What is Geo-literacy?
Geo-literacy is the term that National Geographic has adopted to describe the understanding of how our world works. The knowledge they believe all members of modern society require in order to be active participants. Geo-literacy is the ability to reason about Earth systems and interconnections to make far-reaching decisions. Whether we are making decisions about where to live or what precautions to take for natural hazards, we all make decisions that require geo-literacy skills throughout our lives.
This video illustrates what geo-literacy means to individuals and to our global community. Share it with your friends, family and colleagues to help spread the word.
Winn Brewer, National Geographic Education, date accessed January 2016
This video illustrates what geo-literacy means to individuals and to our global community. Share it with your friends, family and colleagues to help spread the word.
Winn Brewer, National Geographic Education, date accessed January 2016
How might a geo-literate student’s understanding of the situation differ from a student who is not geo-literate?
A geo-literate student’s thinking extends beyond the conceptual understanding and leads into critical analysis. Students who are geo-literate have the skills and knowledge to use higher order thinking to assess situations related to humans, the environment and the world. A student who is not geo-literate will look at the face of a situation without delving deeper to analyse the implications their decisions and behaviours can have on others, including future generations. Geo-literate students are futures thinkers who can see the interconnections between the physical and inanimate phenomena on Earth.
What are the three I’s of the geo-literacy framework—interactions, interconnections, and implications—and how do they relate to each other?
Interactions. To improve understanding of how the world works - we should increase and improve instruction on natural and human systems. For natural systems, we should increase instruction in earth science, environmental science, and ecology. Instruction in these areas should focus on the function and interaction among natural systems. Similarly, we should increase the overall amount of social studies instruction and shift the focus of instruction away from names, dates, and locations and toward how political, cultural and economic systems function and interact. We must also incorporate instruction on the interactions between human and natural systems into both science and social studies instruction.
Interconnections. To improve understanding of how the world is connected, we should increase instruction on historical, geographical, and social connections on local, regional and global scales across all of the sciences, social studies and humanities.
Implications. To improve understanding of how to make well-reasoned decisions, we should add instruction on systematic decision-making to the curriculum and we should provide students with opportunities to practice decision-making in real-world contexts across the curriculum.
Interactions. To improve understanding of how the world works - we should increase and improve instruction on natural and human systems. For natural systems, we should increase instruction in earth science, environmental science, and ecology. Instruction in these areas should focus on the function and interaction among natural systems. Similarly, we should increase the overall amount of social studies instruction and shift the focus of instruction away from names, dates, and locations and toward how political, cultural and economic systems function and interact. We must also incorporate instruction on the interactions between human and natural systems into both science and social studies instruction.
Interconnections. To improve understanding of how the world is connected, we should increase instruction on historical, geographical, and social connections on local, regional and global scales across all of the sciences, social studies and humanities.
Implications. To improve understanding of how to make well-reasoned decisions, we should add instruction on systematic decision-making to the curriculum and we should provide students with opportunities to practice decision-making in real-world contexts across the curriculum.
Student Misconceptions
As teachers, we are often challenged by our students’ concepts of the world. It is hard to comprehend how humans impact the watershed when much of the negative impact cannot be seen first-hand by students. In other words, students can often understand why “trash” is bad for the environment because it is easily seen and removed, but they tend to have a harder time considering other forms of pollution, such as run-off from non-point sources (i.e., yard fertilizers or oil from cars). It is also important to focus on the positive relationships that people have with water. There are many ways that communities are working to use water resources more conservatively and in positive ways. Students should have a balanced view of human impact on watersheds.
How have you addressed student ideas or misconceptions about human impact on water sheds or water use in your classroom?
In the past we have taken classes on a field trip to our local waste management centre where they have an education centre and interactive program focusing on conservation and waste management for school aged children. Please see the below links:
http://www.nawma.sa.gov.au/education/
http://www.nawma.sa.gov.au/education/eecentre.asp
The following website is another excellent resource which can help with rectifying student misconceptions through the videos and lessons provided. These are such a handy tool to explore a breadth of relative information from your very own classroom!
http://www.wastenot.org.au/flash/
In the past we have taken classes on a field trip to our local waste management centre where they have an education centre and interactive program focusing on conservation and waste management for school aged children. Please see the below links:
http://www.nawma.sa.gov.au/education/
http://www.nawma.sa.gov.au/education/eecentre.asp
The following website is another excellent resource which can help with rectifying student misconceptions through the videos and lessons provided. These are such a handy tool to explore a breadth of relative information from your very own classroom!
http://www.wastenot.org.au/flash/