Before
You Watch
Before viewing
the video programs for Workshop 4: Latin America, please read
the National Geography Standards featured
in this workshop. You may read the standards here on the Web,
in your print guide, or in Geography
for Life. We encourage you to read Geography for Life
in its entirety as you move through the workshops. It contains
further background on the National Standards, numerous examples
and rich illustrations aiding interpretation, valuable tools for
strengthening and developing lessons, and additional insight on
geography's significance to our daily lives.
The National
Geography Standards highlighted in this workshop include Standards
4, 7, 9, and 15. As you read the standards, be thinking about
how they might apply in lessons you have taught.
Also, prior
to attending the workshop, you should explore the associated Key
Maps and Interactive Activities and read the Video Program Overviews
below, paying close attention to the Questions To Consider.
Video Program
Overviews: Europe
Part 1.
Berlin and Amsterdam: City Rebirth and Growth
In 1989, the
destruction of the Berlin Wall paved the way for the reunification
of East and West Germany after more than 40 years of antagonism.
The wall not only divided a country, but provided a concrete symbol
for East-West opposition throughout Europe during the Cold War.
Since the Wall came down, though, Berlin has struggled to define
itself as a reunified city.
In this case
study, we visit the neighborhoods of Kurfurstendamm, Kreuzberg,
and Friedrichshain, as well as Potsdamer Platz, in order to examine
the process of Germany's reunification and growth. We see that,
in addition to the significant commercial features of reunification,
there have been tremendous political developments as well. Germany
moved its capital from Bonn back to Berlin; they have also refurbished
the Reichstag. In these ways, German officials are forging the
way for this undivided city to symbolize not only the integration
of East and West Germany, but also the shared interests of a more
unified Europe.
Paired with
this case study is a classroom segment on Amsterdam. Craig Cogswell's
high school students create brochures encouraging economic development
and write letters addressing various problems in that city. In
so doing, his students come to understand various aspects of urban
organization in a European context.
Objectives
Participants
will be able to:
Featured
Educator
Mr. Craig
Cogswell, 11th- and 12th-grade world geography teacher, Westminster
High School, Westminster, Colorado
Craig
Cogswell has master's degrees in secondary education and educational
technology from the University of Colorado and has taught at ASGI
and as a guest lecturer at the University of Northern Colorado.
He received the Dave Hill Award for the advancement of geographic
education in Colorado in 1999 and was named Colorado Teacher of
the Year in 2000. Craig's lesson for this program encourages critical
thinking with regards to urban organization in the context of
Amsterdam.
Part 2.
Strasbourg and the European Union: Supranationalism in Europe
and Beyond
Why is the
city of Strasbourg such a strong contender to become the capital
of a more politically unified Europe? The answer lies in the symbolic
significance of Strasbourg's location and history. Literally meaning
"city of the roads that cross," Strasbourg serves as
an intersection for roads leading west to Atlantic Europe, east
to Central Europe, north to Great Britain, and south to the Mediterranean
world. Further, Strasbourg's location on the Rhine River between
two of Europe's strongest historical rivals - France and Germany
- provides the means to showcase both cultures. Cultural integration
was furthered in January 1993 when the European Union agreed to
allow citizens free circulation between its member countries,
negating the need for border stops and reducing customs checks.
In addition
to its cultural duality, Strasbourg's political role as home to
the Council of Europe and European Court of Human Rights has further
social and economic implications for its residents. As European
supranationalism expands and Strasbourg's role in the European
Union evolves, its inhabitants must re-examine their identity
in a multi-layered context - French, German, European.
This case
study is followed by a lively debate among Andy Aiken's AP Human
Geography students as they discuss the merits of trade alliances
such as the European Union and North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA). In this classroom, we see that open discussion encourages
students to take a stand and articulate geographic issues.
Objectives
Participants
will be able to:
Featured
Educator
Mr. Andy
Aiken, 10th- through 12th-grade AP human geography teacher, Boulder
High School, Boulder, Colorado
Andy
Aiken is active in the Colorado Geographic Alliance, having assisted
in the creation of the state geography standards. He recently
received a grant from the Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools
to teach other area high school educators how to incorporate world
geography and history computer software into their curriculums.
In our program on Europe, Andy leads a classroom discussion on
supranationalism in the European Union and North America.
