Become a Geography Genius!

A few years ago, a National Geographic Society survey* revealed that 13% of Americans aged 18 - 24 could not locate the country of Iraq on a world map. Furthermore, only 51% of the survey's participants were able to point out the state of New York on a map of the United States. At first, figures like this make us laugh. We're a little embarrassed by the results but come on, you say, it's not a big deal. But it is a big deal: only 89% of the Americans surveyed were able to locate their own country on a world map. And if adults cannot locate countries on a map - sometimes their own country - where does that leave students in the classroom?

Now, more than ever, is the time to get your class to go global. With news streaming in from every corner of the globe on our television sets, it's important for students to learn more about the world around them.

National Geography Awareness Week is an excellent way of helping students become more focused on their world.
Held every year from November 11 - 17, National Geography Awareness Week aims to improve students' knowledge and understanding of continents and their countries by exploring their geographical locations, local customs and history.

This year Asia is being celebrated so teachers are encouraged to explain different parts of the Asian culture to their students - this can include exploring traditional Asian music, tasting different types of Asian foods, listening to Asian music or learning about traditional Asian art. The possibilites are endless when it comes to learning more about Asia.

Here are some ideas that come in handy for celebrating Asia during National Geography Awareness Week:

- Postcards: Give your students different countries and have them create fun and unique postcards that reflect the culture of Asia. Once the postcards have been made, ask the students to talk about them in class and then hang them on a bulletin board.

- Chinese Calligraphy: Students will love to learn about ancient Chinese calligraphy and all the different styles and techniques of the art. You might also like to conduct a basic calligraphy workshop to get your students involved.

- Virtual Tours: Using visual aides will help students broaden their knowledge of Asia. If your class is tech savvy, ask your students to locate 5 different Asian landmarks using the internet. Once this is done, students can get into small groups and make dioramas of the landmarks and present them to the class at the end of the week.

- Story Time: Give each of your students a country of Asia and have them write a day-in-the-life-of story that explains the traditional customs of their country. Bind the stories together to make a class book. This will allow students to glimpse into different Asian countries and become more aware of their geographical location and culture.

National Geography Awareness Week is not an event that only helps students point out previously-unknown locations on a map, but it improves a student's understanding of the world around them - which is something that is both crucial and invaluable for the future.

*Survey: http://archives.cnn.com/2002/EDUCATION/11/20/geography.quiz/

Resource: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geographyaction/teacher_resources.html

Written by Rachel Oakley

Educational Writer for Gigglepotz.com