The Geography of Connection: Bringing the World to Students. (2000)

THAT'S DUMB, MISS! Teachers who hear this comment from their students often wonder how to make any lesson interesting and engaging. A special challenge faces geography teachers in low-income urban areas or rural communities where poverty and/or isolation may limit the experiences of their especially if they are also poor readers or developmentally delayed. If I don't connect the material to my kids, it doesn't mean a thing, says Amanda Weaver, a first-year teacher at McCallum High School in Austin, Texas. Amanda and Alice Marshall Davis, who was her teaching mentor in her pre-service days, are exemplary high school geography teachers who make use of a variety of strategies to engage students in exploring other cultures. Both teach in the Austin Independent School District, which is made up of 36 percent Caucasians and 64 percent other ethnic and cultural groups, most Latino and African-American. In addition, 49 percent of the student population in the district is characterized as economically disadvantaged. Amanda has a master's degree in geography and participated in the Smithsonian National Faculty program in 2000. She teaches in a high school rated as low-performing in 1998-99 by the state accountability system. Alice has a master's degree in geography education and has taught for over 25 years. She earned the district's Teacher of the Year award in 1989, and the Outstanding Teacher of the Humanities award from the Texas Council for the Humanities in 1995. Alice teaches at Austin High School, the oldest in the state. Some people think geography is easy for students, says Alice, many struggling students have few spatial or global concepts. Most people don't know what geography is. think `place' or `location,' and that's it. For academically challenged the concept of global relations is hard. It can be difficult for them to see other cultures as valuable, other people as real. My overall goal is to get students not to be so ethnocentric. I want them to say, `that's really different, why do they do that?' rather than `that's weird.' Many kids who need this really good lesson don't even come equipped to learn, adds Amanda. There are lots of struggles overcoming cultural bias. Part of my response is to let them ask the questions. is sometimes extremely hard, and sometimes I have to set limits. Connecting to Students' Lives Designing lessons that are relevant for students with poor study skills and limited background experiences is thought-provoking work that keeps Alice and Amanda mindful of their students' many needs.(1) These two creative teachers often use music, art, and language to help make connections to students' everyday lives. One project Alice's students do in studying Australia is to create examples of aboriginal art. After seeing slides of the Australian outback and the distinctive art produced by indigenous peoples, the class develops a list of characteristics of the art. Students then draw their own versions using the characteristics they have identified. Students also write short stories using Australian slang. This year I made a didgeridoo in class, adds Amanda. They all got to help decorate it and finally try to play it, It's harder than it looks. (The instrument can be made from PVC pipe, with beeswax for comfort around the mouthpiece, at a cost of about $2.00.) Alice also recommends collage projects, using old magazines. Collages are sometimes underrated, but if you do them right, they can be really good, she comments. Students cut pictures and glue them onto poster board to illustrate various cultural universals. Then I have them explain [the collage] to me verbally, says Alice. The weaker the student, the greater the learning experience. is an artistic outlet, plus I push them to make connections when they verbalize the meaning. Another way to emphasize culture is through simulations. …