Geography & the Common Core

Mapping out our Place in the New Curriculum

http://rigea.org

http://www.corestandards.org/

Geography of the Common Core

http://www.scoop.it/t/geography-education?q=common+core

Geography for Life: Six Essential Elements1.  The world in spatial terms• Geographers study the relationships between people, places, and environments by mapping

information about them into a spatial context.

2.  Places and regions• Identities and lives of individuals and peoples are rooted in particular places and in those

human constructs called regions

3.  Physical systems• Physical processes shape the Earth’s surface and how they interact with plant and animal life to

create, sustain, and modify ecosystems.

4.  Human systems• People are central to geography in that human activities help shape the Earth’s surface, human

settlements and structures.

5.  Environment and society• The physical environment is modified by human activities, as a consequence of the ways in

which human societies value and use Earth’s natural resources.

6.  The uses of geography• Geography enables people to develop an understanding of the relationships between people,

places, and environments over time.

Knowledge Statements Theme

Performance Statements

Grade Bands

Strand

Anchor Standards

Grade Specific Standards

Grade by Grade

Aligning GLF and the Common Core

Performance StatementsGrade Specific Standards

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/common-core-ela-geography-connections/?ar_a=1

Definition of geo-literacy

• “It must be stated that the CCSS-ELA standards were not designed to supplant the disciplinary standards in social studies or science but rather to emphasize the need for INTEGRATION.”

• Geo-literacy – the set of geographic concepts and skills that are required to recognize when decisions may have far-reaching consequences and the ability to reason through them systematically.

• Three components of geo-literacy• 1. interaction – between human and natural systems• 2. interconnections – focuses on geographic reasoning• 3. implications – understanding impacts of decisions, and being able

to make well-reasoned decisions.

http://sco.lt/8ze7v7

http://www.scoop.it/t/geography-education?tag=English

Geography and English?

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/ngs-common-core/?ar_a=1

An ExampleELA Content Standards Geography Performance

StatementsReading

Grade One1. Ask and answer questions

about key details in a text.

GEOGRAPHY STANDARD 18: HOW TO APPLY GEOGRAPHY TO INTERPRET THE PRESENT AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

Theme: Changes in Geographic Contexts

4th Grade Band2.A. Describe current changes in places, regions, and environments and predict how these locations may be different in the future

What physical forces and processes account for the presence of these islands in the Ocean? In a geological time scale, what does the future hold for these islands. What would be the main economic assets of the Maldives? What would be the main economic and environmental concerns of this country?

http://www.barbareeduke.com/commoncore/

http://www.thinkfinity.org/groups/common-core/blog/2013/09/03/the-geography-and-literacy-connection

READING STANDARD #6• Assess how point of view or purpose shapes

the content and style of a text.

READING STANDARD #9• Analyze how two or more texts address similar

themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2012/thanksgiving/

http://sco.lt/4sroEj

READING STANDARD #8• Delineate and evaluate the argument and

specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

READING STANDARD #1• Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to

make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/diabetes/

READING STANDARD #1• Read closely to determine what the text says

explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

READING STANDARD #2• Determine central ideas or themes of a text

and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

http://storymaps.esri.com/UnemploymentPopulation/

READING STANDARD #3• Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas

develop and interact over the course of a text.

http://storymaps.esri.com/stories/2012/top-ten-hurricanes/

READING STANDARD #5• Analyze the structure of texts, including how

specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g.--a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

http://www.audubon.org/plover

http://www.audubon.org/plover

READING STANDARD #7• Integrate and evaluate content presented in

diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

READING STANDARD #10• Read and comprehend complex literary and

informational texts independently and proficiently.

How can competent teachers help students understand a complex

interconnected world?

Provide geographic informationTeach geographic concepts

Use data, maps, and geospatial technologyAsk questions which encourage spatial thinking.

Geographic Literacy

Some Examples – Grade 2