Teaching Geography, Second Edition

by Gersmehl, Phil; Solem, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781593857158
• ISBN10: 1593857152
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-08-09
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Now in a revised and expanded second edition, this book and accompanying CD-ROM present a complete conceptual framework and numerous hands-on ideas for effective K-12 geography instruction. The focus is on planning instruction that helps students develop spatial-thinking skills while learning about the land, climate, economy, and culture of places around the world. Updated throughout in response to teacher feedback, the second edition features an important new chapter on spatial cognition. Nearly 100 engaging activities are provided in reproducible transparency masters. Grounded in national and state standards, this is an ideal preservice text or professional development resource.

Author Biography

Phil Gersmehl, PhD, is Codirector of the New York Center for Geographic Learning, at Hunter College, where he helps develop curriculum and train teachers in Bushwick, Canarsie, Harlem, Jackson Heights, and other neighborhoods in New York. He has worked with geographic alliances in 28 states, as well as with similar groups in Canada, England, Japan, Korea, and Russia. He was Codirector of the ARGUS and ARGWorld projects, both funded by the National Science Foundation and other sources, and both administered by the Association of American Geographers. He also assisted with three NASA-funded educational projects and one for the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to accepting the New York position, he developed distance-learning courses for the University of Minnesota, a pilot TV episode for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and a number of instructional computing projects for IBM and other groups. He is author of several books and a regular contributor to professional journals. His work has earned several awards for research and geographic education, including election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Before We Start	p. 1
One Perspective: A Way of Looking at the World	p. 5
Two Blades of a Scissors: Logical Cooperation	p. 15
Three Strands of Meaning: Cognitive Psychology and Geography	p. 27
Four Cornerstones: Foundation Ideas of Geography	p. 56
Five Themes: Meeting the Standards	p. 86
Spatial Thinking: Geographical Skills	p. 97
Three Kinds of Tests for Three Kinds of Meaning	p. 123
A Multiwheeled Cart: Supporting Teachers	p. 137
Pairs of Tools, Working Together	p. 151
Building a Palace	p. 167
Afterword: 47% of Our High-School Seniors Cannot Find China on a Map	p. 174
Some Facts Every Geography Student Should Know for Perspective	p. 176
Illustrations (Transparency Masters)	p. 179
References	p. 304
Index of Geographic Locations	p. 307
Glossary and Index	p. 310
About the Author	p. 320
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