Two wonderful things happened for geography education in 1988: National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Robert Ballard, the discoverer of the Titanic, decided to establish the JASON Project, a yearlong science program, and Illinois teacher Judy Bock participated in her first National Geographic professional development program.

A common interest in geography education propelled Bock—a cultural geographer—and Ballard—a marine geologist— along different tracks toward the same goal: increasing opportunities for students to gain geographic knowledge. Now Bock is a JASON teacher and Ballard’s program to connect her students with real science.

The JASON Project, supported by the National Geographic Society Education Foundation, offers students in grades four through nine an opportunity to research a specific theme through various disciplines including, but not limited to: ecology, biology, geology, meteorology, oceanography, sociology, anthropology, and history. Each year JASON’s field institute immerses the JASON teachers from across curriculum with firsthand, scientific experiences in ideal environments.

This year’s JASON XIII Frozen Worlds Field Institute took Judy and the JASON teachers to Alaska. There they learned, among other things, the connections between native cultures and their physical surroundings—fundamental connections Judy utilizes to teach geography. Teachers witnessed the native cultures’ reverence for Alaska’s wildlife, which they observed in its natural habitat, in songs and stories by Tlingit elders and through visits to local museums. Environmental issues which threaten not only the food web, but also ancient ways of life were clearly articulated by lectures from several researchers in various fields ranging from marine biology to glacial geology. The teachers saw the landscape, they listened to its people, and they gained an understanding of its cultures. Bock and her fellow JASON teachers have something few educators can offer their students, an in-depth perspective of a truly unique region and its people.

“Through the years, curricula like the JASON Project have helped me to teach students about the white spaces on their mental maps in new and interesting ways” says Judy Bock. “Introducing new ideas to my students and using innovative techniques and technology energize me. I hope that my enthusiasm for lifelong learning and for geography is transferred to my students.”

Since her first National Geographic training session, Bock has contributed to the National Geography Standards publication, Geography for Life, and helped found the Illinois Geographic Alliance. “She is,” as a colleague says, “constantly reinventing herself in terms of her teaching.”

Bock received a teacher grant from the National Geographic Society for her project Images of Illinois, a creative classroom-mapping project. Her students took photos of various landscapes and used digital versions to produce computer maps of Illinois. The Images of Illinois lesson is an excellent example of the type of original concepts Bock so willingly shares with her peers.

By exploring her own potential and the world around her, Judy Bock transformed her classroom into a base camp for scientific knowledge and geographic understanding.

Bock and fellow teacher consultant Steve McCarville use a handheld global positioning system to gather data en route to Tracy Arm Fjord near Juneau, Alaska. Photograph by Mark Bockenhauer

• Learn more about the JASON Project
• Meet National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Bob Ballard
• Pay a virtual visit to Peter J. Palombi Middle School
• Find out more about the Illinois Geographic Alliance

To be a part of our team of inspirational educators, join our Educator Network, the Geography Teaching Alliances.

• Winning an NGS Teacher Grant started Peggy Clay on a path from her Alabama classroom to NGS Headquarters.
• A desire for improvement and professional development spurred North Carolina teacher Steve Pierce to pursue national board certification.
• Oregon life science teacher Jere Fitterman took her students to the river for a firsthand lesson in watershed conservation—and art.