When to Teach “Introductory” GIS? Evaluating Course Sequencing Across Institutions

Conference Room: Winnebago

Summary As GIS education continues to expand, it is essential to re-evaluate how introductory GIS courses are sequenced. Historically, introductory GIS was one of the few GIS-related courses available, often positioned later in students' academic careers. However, with rising demand for GIS professionals and more specialized courses, this approach may be outdated. We examine how […]

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

Conference Room: Winnebago

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 […]

Opportunities in Non-Formal Education to Enhance Girls’ Motivation Toward Learning Geography, Geospatial Technologies, and Related Careers

Conference Room: Winnebago

Summary Join Lisa Elikan, NCGE 2025 Salvatore J. Natoli Dissertation Award recipient as she shares her dissertation that was conducted under the Department of Geography, Texas State University, San Marcos Texas, USA Session Focus All Grade Levels Conference Room Winnebago Meet the Presenter Lisa Elikan is an independent scholar and non-formal geography educator. Her research interests […]

Canceled Context, Input, and Implementation Challenges on Learning Outcomes in Geography

Conference Room: Winnebago

Summary Geography has laudable goals that could make students become responsible citizens. However, students’ achievement in geography is generally low, and this is caused by map reading. Previous studies on map reading concentrated largely on teaching strategies with little attention to factors that could hinder effective learning of geography. This study, therefore, investigated self-efficacy and […]

Promoting Critical Perspectives in a Geography Methods Course

Conference Room: Winnebago

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, […]

Borchert Teacher Fellowship: Letting Teachers Loose in a Map Library

Conference Room: Winnebago

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 […]

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

Conference Room: Winnebago

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 […]

Aspects of the Physical and Cultural Geography of Morocco

Conference Room: Winnebago

Summary Geographers have a unique perspective when it comes to the observation of places. This presentation focuses on the Landscapes and Culture of Morocco as was observed by the Presenter, through recent travel. Specific cities in Morocco will be highlighted, and cultural aspects unique to each areas of the country will be emphasized, including the […]

Teaching About Taiwan: Crossroads of Culture and Empire

Conference Room: Winnebago

Summary This session will provide participants with practical, engaging activities about Taiwan for the geography classroom. Taiwan is an island that mixes unique indigenous cultures with Chinese, Japanese, European, and American influences; it provides an interesting and topical area of study for human and physical geography students. The participants on this panel spent two weeks […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]