CONCEPTS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY Topics and Approaches for Integrated Instruction Maggie Legates, Delaware Geographic Alliance, August 2010

Geography has a lot to offer for curriculum planning

points of integration Thinking and Doing  Spatial reasoning and organization  Language development  Modeling and graphic representation of data  Observation and evaluation of surroundings  Scientific thinking  Appreciation of diversity

points of integration Topics and Content  Mapping, modeling, graphs, graphics  Patterns and relationships  Data and data analysis  Physical systems  Human adaptations and alterations of the environment  Biological and cultural diversity  Change over time

This morning’s goals: Goal 1 Overview of three physical systems of Earth- mountain building/erosion water cycles atmospheric circulation

Goal 2  Overview of the perspectives and approaches of geography  Spatial analysis  Environmental perspective  Human-related  Problem-solving and scientific approach

Goal 3  Share resources and teaching strategies  Visual images, graphics, maps  Data and databases  Teaching ideas and tools  Community resources

Goal 4  Challenge and inspire you to make connections, encourage students to learn to know and care for the Earth.

What feature of earth is  Most beautiful?  Most dangerous?  Most awe-inspiring?  What makes you think so?