February 2007 Archives

Congratulations to Connie Ratcliffe, the winner of our first sweepstakes—a trip for four to the Galápagos Islands, provided by My Wonderful World coalition member Lindblad Expeditions.

Ratcliffe, principal of Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Roanoke, Virginia, is excited to be able to bring the Galápagos to her students through this trip. "It’s a wonderful opportunity to link learning and real life together," she says. "Many of my students have never had the chance to experience anything like this before, except in picture books."

Ratcliffe and three companions will travel from May 4-13 through the 3,000-square-mile Galápagos archipelago. During the voyage Ratcliffe and fellow educators will come face-to-face with some of the world’s most unusual flora and fauna. The Galápagos archipelago, made up of 13 large islands and over 100 smaller ones, is home to giant tortoises, marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, penguins and boobies, among other species. Charles Darwin’s study of the wildlife of the Galápagos helped lead him to his theories about evolution and biology.

Ratcliffe’s students are designing scientific experiments for their principal to perform during the expedition. In addition, Ratcliffe also will develop activities to link ecology issues to analytical thinking and writing skills, and several of her teachers are creating geography, science and Spanish-language lesson plans around the islands. Rafcliffe will chronicle the voyage with photographs and a diary, and her traveling companions will help with the educational projects.

“We are thrilled an educator has won this expedition; it is a great opportunity to show students that there’s more to geography than just places on a map,” said Jill Monk, acting executive director of the National Geographic Education Foundation and vice president of Education and Children’s Programs. “We thank Lindblad Expeditions for this reminder that learning about the world can be a fun adventure, as we help our children gain a better understanding of our complicated world.”

Thank you to all who entered the sweepstakes, and keep an eye out for our next opportunity!

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This month, work with teachers and administrators to think through ways that school can be more global for students. Start with the Global Schools Checklist. How is your child's school preparing students for their global future? Does it have the resources and classes it needs to foster an understanding of the world? Find out with the checklist, an informal tool to help you learn how "geography-ready"--and able to give your kids the power of global knowledge--your school is.

Tell us how your child's school fares on the checklist. Include the name of your school, how it's helping kids to gain global knowledge, and what ideas you have for more. Share your story!

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Juicy Geography is a U.K. geography teacher's site dedicated to sharing teaching ideas and resources. Check out his Teaching and Learning section for lesson ideas, examples of his students' work, and a fun collection of quick games that test knowledge of subjects from rivers to earthquakes.

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4-H is a community of more than 7 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. National 4-H Council is the national, private sector, nonprofit partner of the 4-H Youth Development Program and its parent, the Cooperative Extension System of the United States Department of Agriculture.

Visit the 4-H site to learn more about this program, join a 4-H community, see what 4-Hers are up to in your area, and much more.

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National Geographic's chief cartographer, Allan Carroll, was recently profiled on the Washington Post's Kids Page.

"I love my work, and all of us here love our work because it involves a really cool combination of technical and creative and artistic [skills]," Carroll says.

Read more about Allan Carroll and cartography, then tell us what you think!

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Here's a new spin on "physical geography." At Sequoia Middle School in Fontana, California, a teacher's unique program links phys ed, geography, math, and world history.

From the Fontana Herald News: Several students at Sequoia Middle School are "running around the world," and along the way, they're learning about the cities, states and countries they're passing through.

Read more, then tell us what you think. What are some other ways to connect geography with other subjects—and make it fun?

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