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action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home4/sawpub/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114Today we\u2019re going to take a look at the case for geography. If I\u2019m perfectly honest, the case for geography has actually been the most difficult of the \u201cCase for . . .\u201d posts to write\u2014maybe because I grew up learning geography as a supplement to other topics, maybe just because I\u2019m more of a history-and-literature person, and geography feels too much like a science to be particularly relatable.<\/p>\n
However, as I dug into this less-glamorous topic I found that yes, indeed, there is a case for geography just waiting to be made!<\/p>\n
This globe we call earth is an incredibly complex and many-faceted place. But due to the limits of our own experiences, most of us have first-hand knowledge of only the tiniest fraction of this vast world.<\/p>\n
Geography helps a student put their life\u2014their city\u2014their country\u2014their hemisphere\u2014into a global context. Why do you need to sit on a plane for almost six hours to get from New York to Los Angeles, even though you can get from Minot to San Antonio in just five? Why does Florida get sunshine when Denver is buried in snow? Why is the Upper Nile further south than the Lower?<\/p>\n
Geography answers these, and thousands of other questions, by putting the individual pieces of our experience into the world context in which they exist.<\/p>\n
Just as geography gives context to our own contemporary experience, so too it gives context to both history and culture as well.<\/p>\n
The events of time take place in space. In fact, in the majority of cases, this element of space has been a hugely determining factor in what<\/em> took place at all. Wars are fought, kingdoms are established, discoveries are made, cultures are built, all within the framework of a physical, geographic context.<\/p>\n Britannia doesn\u2019t rule the waves, if the United Kingdom happens to be landlocked. Napoleon doesn\u2019t cross the Alps if Italy is divided from the rest of Europe by a dessert\u2014or a river\u2014or a Mediterranean Ocean.<\/p>\n Geography, quite simply, plays an integral and inalienable role in the study of history and culture, past and present.<\/p>\n Regardless of your opinion on<\/em> the climate debate, it is obviously a heavily-charged subject in our current world. Our understanding of the earth, its features, and the systems at play on those features, will naturally have a significant impact on our view of this issue.<\/p>\n In fact, before a student can discuss the concept of climate change<\/em>, it is necessary for them to have a solid concept of what the word climate even stands for in the first place. Geography introduces students to this multifaceted topic as they study not only the earth\u2019s physical surface, but the way heat, cold, weather patterns and more collide with, and even define, natural features around the globe.<\/p>\n Yes, yes, I know. Laugh if you want to\u2014after all, it\u2019s the runner-up argument. But map reading, like many other convenient talents, is not<\/em> something that comes by intuition.<\/p>\n I am the last person to grumble about GPS. I love being told where to turn, and where to go straight, and how to get to a destination one step at a time. But it is also true that these types of luxuries are decreasing our familiarity with maps. And that, if nothing else, is a bit of a shame, just because maps are wonderful devices for empowering confidence, independence, a clear sense of direction, and other problem-solving navigational skills.<\/p>\n Does geography deserve a place in our school curriculum? In my opinion, it certainly does!<\/p>\n I would add one caveat to that, however. Just as geography is a priceless tool in establishing context, so it is virtually meaningless without having a context in which to be applied. Incorporating geography into your history and\/or social studies curriculum is an effective technique, especially for the younger grades. By combining geography with another subject, you make both more meaningful!<\/p>\n Are you looking for some fun ways to start your geographical journey? Take a look at our previous post:<\/p>\n3) Geography Equips Students to Approach the Climate Debate<\/strong><\/h5>\n
Runner-Up Argument: Geography Encourages Map Reading<\/strong><\/h5>\n
My Verdict on the Case for Geography<\/strong><\/h5>\n