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Workshop Summaries
Throughout
this workshop, case studies are paired with classroom segments
to provide rich exploration of geographic themes and pedagogical
context. Additional commentary on teaching methodology and
regional and human geography present a strong foundation
for teaching any region of the world
Workshop
1. Introduction
Part
1. El Paso and Ciudad Juarez: Life on the Borderlands
This
workshop introduces the 18 national geography standards,
showing how they can explain the complexity of our geographic
world. A case study of neighboring cities El Paso, Texas
and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico highlights the importance
of understanding spatial relationships and geography's
effect on human lives.
Part
2. NASA: A Lofty View
This
half hour provides a framework for inquiry-based teaching,
introducing the five geographic skills associated with
good scientific inquiry. Our case study follows a NASA
space shuttle mission and the geographic insights it provides.
The commanding view of earth from space points out the
benefits of shuttle- and satellite-gathered imagery that
is employed in the accompanying classroom segment. In
that segment, our teacher uses a new NASA-developed Mission
Geography Inquiry lesson to help his students understand
the geographic factors surrounding Russia's shrinking
Aral Sea.
Workshop
2. Latin America
Part
1. Guatemala and Mexico: Population Migration
In
this program, we investigate the geographical issues associated
with human migration. During the case study, we will come
to understand why many rural Mayans migrate for a few
months each year to Guatemala City and how this temporary
displacement affects the Maya population. In the final
portion of the program, we will see a classroom segment
in which students investigate a similar pattern of migration
in Mexico.
Part
2. Ecuador: Preventing Tragedy Through Understanding Geography
This
half of the workshop addresses the relationship that people
who live near volcanoes have with their geographic surroundings.
In Ecuador, we focus on Mount Tungurahua. Drawn by its
hot springs and fertile soil, area residents and tourists
must also confront the very real possibility of a life-threatening
eruption. We follow geographers as they study Tungurahua,
putting their research to work in preventing future tragedy.
Later, in our classroom segment, students discuss the
relationship between volcanoes and earthquakes and weigh
the pros and cons of living near such natural hazards.
Workshop
3. North America
Part
1. Boston and Denver: Mapping Urban Economic Development
In
this program, we examine urban areas in terms of ethnic
diversity and income. We first focus on Boston and its
"empowerment zones," impoverished areas mapped
by geographers as those areas most in need of government
grants for economic redevelopment. Following the case
study, we visit a classroom in which students use maps
derived from Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to investigate
the distribution patterns of poverty in Denver.
Part
2. Chicago, Philadelphia and San Antonio: U.S. City Development
This
half of the workshop examines suburban sprawl and its
implications. First, we look at Chicago and the trend
toward movement away from the city and into surrounding
farmlands. Following the case study, Philadelphia students
examine that city's growth over the past 300 years and
another class in San Antonio uses census data to investigate
the future of their city's expansion.
Workshop
4. North Africa/Southwest Asia
Part
1. Israel: Sacred Space Under Siege
The
video program for this workshop addresses Israel's status
as an enclave of Jewish culture surrounded by Islamic
states. Our case study focuses on Jerusalem's history
as a religiously significant city for Muslims, Jews, and
Christians. We examine the spatial distribution of these
religious groups in the past and raise the question of
how to organize Jerusalem in the future. Our classroom
segment features Ungennette Brantley Harris leading her
class in an investigation of what life is like for Palestinians
living in Israel's occupied territories. Her students
explore what it means to be a refugee and work to address
the living conditions in refugee camps.
Part
2. Egypt: Water in the Desert
Here,
we investigate the limited natural resources in Egypt.
Our case study examines the pressure on the Nile watershed
in light of an increasing urban population and discusses
the government's response to this issue. Later, we will
see a hands-on activity in the classroom designed to help
students understand the gravity of competition for Egypt's
resources.
Workshop
5. Sub-Saharan Africa
Part
1. South Africa: This Land Is My Land
This
program considers present-day issues in South Africa resulting
from the redressing of land inequities under apartheid.
In the case study, we follow a geographer investigating
the disparity in land productivity of black and white
farmers. During the classroom segment, students come to
understand land allocation in South Africa through a role-playing
activity.
Part
2. Kenya: Understanding Sickness
In
this part of the workshop, we look at the spread of HIV-AIDS
in sub-Saharan Africa. Our case study focuses on Kenya,
where HIV-AIDS is one of the biggest threats to the population
and, ultimately, to national development. Our classroom
segment features Shirley Hutchins and her eighth-grade
class as they use a case study approach to develop their
understanding of HIV-AIDS in Kenya. After analyzing geographic
information, Shirley's students present their findings
through a CNN news report, letter to the Kenyan Minister
of Health, and a Venn diagram comparing Kenyan and American
attitudes toward HIV-AIDS.
Workshop
6. Russia
Part
1. St. Petersburg: Russia's Window on the West
This
program examines the development of cities in Russia,
past and present, and looks to what the future holds in
a post-Soviet society. St. Petersburg serves as our case
study, from its roots in the vision of Peter the Great,
to the difficulties transitioning from a communist system
to a free market economy. Following the case study, we
visit a classroom in which students participate in an
inquiry-based exercise to determine where cities are located
in Russia and why.
Part
2. Dagestan: Russia's Southern Challenge
This
workshop explores the opportunities for both cooperation
and conflict when cultures interact. First, we explore
Dagestan as one part of Russia's cultural mosaic and the
reasons for its continued membership in the Russian Federation.
We also see how the people of Dagestan react to conflicts
in neighboring Chechnya. Later we visit a classroom where
students participate in a role-playing exercise negotiating
cultural boundaries in the fictional country of "Ugeria"
in order to better understand real-world cultural conflicts.
Workshop
7. Europe
Part
1. Berlin and Amsterdam: City Rebirth and Growth
This
workshop examines urban locations in the geographic region
of Europe. We begin with Berlin's new role as the capital
of a reunified Germany and as a symbol of a more unified
Europe. The growth and development occurring with former
East Berlin's integration points to city reorganization
and economic expansion. Later, high school students in
Denver compare their city's modern grid to Amsterdam's
older European city rings. They demonstrate their understanding
of city organization and function by creating brochures
that highlight the positive aspects of Amsterdam and writing
letters to city planners to address improvements that
might be made.
Part
2. Strasbourg and the European Union: Supranationalism
in Europe and Beyond
Supranationalism,
the willingness of several countries to give up some measure
of sovereignty for the benefit of all, is a driving force
in modern Europe. This program looks at supranationalism
and at the city of Strasbourg as a locus of power in the
European Union. Our case study looks at the geographic
determination of Strasbourg's role as the home of the
Council of Europe and the seat of the European Court of
Human Rights and the European Union's European Parliament.
Later, we watch an AP Human Geography class debate the
implications of supranationalism in Europe and North America.
Workshop
8. Global Forces/Local Impact
Part
1. Guangdong, China and Southeast Asia: Booming Economies
and Quality of Life
In
this program, we focus on globalization in the context
of the geographical region of Asia. First, our case study
takes us to Guangdong, where we see the effects of modernization
and globalization on China's population. Later we visit
a classroom where students use economic development measures
to examine the disparity in quality of life in Southeast
Asia.
Part
2. Oregon and Pennsylvania: Water Resources and Human
Interaction
The
first part of this workshop looks at the difficulties
associated with limited water resources. First, our case
study takes us to Oregon, where Native American fishing
interests collide with farmers' need for irrigation. Later,
we visit two Pennsylvania classes who take to the field
to investigate the human effects on water resources in
their communities of Philadelphia and Harrisburg.
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