This lesson asks students to analyze the geographic components of several topics and to determine how geography can be used for a variety of purposes. They will read the U.S. National Geography Standards to use as a reference point for determining the types of concepts that are considered geographic. Students will conclude by designing magazines or Web sites to help people understand the geographic components of an environmental problem.

Geography

Standard 18: "How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future"

Three to four hours

• Computer with Internet access

Students will

• browse through National Geographic Web sites and list the features they think are not related to geography;
• discuss how most everything has a geographic component, including other school subjects;
• read the National Geography Standards and refine their definitions of "geography";
• go through three National Geographic Web sites and list examples of geographic information;
• write paragraphs explaining how geographic concepts in one of the features can be used by different people;
• discuss the geographic components of environmental and social problems; and
• design magazines or Web sites to help people understand the geographic components of an environmental or social problem.

Ask students to define the word "geography." They should focus on their own understanding of this word rather than a dictionary definition. What topics are geographic? What types of knowledge and skills would they need to possess to be considered good at geography?

Discuss examples of geography in students' daily lives. How do they use geography to plan their weekends, decide which college to attend, figure out a career path, plan a meal, or do other things?

Have students spend 10 or 15 minutes looking at the titles on National Geographic's Complete Site Index and browsing a few sites listed there. Ask them to list the geographic topics that these sites cover. Then have them list features that they feel are not related to geography.

Discuss students' lists as a class. For each feature on their "nongeographic" list, can anyone think of how this topic might indeed be related to geography? Discuss their ideas as a class, emphasizing that most topics have a geographic component.

Have students spend a few minutes looking at the National Geography Standards. Explain that these standards are the ones teachers use to make sure they are covering all the major aspects of geography students need to know about. After they have looked at the standards, have students add words and terms to their original definitions of geography.

Ask students to think back to their studies of the American Revolution or the Civil War. Did they learn any geographic information when studying these topics? Which components of these topics do they think are particularly related to geography (e.g., the effects of the harsh winter weather at Valley Forge or the effects of the locations of rivers and mountains on troop movements or battle outcomes)?

Explain that some information is strictly historical (e.g., dates and people's names), but much of what students learn in history is related to geography. Can they think of geographic components to other subjects, such as language arts or math?

Have students go to at least three of the National Geographic sites listed below. Ask them to analyze the contents of each site and list as many examples of geographic (as opposed to historical, mathematical, etc.) information as they can find in each. They may want to refer back to the National Geography Standards for ideas.

Everest 50
Eye in the Sky
Inside Chiquibul
Lewis & Clark
Remembering Pearl Harbor
Trekking Nepal
The Underground Railroad

Examples for Trekking Nepal include the following: differences between Western and Nepalese cultures; physical characteristics of the Himalaya (e.g., what the mountains look like); human impacts on the mountain ecosystem and on traditional Nepalese culture.

Have students choose one of the sites above and write short paragraphs explaining how the geographic concepts in this site might be used by

• people in occupations related to the topics covered on the site;
• people with hobbies related to the content of the site; and
• people who are trying to solve environmental or social problems.

If students need more guidance in this exercise, ask them to look for clues as to the people involved in this feature—scientists, people on vacation, environmentalists—and think about the specific geographic skills and knowledge that these people might use.

Ask students to describe some of the environmental and social problems they are familiar with. How do these problems relate to the geographic concepts they have learned about and to the National Geography Standards? How can maps and other geographic skills be used to help identify and solve these problems? Discuss these questions as a class, having students provide specific examples.

Have students, either individually, in pairs, or in small groups, think of an environmental or social problem. The problem can be one discussed in a National Geographic site or one they have heard about elsewhere.

Ask students to design magazines or Web sites that will help people better understand this problem and showcase how this problem relates to geography. Their magazines or Web sites should include

• an overview of the problem;
• one or more maps showing where the problem is occurring and demonstrating relevant information about the situation; and
• a few brief articles and features (e.g., interviews, travelogues, editorials, letters to the editor, features describing a place, photographs, drawings, puzzles, or quizzes).

If you are short on time, just have students outline their magazines or Web sites without actually creating them. If you have more time, have students go ahead and create the full magazine issue or Web site.

Have students share their creations with the class, explaining how this magazine or Web site might effectively inspire people their age to become interested in, and possibly involved in, this issue.

Have students explore National Geographic's Power of Inspiration site. Then ask them to think of the careers they might like to pursue. Have them write paragraphs describing the geographic components of these careers (e.g., the parts of their jobs that would require geographic knowledge and skills).

National Geographic Online
National Geographic: Complete Site Index
National Geography Standards