In an earlier post here, we discussed concept-based learning and how you begin with an essential question. So, let’s begin with what an essential question looks like:
- Can’t be answered with a “yes” or “no”
- Have no single obvious right answer
- Can’t be answered from rote memory (simple recall of facts)
- Match the rigor of the “unwrapped” Priority Standard
- Go beyond who, what, when, and where to how and why”
There is no correct way to teach geography, but there are some best practices. I began my teaching career in geography 26 years ago. It was in Memphis City Schools, Memphis, TN. At that time, the district focused on concept-based teaching. It aimed at teaching to the big ideas. They encouraged conceptual-based learning inspired by Lynn Erikson’s concept-based instruction. At first, I found it very challenging to implement this strategy into my lessons. It was a new concept. It significantly varied from the way we had all been presenting content to our students. It took persistence. It took patience. I believe it was a huge part of why my students enjoyed geography and were able to grasp it. An example of this would be teaching the concept of “human population” and then applying this concept to world population ideas and issues throughout the world such as:
- Push and pull factors of migration
- Cartograms, and population density maps,
- Causes and outcomes of population growth and decline
- China’s one-child policies due to overpopulation
- Africa’s population decline,
- Europe’s population decline, etc.
This conceptual-based learning worked well and students were learning and grasping the concepts and material. I needed to spend more time on the concept with my students. It gave them a BIG PICTURE of everything surrounding the population. It worked and it made them think at higher levels, working and strengthening their brain connectivity. It gave them a different viewpoint of looking at geography, rather than focusing on one small concept at a time.
Just to give you an idea, when planning each concept-based lesson, I would begin with a brainstorming bubble. In the center circle, I would type in an essential question. An essential question is an open-ended question. Educators use these questions to spark student interest (they always have to use big terminology). I say, let’s not make this harder than it has to be.
Let’s stop here so as not to give you too much information that overwhelms you. Start practicing with writing essential questions before you master anything else. Only pick 3-4 topics that will help your students answer the open-ended question at the end of each mini-lesson.
Here are some tools to help this process go more smoothly:
Make Your Own Map Quiz (I would highly suggest this resource over pre-made assessments as you can reuse it and if you have to retest all you need to do is change the number around in 5 minutes.)
World Map Quizzes This resource provides pre-made quizzes for all continents breaking them up into regions.
Around the World Game, this game allows students to have fun and recall on which continent each country lies. Students would play this during downtime. They also played it on days when they had pep rallies. They also played it when they had other school activities and would miss classes. They love it! It gets them up and moving while learning.
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Geography & Math Made Easy 