National Council for Geographic Education

Raising the Visibility of Geography in STEM other disciplines
2022-04-19 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Webinar
As geography teachers, we are aware that we:
1) Need to continually advocate with teachers of other disciplines on how geography is essential and can overlap with different concepts they teach.
2) That geography is a solid platform to show real-world applications of math and science.
3) Geography also provides the opportunity for communicating through the language arts.
In this panel discussion, Heather Moll and Gale Ekiss will discuss and generate ideas on how to engage teachers of the other disciplines in this conversation.
More Information on how to Register and Join here.

APHG Test Review and Preparation: FRQ verbs, general review strategies, responding to FRQs & skill and open Q&A
2022-04-18 19:00 - 20:00 | Webinar
In this, free open to everyone, review session, Lisa Benton-Short, the Chief Reader, provides a detailed review of the task verbs that appear in the exam questions. Laura Kmetz, author of the Bellringers from NCGE, will provide some general review strategies to use over the next two weeks leading up to the exam. Debra Troxell, past NGCE Board Member, and AP Reader will give some specific strategies to help the students with the FRQs. Julie Wakefield, NCGE Board Secretary, and AP Reader will provide a short commentary on how to prepare the students for the day of the exam and lead an open Q & A session.
JOIN THE WEBINAR HERE

Mapping Vending Machines: Bring GIS Into Your Classroom
2022-03-24 19:00 - 19:45 | Webinar
Using GIS and doing fieldwork in my classroom always felt like it was just out of reach. It was intimidating and overwhelming. This activity attempts to break past that and give teachers a model to follow where students map and analyze geospatial data to solve a problem by answering the question: where is the nearest vending machine? We will use the geo-inquiry process from National Geographic and various tools from ESRI.
More information on how to Register and Join

COVID-19 & Health Equity: How can we slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus to protect our communities
2022-03-22 19:00 - 19:45 | Webinar
Explore how the COVID-19 and Health Equity unit, How can we slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus to protect our communities? supports geography, social studies, and science learning goals as well as the social emotional wellness of students. In this session, you will engage in the anchor lesson using “learner hat”. From a student’s perspective, you will explore how the COVID-19 virus has impacted different communities in the United States. You will analyze data on COVID-19 case counts, COVID-19 deaths, and census data to identify spatial and temporal patterns in the communities. From patterns in the data, you will generate initial explanations about why these patterns exist, and develop questions to further investigate the problem. You will then transition to “educator hat” to view the unit storyline, the geography, social studies, and science learning goals at play in the unit, and the social and emotional learning (SEL) supports integrated throughout the unit.
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CANCELLED-A Future of Geography Education Without Early-Career Scholars?
2022-03-14 19:00 - 19:45 | Webinar
A pressing topic concerns the uncertain future of geography education. Numerous articles and at least one symposium have sought to outline ideal pathways. These efforts produced useful suggestions from tenured and emeritus professors, along with senior members of the geography education community. Strikingly absent from the discourse are perspectives of early-career geographers, the ones tasked with advancing geography’s future in education. In this research, we contacted early-career scholars in geography education—non-tenured geography educators up to seven years out of their doctorates and faculty up to two years after gaining tenure. We challenged them to write an abstract describing what they believe the future of geography education ought to look like and what challenges lie ahead. The discussion that follows is a synthesis of those insights.

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Understanding COVID and Public Health Policy in the U.S. and Iceland Using Maps
2022-03-10 19:00 - 19:45 | Webinar
This presentation reviews a series of interdisciplinary exercises in which students sequence or “map” genetic mutations of the COVID virus to understand how variants evolve. They then use this information to track the global path of COVID variants on digital maps to identify how genetic and geographical information are used by scientists to create public health policy.

Students then compare the response to COVID in both Iceland and the United States to recognize how scientific information and cultural norms intersect to create public policy and affect public health outcomes. The information in this lesson is enhanced by personal experiences and interviews from NCGE’s Geocamp Iceland.

This session is intended to be part of the NCGE Geocamp Iceland’s Session “Iceland Experiences”. However, it can also be presented as a stand-alone session in which teachers go through the lessons as students themselves.
More Information on how to Register and Join

Exploring Sense of Place: Student-led Virtual and IRL Independent Studies
2022-03-08 00:00
In this webinar, we will discuss a culminating project for AP Human Geography students which motivated students to answer essential questions of inquiry:
-Why do we value some spaces more than others?
-How do humans curate and show value in a space?
-What are the implications of the human imprint?
-What happens when we stop placing value on our spaces?
The investigation was an independent study in which students chose from eight different pathways of exploration surrounding the concept of sense of place. Employing Google tools we learned to use over the course of the school year, students researched and presented their findings of sense of place, paying special care to connect their observations to Yi-Fu Tuan, the leading academic on the topic of geographical sense of place. Depending on the student’s choice of inquiry, students were assigned an academic journal article written by Yi-Fu Tuan. After annotations, students are encouraged to contemplate the philosophical thoughts of Yi-Fu Tuan during their investigation, and ultimately choose one quote from the professor that best reflects their findings, to include in their final project’s commentary.

Audio Storytelling for Impact
2022-03-02 19:00 - 19:45
Oral storytelling traditions are as old as humans themselves. Our earliest ancestors were telling stories to entertain, inform, and pass down important knowledge. Today, audio stories still serve that same purpose, and with the help of accessible podcasting platforms, a good story has the power to compel listeners around the world to action on pressing global issues. We live in the most connected age in human history, and yet the worldview of our students can be so narrow. When students have the opportunity to produce their own audio stories that center their ways of knowing and being in the world, they gain intellectual curiosity and confidence. That’s why it’s important that we help students learn to connect and engage with one another in a way that respects and promotes global competence about the worldview of the 7 billion other people that call this planet home. In this session, we’ll explore the process of producing an audio story that compels an audience to action.
By the end of this session, attendees will 1) identify the key elements of compelling audio storytelling, 2) examine human-environment issues through a critical “glocal” lens, and 3) become familiar with a free, cloud-based audio production called Anchor.
Pedagogical content will focus on why it is important for students to create their own stories and the attitudes, skills, and knowledge that they gain in the process. In addition, we will examine basic audio storytelling principles: developing compelling characters, framing, and signposting.
Social studies content will focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a way to examine human-environment interactions and the interdependence of various global systems.
Attendees will also gain some basic skills in how to construct audio stories using Anchor, a free web-based podcasting platform. They will be provided with a full teacher guide for completing a student-led podcast from start to finish
More Info on how to Register and Join

AAG 2022 NYC Annual Meeting
2022-02-25 08:00 - 2022-03-01 12:30
The conference will feature more than 6,000 presentations, posters, workshops, and field trips by leading scholars, experts, and researchers. Attendees including geographers, GIS specialists, environmental scientists, and other leaders will share and discuss the latest in research and applications in geography, sustainability, and GIScience. With thousands of different papers and presentations scheduled throughout the conference, you’ll find no shortage of activities that reflect your specific interests within the field of geography.

GeoCamp Iceland Ask Me Anything "AMA"
2022-02-24 19:30 - 20:30 | Webinar
If you are considering participating in the NCGE GeoCamp Iceland 2022 program but need more information, we invite you to join us for the GeoCamp informational webinar.
We recognize the importance of inquiry and field experience opportunities for geographic educators, however, we also realize that this is a big commitment. During this webinar, NCGE GeoCamp representatives will share their expertise, personal experiences and provide you with an opportunity to ask questions.
More Info and Join Here

Volcanoes, Puffins, and Happy Campers: The Impact of Eco-Tourism in Iceland
2022-02-23 19:00 - 19:45
Iceland, the home of fire and ice, has become a bucket list trip for an increasing number of tourists. The island nation of 350,000 people has seen the number of tourists quadruple since 2010. Adventurous travelers were attracted to the waterfall
In this webinar, Debra Troxell and Anita Ardi will introduce participants to Icelandic tourism through images and data and explain how Iceland has encouraged tourism as part of its economic development. She will engage participants through data and image analysis of the various levels of commercialization and access at various Icelandic tourist attractions. A discussion will be held on the advantages (such as economic development, influx of foreign currency, etc.) and the disadvantages (increase in English speakers, damaging the landscape, etc.)s, glaciers, and rugged conditions. As the number of travelers increased and the type of traveler changed, Iceland has struggled to balance the much-loved ruggedness with accessibility and commercialization. Learn about the advantages and disadvantages of promoting eco-tourism on the economy, environment, and culture of Iceland.
Register and Join

Exploring Sense of Place: Student-led Virtual and IRL Independent Studies
2022-02-15 19:00 - 19:45
In this webinar, we will discuss a culminating project for AP Human Geography students which motivated students to answer essential questions of inquiry:
-Why do we value some spaces more than others?
-How do humans curate and show value in a space?
-What are the implications of the human imprint?
-What happens when we stop placing value on our spaces?
The investigation was an independent study in which students chose from eight different pathways of exploration surrounding the concept of sense of place. Employing Google tools we learned to use over the course of the school year, students researched and presented their findings of sense of place, paying special care to connect their observations to Yi-Fu Tuan, the leading academic on the topic of geographical sense of place. Depending on the student’s choice of inquiry, students were assigned an academic journal article written by Yi-Fu Tuan. After annotations, students are encouraged to contemplate the philosophical thoughts of Yi-Fu Tuan during their investigation, and ultimately choose one quote from the professor that best reflects their findings, to include in their final project’s commentary.
Register and Join

Indigenous Reconciliation in Canada: Teaching Resources for Your Classroom
2022-02-07 19:00 - 19:45
Do you aspire to decolonize your classroom? This session will share several teaching resources from Canada to help educators work toward Indigenous Reconciliation in their classrooms.
Participants will be provided with a variety of tools to showcase Indigenous perspectives and reconciliation actions in their classroom, beginning with a goal to acknowledge the land we live on as ancestral homelands of First Peoples.

A variety of resources including educator guides, lesson plans, and more will be showcased from organizations such as:
-National Center for Truth & Reconciliation;
-First Nations Education Steering Committee;
-Native-Land.ca;
-Historia Canada;
-Canadian Geographic;
-Critical Thinking Consortium; and
-Select at Canadian university programs.
Join and Register

Invitations to Inquiry with FieldScope: Engaging Students with Community & Citizen Science Data
2022-02-03 19:00 - 19:45
Do you want to support kids in working with maps, graphs, and community and citizen science data sets? BSCS Science Learning has developed Invitations to Inquiry with FieldScope, free instructional activities designed to connect students with environmental data and build their confidence in working with the data to answer questions about the world. This session will focus on using an inquiry model to support students as they map and graph real-world data. Bring your computer and be ready to explore data in FieldScope.
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Geography, Student Outcomes, and Educational Equity: Future Needs
2022-02-01 19:00 - 19:45
This webinar will present the latest findings from current large-scale empirical research using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Geography. Session content will feature forthcoming articles in a special issue of the Journal of Geography.

The first 20 minutes will be devoted to the results of a descriptive analysis of geography achievement in the United States, 1994-2018.

The next 20 minutes will focus on research by doctoral students who used the NAEP Data Explorer to address questions about student achievement and classroom-level “opportunity to learn” variables (e.g., curriculum content and exposure, teacher training, teaching experience, instructional modalities, and processes). Attendees will receive copies of NAEP data reports for small-group discussion and reflection.

For More Information and Registration Information

CANCELLED: USING SOCIAL AND MULTIMEDIA TO TEACH AND FACILITATE GEOGRAPHY
2022-01-31 19:00 - 19:45
Learn how to bring your geography presentations to the next level by using social and multimedia. All grade levels (K-PhD) and types of instruction (online, hybrid, and F2F) will be addressed. Participants will be given specific examples/resources (songs, movies, sitcoms/shows, memes/pictures/images, and videos) they can use to better teach and facilitate geography. Come learn how to make geography fun again!

Bug Appétit: How Insects are Creating Globally Sustainable Foods
2022-01-25 19:00 - 19:45
This presentation is designed to introduce participants to the world of insects and how they are changing the global food scene. It is designed to incorporate science and social studies. Participants will learn background information about the environmental impact of trying to feed the world’s population. Through a variety of resources, they will learn about human-environment interaction. Content will focus on global communities, insects as a food source, and climate change. Teaching methods will be both teacher and student-centered. Kinesthetic learning will be used through a National Geographic mapping activity to teach students about different places around the world and insects that they eat. Direct instruction will be given for background information about insects, farming, and environmental impact. Materials will be provided for background reading.

MAPPING AND MAKING - GEO MAKER INSTITUTE
2022-01-20 19:00 - 19:45
In order to increase geography awareness, there has to be training of geographic perspective, content knowledge as well as exposure to ever-advancing geo-technology skills. With a blending of National Geographic Education resources and ESRI geotechnologies, Heidi Ragsdale and STEM is My Future, established the Geo Maker Institute (GMI), which provides training for K-12 teachers and students, focusing on Mapping and Making. The Problem-Based Learning course focuses on this Driving Question: “How can rural educators increase our regional citizens’ Geo-Awareness through GIS and maker training?” This NCGE presentation will include the structure of the GMI training, resources for implementation, ideas to share within formal and informal learning settings, and ideas for establishing personalized learning networks (PLN) for continued collaboration.

GIS AND STUDENTS' SPATIAL THINKING SKILLS: COGNITIVE AND BEHAVIORAL IMPACT
2022-01-12 19:00 - 19:45
For many years, we’ve discussed the impact of GIS on student learning largely through anecdotes and examples. During this time, the promise of the technology has been real, but elusive, especially in the absence of quantitative studies of its impact. For the past few years, a team of researchers from James Madison, Northwestern, Georgetown and American Universities have been conducting an in-depth study to explore the behavioral and cognitive impact of the use of GIS by high school students. In this session, we will describe the setting for this study (the Geospatial Semester in Virginia), the study’s format and the results, including both behavioral and cognitive measures (explored using fMRI). We’ll share the growing base of evidence for the impact of GIS in learning and make the case for its impact in classrooms.

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THE SDGS
2022-01-10 19:00 - 19:45
With the adoption of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, countries laid out a vision for supporting the well-being of all the world’s people, as well as the environment. In this hands-on/minds-on session, the presenter will engage participants in a classroom activity that introduces students to the SDGs – the aims, importance, and status – as well as the interconnections among the different goals. She will also facilitate activities for the classroom that take a deeper look into global inequities as they relate to energy use and climate resilience, and more localized inequities related to waste disposal. Participants will also engage in an activity that examines “needs vs. wants” and how this differs among communities here and around the globe.

Contested Landscapes-Mapping Inequality from Redlining to COVID-19
2022-01-06 19:00 - 19:45
The legacies of social, economic, and environmental injustices related to redlining are mapped through the work of the Digital Scholarship Lab at the University of Richmond. New American History explores how our digital scholarship, including Mapping Inequality, Renewing Inequality, and the Social Vulnerability Index helps K16 educators and students visualize complex data using GIS and historical documents to understand how systemic inequities persist in our communities today.

The Anthropocene: How Social Studies Teachers Should Respond
2022-01-04 19:00 - 19:45
Many scholars refer to the current period in human-environment history as the Anthropocene (the Age of Humans). No place on Earth is unaffected by human influences, and the pace and magnitude of environmental change are accelerating. This reality has both practical and ethical consequences for social studies educators. This session brings together ideas related to the importance of human-environment thinking in geography education and the ethics of what teachers should be doing to better prepare students for college, careers, and civic life in the Anthropocene.
Presenter: Thomas Larsen

The Multimedia Art Approach to Geography in the Classroom
2021-12-20 19:00 - 19:45 | Webinar
When students are able to use a hands-on approach to the learning of different types of geographical perspectives they become better learners. This session will show you how to incorporate art into any social studies classroom. You will be shown examples of student work across the different disciplines in a social studies department, as well as, the classroom. We will also be delving into how to approach and include the art discipline to achieve a cross-curriculum experience. Attendees will be given a lesson plan and shown how to incorporate 3-D or painted geography into their lesson plan to take back to their classroom

Cartooning in a Geography Classroom
2021-12-14 19:00 - 19:45 | Webinar
Cartooning in a Geography Classroom uses a PowerPoint presentation to explore the use of newspaper cartoons in grade 7 -12 classrooms. After examining the types of newspaper cartooning, participants receive strategies to read and analyze political cartoons. All material relates to the concepts of geographic thinking with suggestions to create computer-generated cartoons. Links to cartoon resources are provided.

Using Personal Travel to Enrich Geography Lessons
2021-12-09 19:00 - 19:45
This session will model methods for incorporating materials collected from personal travel experiences, and also provide information on organizations and fellowships that are available to teachers to help them travel. Through the incorporation of geospatial technologies, photos, and other technologies, teachers can use professional and personal travel to bring meaningful learning experiences back to their own students.

Invitations to Inquiry with FieldScope: Engaging Students with Community & Citizen Science Data
2021-12-06 18:30 - 19:30
Do you want to support kids in working with maps, graphs, and community and citizen science data sets? BSCS Science Learning has developed Invitations to Inquiry with FieldScope, free instructional activities designed to connect students with environmental data and build their confidence in working with the data to answer questions about the world. This session will focus on using an inquiry model to support students as they map and graph real-world data. Bring your computer and be ready to explore data in FieldScope.

NCGE Virtual Annual Meeting: Professional Development Super Saturday Kickoff
2021-12-04 12:00 - 18:00
Based on your feedback, this year’s professional development initiative is designed to fit your lifestyle and support you in delivering quality geography education by offering a Super Saturday Kickoff that continues all year long. The half-day Kickoff will provide you with the most engaging and comfortable environment to experience your best virtual event yet.

Enhance your professional learning by participating in dozens of quality geography grade level sessions.
Get the latest resources, technology, and approaches to geography education.
Learn from prominent keynote speakers.
Connect with other like-minded professionals via virtual networking.
Join the virtual awards banquet & help celebrate those who are making a significant difference in geography education.
Attend NCGE’s Annual Meeting & learn more about the leadership and their vision for geography education.
Gain free access to grade-level focused professional development webinars and workshops for one year.

101st NCSS Annual Conference
2021-11-15 00:00 - 2021-11-19 00:00
The NCSS 101st Annual Conference will be held online from Monday-Sunday, November 15-21, 2021. Last year we delivered the hottest virtual conference of the season, and this year will be no different as we focus on Solidarity in Social Studies.
Our full week will provide you with the most engaging and comfortable environment to experience your best virtual event yet.
You will not need to attend the virtual conference for a full week. Most of the live presentations will be scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, and perhaps during the week in the evening. New recorded sessions will be released each day for on-demand viewing.

Applying Geographic Thinking Skills with Your Learners
2021-10-11 20:31 - 2021-12-31 00:00
When confronted with any issue, geographers ask three important questions:

Where is it?
Why is it there?
Why do we care?

Geographic thinking can be applied with learners at any age, in any situation. Geographers view every issue through multiple perspectives and at multiple scales to gain a full understanding. This short, introductory course provides background for all formal and informal educators interested in bringing geographic thinking to their instruction.
This course is entirely self-paced and should take no more than 90 minutes to complete.

Teaching with GIS, Even During a Pandemic-Part II: Student data collection with ArcGIS Online.
2021-04-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Webinar
This session is a follow-up to an introduction to using ArcGIS Online.
This session will demonstrate data collection with ArcGIS Online, a web-based geographic information system that is free for use by K12 teachers and their students. For the past five years, our team of teachers and university faculty has been using ArcGIS and its related tools to teach high school social studies and science. During the pandemic, we have successfully shifted our instruction online, setting up geographic inquiries with data that students collect in their neighborhoods. Learn how to use Field Maps and Survey123, two tools for bringing data into ArcGIS, and explore how you might bring hands-on data collection and GIS into your classroom.
