NCGE Chicago, 2000

NCGE - Chicago, Illinois
August, 2000

A. Presentations: Thanks to those who presented at the NCGE meeting in Chicago. The presentors were Don Everhart from KS, Kathryn Mims from AL, Billie Kapp and Danielle Galligan from CT, and Connie Mark and Bernice Kihara from HI. The presentations were varied. For those of you who didn't attend the session, summaries of the presentations are listed.

Grades 3-5 Session:
1. Don presented information on his multi-year project called "Main Street USA." He has been working on units of lessons by regions. He is presently working on HI and AK. We will post a sample lesson on the website within the next month, or so. Included will be Don's address for those who want to get in touch with him. You'll be able to purchase the booklets (cost of printing).

2. Kathryn presented a unit on natural resources. Students had to identify the location and uses of natural resources in the U.S. We will eventually post this on the website along with photos taken of the student samples.

3. Bernice shared a lesson on sod houses. This is a lesson that we use for the Binko In-Service Model for new ASGI participants. We will eventually post this online and include photos for the different parts.

4. Connie shared a lesson on "changes." She had different literature books that showed the changes. The lesson hasn't been fully developed yet, but she wanted to share the idea with the group. We hope that Connie will write this lesson up and post it online.

Grades K-2 Session:
1. Danielle shared how she uses literature books to address the geography standards. She passed out the article she wrote for the Journal of Geography (July/August 1996) and shared some lesson ideas.

Danielle also had the group work on the book called "Gifts." After reading the book, participants had to match the things that Grandma brought from the different countries to the locations on the map. Here are a few photos from this activity.

2. Bernice shared her lesson on apples. Her lesson plan is already posted on the HGA website at
http://www.hawaii.edu/hga/Lessons/FoodGeo/apple.htm We will eventually post
photos of the different samples of student work.

3. Connie shared a lesson that had students looking at places from the Bird's Eye View and at Eye Level.

Billie shared what the Connecticut Geographic Alliance is doing with the Family Geography Project. Their work has been geared toward the K-4 group. They also had a workshop which I hope some of you were able to attend.

Mary F. shared a lesson with the 3-5 group. It was a lesson that involved a librarian and teachers working on research skills. Students researched landforms and ended the project by making a relief sample of their landforms. So far, we don't have permission to post this lesson online.

.....some participants at the presentation.....

...watery view of Chicago...