#worldgeochat is a weekly chat focused on teaching geography and global studies. Chats vary between geography specific topics as well as general teaching and education topics. ALL are welcome in worldgeochat!
Wahoooo! So happy to have my #TwitterTwin hosting #worldgeochat tonight! Sam here from MA, 7th grade world geography teacher and enjoying April vacation!
Hello, #worldgeochat! It’s c/s from NG in DC, just finished the first ep of ‘Civilizations’ on @PBS. Wow, what a knockout! And history crush @simon_schama mentioned geography right up front.
Hi, everyone! I'm Mary-Owen, your host for tonight -- a 7th grade world #History teacher in Tennessee and one of the #sschat moderators. I love geography and maps, and excited to chat with you tonight! #worldgeochat
We'll be using the Q1/A1 format for tonight's chat.
Feel free to share lesson ideas and remember to keep the conversation helpful and students-focused. #worldgeochat
We'll be using the Q1/A1 format for tonight's chat.
Feel free to share lesson ideas and remember to keep the conversation helpful and students-focused. #worldgeochat
I just did a one day training with US His and Am Lit teachers to collaborate for next year to support each other. YES! we do go hand in hand #worldgeochat
A1 Pairing geography with history helps Ss understand the spatial relationship of histories as they occur. It helps them discover similarities and differences on a regional and global scale. #worldgeochat
A1 Pairing geography with history helps Ss understand the spatial relationship of histories as they occur. It helps them discover similarities and differences on a regional and global scale. #worldgeochat
A1: there's the direct link with geo's human/environ interaction, but you could find similarities across time w/ the way that human change their environments #worldgeochat
Love that you mention the spatial relationship of histories! Students often need help visualizing the timeline and geographic relationships. #worldgeochat
A1: it is everything. Move back to the very first era in history of human civilization and movement. It is all physical geography, and with that you setup human/political geo. #worldgeochat
A1 Physical Geography is the "board" on which human history plays out. Human interaction with the physical environment determines the location of cities, the retrieval of resources, trade routes, etc. #worldgeochat
Knowing the “what” of the “where” helps Ss understand more about why humans interact the way they do with the environment - have to start with geography! #worldgeochat
A1: it is everything. Move back to the very first era in history of human civilization and movement. It is all physical geography, and with that you setup human/political geo. #worldgeochat
Joining a little late but excited to hear from everyone! I’m Leticia, Literacy coach in Nashville. I taught 7th geography for 1 year, once & had no clue what I was doing. Wish I had this Twitter chat available back then #WorldGeoChat
A1
I think every settlement that has ever existed has been influenced by geography - landforms, water, climate all play a role in history! #worldgeochat
A1: I love using @geteach's site to make human-environment tangible with side by side maps! Nights at light w/ physical map, population w/ physical map...possibilities endless! #worldgeochat
A1: The geography of the land influenced how humans interacted, settled, moved, etc. Knowing these features is important for getting a full context, complete view of history #WorldGeoChat
A1 using geography to teach HEI allows students to make meaningful comparisons across space. I love discussing the balance between determinism and human agency in history. It’s one of those things that always blows some Ss minds. #worldgeochat
A1: Geography affects history and always has. General Winter defeated Napoleon and Hitler. Your location determines your resources or lack of resources which causes people to seek them, like the people of Great Britain who built an empire to supply their island. #worldgeochat
A1 Its crucial Ss connect regional geography & how cultures developed over time. Examples we discuss in my APWH class include the Inca empire trading along their Andean routes. Knowing the geographical diversity of the land explains their economic success. #worldgeochat
A1: Geography affects history and always has. General Winter defeated Napoleon and Hitler. Your location determines your resources or lack of resources which causes people to seek them, like the people of Great Britain who built an empire to supply their island. #worldgeochat
I start my year with earth at night and then we look at those different maps and discuss why there and a great way to start getting Ss seeing things geographically #worldgeochat
A1: understanding how geography influences our lives today helps Ss understand how it might have affected world history and can lead to fascinating questions and discussions! #worldgeochat
A2: I like to teach historical cultural diffusion by looking at trade ports and hub cities via land (the Silk Roads, Trans-Saharan Roads, and Indian Ocean trade) - gets a little more oppressive with the Age of Exploration in Period IV. #WorldGeoChat
Regional geography influences the culture that develops/cultural diffusion. Important for students to know physical features and potential impact. #worldgeochat
A1 Its crucial Ss connect regional geography & how cultures developed over time. Examples we discuss in my APWH class include the Inca empire trading along their Andean routes. Knowing the geographical diversity of the land explains their economic success. #worldgeochat
A2: so interesting I examine how cultural diffusion occurs and this always starts with navigating geographic features; great way to connect topics - exploration, trade, colonization, etc... #worldgeochat
Echoing what everyone else said about physical geo influencing settlement patterns & adding that it can also influence spirituality & identity. One fave recent example is how the natural alignment of a couple of rocks influenced #Stonehenge. https://t.co/iZd7XPDS6C#worldgeochat
A2: Look at why the majority of Europe is rich while Sub-Saharan Africa struggles. Lack of geography, water routes, pathways: this all leads to cultural diffusion as well #worldgeochat
This is such an interesting debate — especially in the context of Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs, and Steel.” We hold a seminar evaluating to what extent he is deterministic. He wrote a great response to this. #worldgeochathttps://t.co/nWf62YDdlt
A1) you can’t understand how people spread across the world, established their civilizations or any other aspect of life without understanding the geography. #WorldGeoChat
A2
Physical geography plays a huge role in how cultures interact. Barriers like mountains, oceans, and sea can prevent interaction as much as resources can bring them together!
#worldgeochat
A2 Understanding diffusion between cultures is critical for students. Civs didn't just wipe each other out. Learning and adaptation took place between places and humans pressed on. #worldgeochat
In ELA, we use interactive notebooks in class. When we read novels, we include hand-drawn maps in our notes so students can visualize where the stories take place. Just read 'The Cay' and got into WWII, subs navigating the oceans, all hand-drawn by the kids. #worldgeochat
A2 Definitely looking at the cultural diffusion along the Silk Road comes to mind. Showing the students the lengths people are willing to travel and the time for cultures to adapt is a powerful lesson. #worldgeochat
A1 Its crucial Ss connect regional geography & how cultures developed over time. Examples we discuss in my APWH class include the Inca empire trading along their Andean routes. Knowing the geographical diversity of the land explains their economic success. #worldgeochat
A2: I’ve read about how serious changes in landscape have divided people therefore, over time, causing groups of people to develop different cultures. I think this kind of example would play a role in this #WorldGeoChat
A2: discussion on the tools of diffusion really help Ss see how it's possible ... we're finishing up an Alt Med Health Fair rn (examining Eastern med practices) #worldgeochat
A2
Physical geography plays a huge role in how cultures interact. Barriers like mountains, oceans, and sea can prevent interaction as much as resources can bring them together!
#worldgeochat
Has anyone ever used a literal geographic board with physical attributes but the absence of political lines, for students to figure out how and where civilization would flow? #worldgeochat
A2 A small band (maybe no more than 1,000) of Homo Sapiens emerged from Africa between 75,000 and 100,000 years ago. All non African humans are their descendants. As they took up residence and diverged from each other, cultures began to develop and diverge. #worldgeochat
A2: Maps are great tools for showing the migration or movement of things, examples I use in WH are the Columbian Exchange, Spread of the Black Death, Jewish Diaspora etc. #worldgeochat
Speaking of cultural diffusion, I'd like to recommend The Written World, by Martin Puchner (2017). Geography weaves throughout famous literature. #worldgeochat
A4 Geography is crucial in grasping econ systems. Ex’s like traversing the trans-Saharan routes & Silk Rds explain not only cultural diffusion but also can’t be understood without context of the difficulty in traversing of the land. #worldgeochat
Already followed @KustraLaura when she was looking for an APWH group a few weeks back! I'm glad we're having this chat to support those Ts! #worldgeochat
A2.1: Geography is key to Cultural Diffusion. Cultures connect through natural highways such as mountain passes, plains, or even following trade winds across the ocean which allow them to trade. Geography is also an obstacle and keeps cultures isolated. #worldgeochat
yes - created salt/flour maps of Europe, Ss painted borders over time. First thing they noticed was how many borders followed physical features. #worldgeochat
A2: I just came across this (I think) fascinating unit on Borderlands. Need to explore further, but love the discussion around transculturation. I may have a bunch of new books in my Amazon cart. #worldgeochathttps://t.co/IjNKNp2jTU
A2) growing up in the Appalachian Mountains, I understood very early on the impact that geographical features have on cultures. Since the dawn of man, culture has been influenced by rivers, mountains, and other features. #WorldGeoChat
It made some ten best history book lists for 2017. I am learning a ton. It goes from the Iliad, Epic of Gilgamesh, & other early texts through Harry Potter! #worldgeochat
As your (when i was growing up) neighbor to the south (Tennessee stretch of Appalachia), I'm giving you a GOLD STAR! (Can I do that, @cheffernan75?) #worldgeochat
A2.2 Often being isolated protects civilizations and their cultures. The Chinese could have invaded early Indian civilizations if the Himalayas hadn't been in the way. #worldgeochat
A3
When talking about colonization of Africa, I give my Ss 3 post it notes &tell them they can claim anything in my room. Some claim things that have value, some claim use, &some just want something.
I tell them that Europeans used a similar mindset in 1800s Africa. #worldgeochat
A2 Communications technology (including the app we’re using right now) is helping redefine cultural diffusion, and cultural geo. A globalization study close to my heart: https://t.co/xlKga6UPcU#worldgeochat
A3: A lot of focus tends to be on Spanish conquest of Aztec empire https://t.co/aZhlolcqBM but I love looking at how the Aztecs grew their empire before Spaniards arrived. #worldgeochat
A3 I think resource maps help to explain the decisions that civs made when expanding their empire. The more resources (human and raw) controlled, the more powerful the empire. #worldgeochat
A3: these are big topics! Examining motives is one way I try to help Ss understand these; why expand? Why fight? The staple “land = power” always comes in handy #worldgeochat
A3 I love using Crash Course World History’s episode on WWII being a war for resources. It’s great for WHAP students to get them thinking about an event they are somewhat familiar with in a different light. https://t.co/deothuMI1c#worldgeochat
I don’t have lesson plans but I have ideas for the future...mainly involving more use of google earth so Ss can have improved visuals of the land to better understand the cultural developments of each new empire. #worldgeochat
A3 Using Google maps to create a travel log for a Roman soldier could help students understand the expansiveness of the Roman Empire. This could even lead to synthesis and analysis for its decline. #worldgeochat
Anyone remember The Civilization computer games???!! I totally nerded out to those as a kid (and early adult lol)- and learned a lot from them! #WorldGeoChat
A3: A lot of focus tends to be on Spanish conquest of Aztec empire https://t.co/aZhlolcqBM but I love looking at how the Aztecs grew their empire before Spaniards arrived. #worldgeochat
A3: In Big History, we discuss the factors that propelled early agricultural societies to expand. We have a “Tax or Invade” and “World Zones Game” that we use to simulate. #worldgeochat
A3.1: Thomas Malthus Essay on Population is a good primary source to start with. Long story short: England's population would eventually run out of food, so they needed less people or more food. I had my WH Honors class problems solve- where do we get more food? #worldgeochat
A1 Geography includes culture & religion is a part of culture. Group’s & people’s decisions & interactions cannot be separated from their belief systems; therefore, WH courses must look at underlying beliefs & values of peoples’ culture/religion being studied #worldgeochat
A3 One of our most popular big lesson plans goes “beyond borders” to examine the physical geography & cultural landscape of Europe. #worldgeochathttps://t.co/UJo2NIGW7q
A4: Again, I'll go to waterways. More developed nations have access to water while less developed nations do not have access to such pathways. Thus, there's a lack of trade #worldgeochat
A4 Site and Situation factors. If your site factors are right and your situation is near markets, you're likely to accelerate your development. If not...well you better innovate yourself out of that hole (ex: Japan). #worldgeochat
A4 The physical location of natural resources desired by humans is the basis for so much of economic, political and military history. Suppose the last Ice Age had played out just a bit differently, and England had not ended up an island, but a European peninsula? #worldgeochat
A3 Use map analysis of same areas from different nations &how they interpret borders, have different place names, etc. then bring in future maps of area to show how area changed & 1 perspective became dominant then look at historical sources of change in between #worldgeochat
A3: Our school is very diverse & having students explore their native country’s history or colonization or land wars would be an idea. Culturally relevant & engaging; I would get to know the kids better #WorldGeoChat
A4- natural resources- where they are but more importantly who controls them. Another time to discuss the scramble for Africa and how it’s still negatively impacting the continent #worldgeochat
I'm in to this! Makes it personal and can inspire interest. How would you suggest teachers manage any confusion/frustration with colonization? #worldgeochat
A3.2: . . . Empire building was the solution my class came up with.
I also like simulations. For Israel & Palestine, I have done musical chairs or I had two students I trust pretend to take the other's seat, and then there were "issues." Perfect for discussion. #worldgeochat
A4: infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure - if a society wants to expand economically, how will they do it? Tons of examples to study in world history #worldgeochat
A4: even the currency designed in various eras were impacted by the natural resources ... the basic economic Qs were often molded w/ geo in mind (maybe not directly...) #worldgeochat
A4
Geography plays every role in economics! Waterways give people access to trade.
Plains give people a place for agriculture.
Mountains often provide minerals & other resources. #GeographyisEverything#worldgeochat
A4: it goes back to the availability of resources AND historical agency. USSR can give communism a shot bc of the abundance of resources they have. Italian city-states help develop capitalism because they actively pursue trade with more prosperous places. #worldgeochat
A3 Ss spend time analyzing maps of pre and post WWI and WWII in APWH so they practice the skill of contextualization as well. It’s great when history themes & skills overlap 🤓🙌🏼 #worldgeochat
A3: Our school is very diverse & having students explore their native country’s history or colonization or land wars would be an idea. Culturally relevant & engaging; I would get to know the kids better #WorldGeoChat
A4: it goes back to the availability of resources AND historical agency. USSR can give communism a shot bc of the abundance of resources they have. Italian city-states help develop capitalism because they actively pursue trade with more prosperous places. #worldgeochat
A4: One way to look at the intersection of economy, history, and geography is to examine lists of goods exchanged (Trans-Atlantic and Trans-Pacific) over time. #worldgeochat
A3 I teach ancient world history, so I try to focus on power struggles. Quest for cobtrol of resources. Not much different. We do some trade simulations. #worldgeochat
Identifying what natural resources are even valued can be a great historical lesson. All that incense that made the Nabateans (Petra) so rich? Eh. #worldgeochat
A5 They are all interrelated. The society's culture/religion impact values & beliefs of how society uses the environment, determine hierarchies, opportunities, & treats others societies & their environments #worldgeochat
A4 You could also apply this to the negative impact on farmers after the Dust Bowl. The lack of resources causing them to move west and earning the label of Okies. Geography has push pull factors that impact all realms of society and history. #worldgeochat
A4: Geography determines needs & wants, who your trading partners are, and what resources you bring to the table to trade. Geography plays a huge role in a creating a country's economy, but it also helps sustain it with a more globally connected trade network. #worldgeochat
Chris - meet Leticia. My #hypegirl and an awesome teacher leader/instructional coach in Tennessee!
Leticia - meet Chris. Middle school geography teacher and all around cool guy! #worldgeochat
A4 - I’m in the midst of reading this book that I found at a local book fair. It was written a few years ago about the people of the North and the disappearance of their cultures as the middle lat peoples start coming for resources. - #worldgeochat
I take it to ask how do kingdoms, theocracies, democracies, tribal structures, etc. depend on geography for their existence and persistence. #worldgeochat
A4 You could also apply this to the negative impact on farmers after the Dust Bowl. The lack of resources causing them to move west and earning the label of Okies. Geography has push pull factors that impact all realms of society and history. #worldgeochat
A5 Geography influences the power structure of a society. It could foster a patrilineal or matrilineal structure simply based on the resources available. #worldgeochat
Also explains their influence/leading role in the re-mergence of medieval trade and textile manufacturing. Italy’s location and abundance of resources also leads to cultural diffusion during Renaissance. Ooo! So many connections! #worldgeochat
A5: social structures are often traditional, and traditions are often connected to geography in some way; meaning we can find out what’s important geographically by examining social traditions #worldgeochat
A5 Depending on the limitations of the place (island or peninsula) the competition for land and resources could entirely reshape the direction of history in a place. #worldgeochat
Hi Sam! Thank you. I'm having a blast! I hope your are enjoying your Spring Break too! Sorry for my delayed response- I just can't keep up tonight! #worldgeochat
Now that’s the one area I can relate. I’m a native of 🇲🇼 & I have lots of experience talking about this. Though I would love to bring in pieces about assimilation, sharing cultural celebrations, diversification & what if all means to them. Let them talk #WorldGeoChat
Now that’s the one area I can relate. I’m a native of 🇲🇼 & I have lots of experience talking about this. Though I would love to bring in pieces about assimilation, sharing cultural celebrations, diversification & what if all means to them. Let them talk #WorldGeoChat
Ruling elites often had to make tough decisions regarding the future of their empires based on changes in geography. Ex: surge of Viking invasions in medieval Europe due to warming temps. Or transhumance culture of Mongols led to imperial expansion #worldgeochat
A6: I can't think of something specific in terms of books or print materials, but I can't help but think of creating a PBL where Ss examine how geo affects the development of a specific civilization #worldgeochat
A6
I cannot overstate how amazing the @LOCMaps collection is. I used a map of the community I teach in from 1868 and it was amazing to see what has changes & what hasn't. So many great geo resources there! (Maybe @LOCMaps would host a future
#worldgeochat)
If only the company behind it had not folded, this iOS app was just a jewel for doing this. Unfortunately, it only works with iOS 10 or earlier. https://t.co/2qLHvFOjV0#worldgeochat
A6 I think integrating @googleearth and the new tutorial topics is a great start. Far less static than a powerpoint or text, much more interactive. #worldgeochat
A6: @NatGeo is airing #OneStrangeRock and it’s AMAZING! The geographic connections are displayed in such a compelling way - I think Ss would love to watch it! #worldgeochat
That sounds awesome! We have been spring cleaning, and I have been playing with my kids during the day and catching up on my SEI homework at night. #worldgeochat
This approach serves so many different purposes--connects kids to their own background, expands cultural competence to everyone in the room, including the teacher... #worldgeochat
A3: Our school is very diverse & having students explore their native country’s history or colonization or land wars would be an idea. Culturally relevant & engaging; I would get to know the kids better #WorldGeoChat
I need to head out a little early tonight, #worldgeochat! Thanks for some AWESOME ideas for integrating history and geography. Also, thank you to @MsHolmesTeach for moderating!! You da best!!
