This book is based on the belief that children's literature and geography should be linked in elementary classrooms. The book has three major sections. The first section, "Using Literature to Teach the Five Themes of Geography," provides a brief overview of the five themes of geography (location, place, relationships within place,…

Geography should be infused into existing elementary and secondary school curricula rather than added as another separate subject at various levels. That is the thrust of this monograph, which suggests ways to integrate relevant geographic knowledge, concepts, and skills into specific elementary and secondary subjects. The relationship between…

Physical educators can teach students basic geography by hanging maps in the gymnasium and using them for physical education activities. The article describes what teachers need to create wall-size maps, how to choose maps, and how to fund and implement map projects. Suggestions for various map projects are included. (SM)

Geographic education requires specific knowledge about the earth and the skills to recognize, describe, and explain the interaction of people with their environments. A recent Geographic Education National Implementation Project (GENIP) document presents a framework for developing a geography study course for grades 7-12. (MLH)

Describes a map-reading unit used in a seventh-grade geography course offered at Jefferson Junior High School in Champaign, Illinois. Suggests that this map study provides many opportunities to make connections among disciplines. Finds that students respond well to the practical format of the unit and to the challenge of working cooperatively. (KO)

This activity-centered approach to teaching geography to elementary students is based on children's literature. Methodologies for teaching the themes of geography involving children's books and stories are given. The book is organized into five chapters: (1) "Geographic Literacy in Curriculum" gives instructions for using the book and provides…

Describes Math Safari, a mathematical, scientific, geographic, informational adventure for fourth grade students. It integrates all curriculum areas and other skills by using information children must find in books to pose math problems about animals. It encourages cooperative learning, critical reading, analysis, and use of research skills. (SM)

This document consists of nine individual booklets published by the Bureau of the Census. "Census Bureau Education Program: Update 1" consists of introductory material and describes the teaching resource series that are presented here and that make up the Bureau's education program. "Census Bureau Teaching Resource 1 - Congressional…

This issue of "Art to Zoo" focuses on weather and climate and is tied to the traveling exhibition Ocean Planet from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The lessons encourage students to think about the profound influence the oceans have on planetary climate and life on earth. Sections of the lesson plan include: (1)…

In this Web-based interdisciplinary lesson (involving social studies, geography, history, and language arts) students take a virtual field trip to the ruins of Pompeii to learn about everyday life in Roman times, then create a travelogue to attract visitors to the site and write an account of their field trip modeled on a description of Pompeii…

This project is designed for interdisciplinary study at the middle school level with an exploration of the country of Bulgaria. Suggestions are made for communications arts using the Cyrillic alphabet, music and folk songs, family and consumer sciences, art and crafts, and history and geography. (EH)

Inspired by America 2000, the educational reform initiative proposed by President George Bush, these materials describe a way of rethinking the place of geography in the curriculum. It is proposed that both natural geography and social geography be taught, and that both should be taught in science and social studies classes. Activities to be used…

Presented and discussed is a model which can be used by educators who want to develop an interdisciplinary map skills program in geography and mathematics. The model assumes that most children in elementary schools perform cognitively at Piaget's concrete operational stage, that readiness for map skills can be assessed with Piagetian or…

This issue of "Art to Zoo" focuses on Japanese art and is adapted from materials developed by the education department of the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. After learning how to look at paintings, students make paper screens that resemble Japanese screens. Background essays about Japan…

The office of the presidency and the informal process of electing the president are the themes of this issue of "Art to Zoo," a quarterly journal designed for use with students in grades 4-9. The interdisciplinary activities provided encourage students to consider the powers of the presidency as well as the informal methods that have evolved to…