Geography Awareness week begins on November 11 and highlights the theme “Declare Your Interdependence” The theme explores the idea that individuals are connected to the rest of the world through the decisions we make on a daily basis, including what foods we eat and the things we buy. National GAW posters high-light the geography of a pencil and are available by emailing GENI at geni@iupui.edu. Be sure to include your name, address, grade level you teach and the number of posters you need. Create your own interdependence map using the “Global Closet Calculator” and more, at www.geographyawarenessweek.org.

GE O G R A P H Y AWA R E N E S S WE E K NOV E M B E R 11– 17

Fal l 2012

GENI NEWSLETTER

GENI GAW BOOKMARK CONTEST In conjunction with Geography Awareness Week, GENI will sponsor a bookmark contest for students in grades K-12. Bookmarks must reflect the theme of “Declare Your Interdependence” and must promote geography and geographic literacy. Entries must be postmarked no later than December 1, 2012. Winners will be selected from elementary, middle school and high school categories and a grand prize winner will also be selected. Classrooms of all winners will receive a set of 30 Indiana atlases and a teacher’s guide. The grand prize winner will also receive a $40 dollar cash award. Send entries to: GENI, IUPUI-CA121 Geography, 425 University Blvd., Indian-apolis, IN 46202-5140.

2011 Bookmark Contest

Winner designed by Cay-

lie Wimmersberger a 6th

grader at Saratoga Learn-

ing Community.

National Geography Standards, Second Edition Since the late 1980’s, many educators have relied upon the 5 Themes of Ge-ography to teach geography in the classroom. From those 5 themes arose the 18 national geography standards enveloped within the 6 elements. The publi-cation of Geography for Life: National Geography Standards, 1994 provided an excellent foundation upon which most of us have relied to appropriately, creatively, accurately, and innovatively teach Geography in all grades across all disciplines and engage the community in “what” Geography really means. As many of you have been patiently waiting, the National Geography Stand-ards, Second Edition, are finally completed!! The revised edition features re-structured content and a new format. Each standard is presented through four components: an introductory essay, knowledge statements, performance statements, and examples. THANKS to the many individuals affiliated with Ge-ography Education National Implementation Project (GENIP) - a consortium of the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE), the National Geograph-ic Society (NGS), the Association of American Geographers (AAG), and the American Geographical Society (AGS)], contributing thousands of hours over the past two years, the new National Geography Standards will set the trend for teaching quality and accurate Geography for the coming decade. You can pre-order a copy of the book from the NCGE via their bookstore at https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/shopping/shopping.aspx?site=test%20one&prd_key=ae8d1cb9-4be9-4e27-8d4b-74ede9065c38 for a fee of $22.50.

In progress, a team of educators throughout the country is working on con-necting the new English/Language Arts Literacy Goals to the new National Ge-ography Standards. This publication should be ready in early, 2013. Watch GENI Newsletters for announcements.

National Geography Standards Second Edition…. Coming Soon…

Order Now!

N A T I O N A L C O U N C I L O N G E O G R A P H I C E D U C A T I O N 2012 C O N V E N T I O N

S A N M A R C O , T E X A S O C T O B E R 4 -7 ,2012

Spread Your Wings at GeoFest

Come and join us for the 2012 Geofest at Brown County State Park, October 12-13. The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and will conclude at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Friday evening will feature stargazing during “A Night of the Stars.” Sessions include Natural Disasters: The Zombie Apocalypse, School and University Partnerships Within Your Community, Survivor Kids, Starting a Geography Club,

The National Geography Standards, and The Political Geography of Elec-tions, To register go to the GENI Web site (www.iupui.edu/~geni) and click on the registration line. Hope to see you there for a fun filled workshop and interaction with teachers and others from throughout In-diana.

Hundreds of geography educators and professionals from around the world will meet in San Marcos, Texas, October 4-7, 2012 to exchange ideas and learn best practices during the National Conference on Geographic Edu-cation. The conference will include sessions, workshops and speakers. At-tendees can network and explore exhibits, and celebrate at the annual confer-ence dinner. Field trips that explore San Marcos and the surrounding area are available, also. For more information and to see the program schedule go to: www.ncge.org/annual-conference2012

The Bee’s the Buzz Each year hundreds of schools across the United States gear up for the Na-tional Geographic Bee sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The competi-tion is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their curriculum, to spark interest in geography and to increase pubic awareness about geography. Stu-dents in grades 4-8 are eligible to participate through their school. Materials for par-ticipating educators are available at the National Geographic Bee Web site at: www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee. Important Dates to Remember: National Geographic Bee Registration Deadline— October 15, 2012 Indiana Geographic Bee—April 5, 2013; IUPUI Campus, Indianapolis National Geographic Bee—May 20-22, 2013, Washington, D.C.

Before the 2012 National Geographic Bee, I had met few young people of my own age who knew geography facts such as the capital of Tajikistan, much less cared. During the competition, I met 53 other students who knew a multitude of facts about the world. Even more, they also understood the direct relationship between a clear under-standing of the world and the ability to solve its problems. For hours over the course of one week, 54 middle-school students competed in rounds of geogra-phy questions, ate meals together, toured Washington D.C., and enjoyed every minute of it. Not only did we students thoroughly enjoy the questions—we enjoyed one another’s company as well. To spend a week with other young people who study hard in order to appreciate and understand the world was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. Teachers and principals nowadays, not with-out reason, deplore the lack of interest in learning so sadly common among American students. However, an event like the National Geographic Bee should give them reason to hope.

Report From The Bee By Caroline Peterson

2012 Indiana Geographic Bee Winner

Giant Traveling Map of Indiana

The Geography Educators’ Network of Indi-ana announces the newest classroom resource to enrich student Geographic literacy and to empower educators. In order to improve access to the GTM IN, at no cost, the borrower must assist with map and trunk pick-up and delivery. To schedule a school visit, contact GENI at the following e-mail: geni@iupui.edu. The GTM IN measures 15 feet wide x 21 feet long; it rolls into 3, vertical sections of 5 foot widths for a carrying width of about 5 feet. The GTM IN, then, rolls into a diameter of approximately 13”. Next, the Map is bound by straps and fits into a large duffel bag measuring about 5 feet long. The Giant Traveling Map of Indiana was designed for ease of transport in most vehicles.

The GTM IN Resource Trunk measures 2’ high x 18” wide x 3’ long, with wheels and a handle, and is full of the resource materials needed to successfully implement the available lesson plans: plastic cones & chains, county cards, place-card holders, scale tools, images, and possible literature you may want to incorporate.

Borrowing the GTM IN works best if you can locate other schools in your area that may also want to utilize the Map; in this fashion, we hope that the Map can travel the state being driven from location to location by the Borrowers. This will save on shipping expenses – enabling the Map to be loaned for free.

GENI BOOK BLOG IS COMING It Really Is!

Due to a technical glitch we are still working on the GENI Book Blog. Thank you for your patience !

  

Indiana Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference November 2, 2012

Crowne Plaza at Historic Union Station Indianapolis, IN

Topics and Sessions on:

Common Core Standards Literacy across the Curriculum

Digital Textbooks and Instructional Materials

For more information: www.indianasocialstudies.net

Indiana Non-public Education Conference October 18-19, 2012

Indiana Convention Center Indianapolis, IN

“Embracing a Changing Landscape”

More than 100 sessions Speakers Networking Over 100 exhibiters For more information go to: www.inpea.org

Indianapolis International Festival Indiana State Fairgrounds, West Pavilion

Stop by the GENI Booth

Step out on the Giant Map of Europe! Take a Walk on the Giant Traveling

Map of Indiana! School Hours November 15: 10 a.m.— 2 p.m. November 16 : 10 a.m.—2.p.m.

General Public Hours November 16: 2 p.m.— 9 p.m. November 17: 10 a.m.—9 p.m. November 18: 12 p.m.—6 p.m.

Lilly Foundation Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program

Citizenship Ceremony

on Friday afternoon

Once again – for the 26th year – the Lilly Endowment is pleased to announce that the Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program will honor and recognize Indiana teachers, principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors and librarians/media specialists. The Endowment will offer up to 100 fellowships at $10,000 each for these educators to embark on summertime periods of personal renew-al. More than 2,400 Indiana educators have participated in this competi-tive program and returned with tales of adventure, personal discovery, new scholarship and a renewed sense of purpose. For a full program descrip-tion, go to lillyendowment.org or teachercreativity.org.

Primary

This is the Way We Go to School - Edith Baer and Steve Bjorkman Me on the Map- Joan Sweeney and Annette Cable

Elementary

My Librarian is a Camel- Margriet Ruurs Project Mulberry- Linda Sue Park The MostlyTrue Adventures of Homer P. Figg- Rod-man Philbrick

Middle School Same Sun as Here- Silas House and Neela Voswani Scat- Carl Hiaasen Esperanza Rising- Pam Munoz Ryan

High School Salt: A World History- Mark Kurlansky A Long Way Gone- Ishmael Beah Things Fall Apart- Chinua Achebe

Good reads

Starting A Geography Club by: Steve Pierce

Coordinator, North Carolina Geographic Alliance

Overview

Geography is an important discipline at all levels of education. At the elementary level stu-dents are naturally curious about the world around them. Teachers or others who work with stu-dents are always looking for ways to build on this natural curiosity and excitement for learning new things. Often there is not time during the instructional day to go deeper and spend time on geogra-phy projects and in-depth lessons. One way to answer this need is to sponsor and form a Geography Club at school. The first step in forming a Geography Club is to seek approval from your administrator. Most schools support clubs of this type. Next, assess if there is sufficient interest among students. You will need to determine what grade levels your club will serve; probably upper elementary grades 3 – 5 or higher. Another consideration is supervision and assistance for the club sponsor. Possibilities might include pre-service teachers from a local college, parent volunteers, high school service clubs, or high school students interested in education. When and how often your Geography Club meets is a local decision. Some schools have a built-in club/activity time during the school day, however most clubs will need to meet after school. Seeking parent permission for after-school activities and arranging for transportation home should follow local policy. It is suggested that the Geography Club meet once or twice a month. Consider also how long each meeting will be, for example 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remember that students have been in school all day – adding too much time may be counterproductive. Another considera-tion is funding. See if your school has money budgeted for club activities. If not, consider request-ing money from the school PTA or local civic club such as the Rotary or Kiwanis Clubs. Activities are not necessarily expensive, but some materials may need to be purchased. Determine where your club will meet. A classroom or multi-purpose room will work fine. Some activities will call for group work and movement about the room. Access to computers and the Internet is desirable, so comput-er access, especially a lab, should be considered. Once you have addressed these items you are ready to get started. The activities and re-sources presented on this website are suggestions. You can evaluate them in light of the students who attend your Geography Club. Feel free to adapt any of the activities to suit your needs. Good luck and enjoy your Geography Club!

Materials Needed for a Geography Club The activities presented will probably require materials that are readily available in most classrooms or media centers. A wall map of the world, atlases, almanacs, and other reference books are suggested. A list of Internet references is included in the “Resources” section. Other materials include colored pencils and/or markers, construction paper and similar supplies.

Monthly Activities for Geography Clubs Activities for Geography Clubs are posted on the website of the National Council for Geo-graphic Education (NCGE), www.ncge.org, for every month of the academic year. The activities are based on the National Geography Standards and are designed to engage students with high-interest, hands-on activities. Each month’s activities include a warm-up activity, a featured activity, and Geo-Questions to cultivate research skills. The materials needed for the activities and any ref-

GENI Board Member Lou Camilotto sponsors a geography club at his high school You can contact him for more information at lcamilotto@tsc.k12.in.us

WHERE DOES THE SNICKERS BAR COME FROM?

Ingredients Come From Many Places

The Snickers Bar is the best selling chocolate bar of all time. It is made by Mars, Inc. in New Jersey, U.S.A., but the ingredients come from all around the “Americas.” We depend on other countries for our candy!

INGREDIENTS PLACES

Paper Canada Sugar Brazil Peanut Argentina Corn Syrup Iowa Chocolate/Cocoa Guyana Vanilla Mexico Milk Wisconsin Place a star on New Jersey on your map. Now locate the places the ingredients come from on your map. Then draw a line from each place to the star, New Jersey, where the Snickers Bar is made. How might these ingredients be transported to New Jersey to make the

candy bar?

What might happen to the production of the Snickers Bar if:

There was a severe weather change in Hawaii? Civil war erupted in Guyana? There was a severe drought in Iowa? An extensive forest fire destroyed millions of acres of trees in Canada?

How would all of this affect us on Halloween? Do we depend on other countries for ingredients or resources for other products? Can you think of some?

Activity adapted from Snicker Fun, a lesson written by a Nebraska GEON Teacher Consultant.

Featured

Lesson

In and Around

GeoFest: Fossils, Gems, Minerals October 19-20: 9:00 a.m.—5 p.m October 21: 11:00– 4:00 The Indiana State Museum hosts experts and venders with fossils, rocks, and more. Enjoy hands-on geology activities and explore the museum’s natural history galleries. Late September through December Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area See one of Indiana’s greatest wildlife spectacles. Each fall, tens of thousands of sand hill cranes visit the area’s shal-low marshes during their fall migration. The best time to see the flocks is mid Oc-tober through mid November at sunrise and sunset. An estimated 8,000 cranes are using the marsh.

September 22-23 Feast of the Hunters Moon Historic Fort Ouiatenon Park West Lafayette The Feast of the Hunters Moon is a re-creation of the annual fall gathering of the French and Native Ameri-cans to trade furs and other goods. See traditional dances, period music, historical reenactments and eat period food.

November 6-8 Lincoln State Park Geocaching for Abe Friday and Saturday night campfire activities. Saturday, geocache to learn more about Abraham Lincoln and children’s activities. Sunday morning campfire breakfast.

Mark Your Calendar

September 15: Children's Museum of Indianapolis Educator Open House October 4-7: National Council for Geographic Education con-ference, San Marco , Texas October 12-13: GENI, Geofest, Brown County State Park October 15: Deadline for National Geographic Bee registration October 18-19: INPEC Conference October 23: Indiana GIS Day (date change due to election day conflict), Giant Traveling Map of Indiana will be at the Indiana Statehouse November 2: Indiana Council for the Social Studies annual Conference November 11-17: Geography Awareness Week November 14: International GIS Day November 30/December 1: GENI Strategic Development Board of Directors Meeting

About the Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana

The Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana, Inc. (GENI) envisions an Indi-ana citizenry that is geographically literate – capable of solving problems and planning for the future from a spatial perspective. GENI envisions every stu-dent mastering new geographic skills every year at school from a geograph-ically literate educator who is capable of incorporating diverse geographically appropriate curriculum across disciplines. GENI envisions business leaders and elected officials capable of making geographically informed decisions that take patterns, relationships, distribution, human-environment interaction, geospatial technologies into account. GENI envisions a citizenry that values geography and geographic literacy as an integral part of everyday thinking