National Geographic Education Foundation -- News and Resources

• "Bring Back Geography," ArcNews, Spring 2007
Jerome E. Dobson, president of the American Geographical Society and professor of geography, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, offers a timely call to action.

• "Geography 'must be made relevant,'" BBC News, January 17, 2008
A report from top school inspectors finds geography to be England's worst taught subject.

Reports and Findings

• Summary of NCLB Appropriations for Core Subjects (PDF) A chart showing the amounts recommended and appropriated for "core subjects" under No Child Left Behind from 2002-2009.

• Global Awareness among list of 21st Century Skills Global Awareness is cited as a 21st century interdisciplinary theme necessary for students to learn in addition to core subjects.

• Learning to Think Spatially: GIS as a Support System in the K-12 Curriculum
A new publication by the National Academy of Sciences recognizing that spatial thinking will play a significant role in the information-based economy of the twenty-first century. The book examines how spatial thinking might be incorporated into existing standards-based instruction across the school curriculum.

• National Geographic-Roper 2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey (PDF)
Data from the survey, which measured the geographic literacy of 18- to 24-year-olds in nine countries.

• National Geographic-Roper 2006 Geographic Literacy Study (PDF)
Data from the survey, which measured the geographic literacy of 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States and served as a follow-up to the 2002 Roper Poll.

• National Geographic Society Alliance Report: Executive Summary (PDF)
A 2006 evaluation of the state geographic alliances (by the Evaluation and Training Institute [ETI]).

• High Growth Industry Profile: Geospatial Technology (PDF)
A 2004 U.S. Department of Labor report on the growing geospatial technology industry.

• No Geographer Left Behind (for Teachers) (PDF)
An educator's guide to geography education and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

• No Geographer Left Behind (PDF)
A policy guide to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

• What Works in Geography Education (PDF Large File Size, 5.3 MB)
A review of research studies and promising practices that demonstrates the effectiveness of efforts to improve geographic literacy and teacher quality.

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Geography Resources From National Geographic

• My Wonderful World public engagement campaign

• Country and state profiles

• MapMachine online atlas

• Easy-print maps (made for copying and printing)

• One-Stop Research: Map, Fact, and Photo Finder

• Complete list of all geography resources

Classroom Resources From National Geographic

• Education home page

• Lesson plans, activities, outline maps

• Geography Action! Educator network and resources