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Geography 417

Skills Labs

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Skills Labs

The table below contains links to several skills labs you will complete this semester. The point of these labs is to help you to become more familiar with the habits of mind and disciplinary practices common among historians and geographers.

There is some evidence to suggest that learning to think as disciplinary practitioners is key to both understanding complex issues and improving your teaching.

This theoretical notion carries the unfortunate name, "Pedagogical Content Knowledge" or P.C.K., but it is a valuable idea for all teachers.

See for example this definition at a wiki-style website.

Also read over this article about Sam Wineburg's notions regarding the teaching and learning of history: http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-2/historical.html

Geography Labs

Map Skills: Using the Geography Grid System or Using the Geographic Grid system with Google Earth (recommended)

Data Skills: Reading and Constructing Climographs (Excel 2003) --------- Reading and Constructing Climographs (Excel 2007)

Map Construction: Making Online Maps with Census Data (to be replaced by Google Earth / Field Trip assignment below)

NEW: Virtual Field Trips with Google Earth (new in Fall 2010)

History Labs

Working as a historian: Using and Interpreting Primary Sources (older version)

Challenging Common Mythology: Primary Sources and the Dustbowl

 

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