobins Family Forum Theater \nMeet the Presenter\nDaniel Joseph Whalen is an educational leader with a 22-year career dedicated to fostering student engagement and spatial literacy. Currently serving as an Assistant Principal in Las Vegas\, New Mexico\, his passion for geography is deeply rooted in his own diverse geographic upbringing—from the industrial heart of Pittsburgh to the close-knit\, multi-generational farming villages of upstate New York. Holding a BA in History from SUNY Albany and an MA in Educational Leadership from The George Washington University\, Daniel brings a profound understanding of how community\, environment\, and a “sense of place” shape student identity and achievement. \nOver his 18-year tenure with Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland\, Daniel became a driving force in geographic and spatial science education. He spent a decade in the classroom teaching AP Human Geography and was instrumental in shaping the district’s instructional framework\, including co-authoring the AP Human Geography elective curriculum. Recognizing the critical importance of geospatial technologies\, he later transitioned into Career and Technical Education (CTE). In this capacity\, he pioneered pathways for students by developing and teaching comprehensive curricula for Homeland Security Science\, Digital Cartography\, and Advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS). \nA dedicated advocate for geographic education at the national level\, Daniel is thrilled to connect with fellow educators and leaders at the National Council for Geographic Education annual conference. He brings a wealth of assessment and mentorship experience to the geography community\, having served as an AP Human Geography Reader since 2009 and a College Board Table Leader since 2023. As a Certified Geospatial Educator (GeoEdC) and a 2018-2019 American Geographic Society Fellow\, Daniel has consistently championed spatial education\, supported by his leadership as Treasurer of the Maryland Geographic Alliance and his history of presenting on GIS integration at previous NCGE and Towson University conferences. \nToday\, Daniel applies his geographer’s lens to school-wide administration\, guiding educators to build innovative CTE pathways to graduation. In his administrative roles\, he integrates character education and community-specific values into the curriculum—equipping students not just for the global workforce\, but to lead and serve locally in Meadow City. Whether developing school-wide instructional strategies or serving as the energetic “SportsCenter” voice celebrating student milestones\, Daniel remains fiercely committed to elevating expectations\, celebrating student success\, and expanding access to high-quality geographic education.
URL:https://ncge.org/event/mapping-the-professional-fall-line-a-grades-4-12-geospatial-careers-gis-curriculum/
LOCATION:Conference Room: Robins Family Forum Theater
CATEGORIES:Conference Sessions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ncge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2026_NCGE_Conference_Logo.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T091000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T095000
DTSTAMP:20260524T204953
CREATED:20260524T203354Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260524T203354Z
UID:10000446-1792228200-1792230600@ncge.org
SUMMARY:The Unruly Rio Grande: How A Meandering River Re-shaped the US-Mexico Line
DESCRIPTION:Summary\nRivers flood and change over time which can cause major issues regarding political boundaries between nations. What happens when this directly impacts people’s homes\, cultural beliefs\, and economic zones. This session focuses on the shifting Rio Grande border with Mexico due to significant flooding in the 19th century and the changes that resulted in a 100 year dispute over a stretch of land in El Paso\, Texas. During a time period of heightened Cold War tensions\, a peaceful negotiation was reached that ended the dispute and permanently altered the course of the Rio Grande River in this area. Various materials and resources will be provided along with lessons that can be used in U.S. History courses or AP Human Geography classes. \nSession Focus\nHigher Education | Physical & Environmental Geography | U.S. History \nConference Room\nRobins Family Forum Theater \nMeet the Presenter\nDawn Schmidt teaches in Tempe\, Arizona at Corona del Sol High School. This is her 30th year and she is teaching Honors World Geography to 9th graders\, AP Human Geography\, an elective for 10th-12th graders\, and Honors United States History to 11th graders. Schmidt currently serves as a board member of the Arizona Council for Social Studies and she is also Teacher Consultant for the Arizona Geographic Alliance. She was awarded the K-12 Distinguished Teaching Award by NCGE in 2021\, the Isidore Starr Outstanding Social Studies Teacher by ACSS in 2016\, and the Flinn Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award in 2013 and 2008. Schmidt has had the opportunity to participate in educational study tours in Taiwan\, Japan\, Tajikistan\, Honduras\, Germany\, and the United Arab Emirates.
URL:https://ncge.org/event/the-unruly-rio-grande-how-a-meandering-river-re-shaped-the-us-mexico-line/
LOCATION:Conference Room: Robins Family Forum Theater
CATEGORIES:Conference Sessions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ncge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2026_NCGE_Conference_Logo.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T100500
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T104500
DTSTAMP:20260524T204953
CREATED:20260524T212922Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260524T212922Z
UID:10000450-1792231500-1792233900@ncge.org
SUMMARY:Yippy-Ki-Yay\, Morphin’ Culture!: Teaching Holiday Traditions and Cultural Change Using Die Hard
DESCRIPTION:Summary\nThe “Die Hard as a Christmas movie” debate offers an entry point for engaging students in learning about culture and its interpretation. [JE1.1]As classroom practice shifts toward an emphasis on human geography and the use of geo-literacy skills\, understanding how to engage students with complexity of geography is increasingly important. Because social studies teachers do not receive adequate geography education in their preservice education programs (Bednarz et al.\, 2013)\, we developed and taught a series of mini-lessons focused on cultural change to preservice teachers in a social studies methods course. Using Die Hard as a throughline\, we developed lessons on (1) elements of culture\, (2) folk and pop culture\, (3) the impact of technology (e.g. film\, home video\, internet\, etc.) and diffusion on culture\, and (4) how virtual spaces are a cultural landscape. Though developed for preservice teachers\, this session will address how the lessons can be easily adapted for middle and secondary classrooms. While the Die Hard debate is fun to have\, we concluded with discussions about how cultural change is a normal\, yet invisible\, process. \nSession Focus\nSecondary/High School | Human and Cultural Geography | Inquiry \nConference Room\nRobins Family Forum Theater \nMeet the Presenter\nJeff Eargle is a clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina where he serves as the Secondary Social Studies Program Coordinator in the College of Education. He is the coeditor of the forthcoming two-volume book Teaching Holocaust Geographies in Middle and High School from Palgrave Macmillan. \n  \nVernon Turner is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina\, where he teaches social studies methods in the Department of Teacher Education. His work focuses on social studies education and teacher preparation\, with particular attention to inquiry-based instruction and classroom practice. Prior to joining USC\, he taught high school geography\, including Advanced Placement Human Geography. \n  \nBethany M. Sanders is a doctoral student in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina and a high school social studies teacher in the South Carolina public school system. She received NCGE’s K–12 Distinguished Teaching Award in 2024\, and her doctoral studies focus on teaching geo-literacy in the secondary classroom.
URL:https://ncge.org/event/yippy-ki-yay-morphin-culture-teaching-holiday-traditions-and-cultural-change-using-die-hard/
LOCATION:Conference Room: Robins Family Forum Theater
CATEGORIES:Conference Sessions
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ncge.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2026_NCGE_Conference_Logo.png
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