Cantu, Chapter 11

Geography is definitely an interesting section of social studies curriculum. Geography includes topics which students find intriguing- the wonders of the world, different environments, space, and more. I really like how geography is taught starting from a personal level all the way out to a global perspective. It's important for students to learn how they relate to one another, their school, their community, their state, and further and further outwards from themselves. I think this can help generate a selfless quality in students because they come to realize that the world is not only about them- its about everybody. Geography also includes skills like reading a map and orienting the world. Even though we live in an age where your phone can get you from point A to point B, it is still crucial for students to have a general awareness of the world and their community.

Videos, such as this one on the tundra, are a great visual way to allow students to explore the world from within our classroom. We can also get out of our building and discover terrain right outside our school, and learn some about our community in that way. 

In my classroom, I definitely want to impress how today's world is globally flat- which influences how nations interact with one another. Outside of that, however, I think that it is important to see what makes every area so different as well as what brings us together. By discovering different types of weather, terrain, and more, students will be able to understand what shapes cultures which is definitely a great way to teach acceptance. The cultural aspect of geography is important because in the differences between people we also discover similarities, which is a happy surprise in many instances.

I think that geography is a great chance to do some myth busting, or just myth pondering- there are so many engineering feats scattered across the earth that students can study and question how they could come to be. In many instances, history forgets to debate the 'what if', but I think that geography is a great venue to touch on that.

The BIG QUESTION: How can we continue to incorporate geography lessons into history lessons or other sections of social studies- since in many cases, geography shapes decisions, outcomes of battles, and many other factors.