GAW for Kids and Teens

You might not know it, but you're already a global citizen—geography is a part of your everyday life. Find out how with the list below, then download your own Action Kit and check out More to Explore for Kids and Teens for links to great games, activities, and more. Get started!

Geography Is 10 Cool Things

1. It's big.
It's more than maps. Geography's about knowing what's where, why it's there, and why it matters. Knowing geography will make your life more interesting, more exciting, and more fun. Geography opens doors. Get it.

2. It's out there.
Geography is near AND far. It's in your backyard and across the globe. Get to know your community and the people in it, and plan trips with your family to new places you've never been. Want to go overseas someday? Get a passport. Learn a new language and check out foreign exchange and other study-abroad programs for students. Travel the world virtually. Read stories from world travelers.

3. It's what you know.
How's your Global IQ? Test it, then try to outsmart GeoSpy and the GeoBee Challenge. If you're in fourth through eighth grade, you can compete in the National Geographic Bee.

4. It's what you listen to.
Regions have rhythms, and the sounds you like may echo cultures a world away. National Geographic, the Smithsonian, and iTunes are all good places to look for great new world music.

5. It's what you eat.
Ever explored the world with a fork and a spoon—or with chopsticks? When you eat out, visit restaurants that serve ethnic foods. Find the region your food is from on a map when you get home. Try ethnic recipes and cook an international meal for your friends and family.

6. It's what you buy.
Everything comes from somewhere. A walk through the mall or the grocery store can be a journey around the world. What's in your closet? Your kitchen? Your living room? What are you wearing right now? Check the labels. Find out where things come from and how they got here.

7. It's what you do.
Slap a map up on your wall. Or get a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and take part in the game of geocaching or EarthCaching. It's high-tech, real-life treasure hunting—locating items hidden around the world by other gamers.

8. It's academic.
When you get to pick your classes, choose ones that have "geography" in their titles or focus on learning about the world. Choose research topics that let you learn about exotic places and geographic issues like cultural differences and environmental challenges. And sign up for the AP Human Geography class.

9. It's your future.
Geography can take you anywhere and everywhere. One of the hottest fields now is Geographic Information Systems. And it's about understanding and tackling challenges—globally and close to home. Check out this Geography Career Guide for more. When applying to college, make sure to choose ones that offer geography courses and a major. (Here's a list.)

10. It's important.
You know how important geography is. Now make sure your teachers, parents, and friends aren't out of the loop. Point them toward MyWonderfulWorld.org so they can get geography, too.

go to www.MyWonderfulWorld.org

Geography Awareness Week 2009

You're on the front line in the fight to bridge our kids' geography gap. Here are some tools to give you much more than a fighting chance. Get started with the 10 tips below, then download your Action Kit and check out More to Explore for links to great classroom aids. 10 Ways to Give Your Students the World 1. Show students that geography is everywhere. It's a global world, with people, ideas, and products moving rapidly around it. Today, how we live shapes, and is shaped by, where we live—and what happens in the natural environment. Find resources to build geography awareness in your school. Have your students test their Global IQ and practice with online games. 2. Bring it up. Is your school doing enough to prepare students for a global future and to tap into their natural curiosity about real-world issues, from the local to the global? (Find out with our school checklist). Start the discussion with other teachers, parents, administrators, and students. Spread the word about My Wonderful World to your colleagues and friends. 3. Find global connections close to home. Have your students log their global connections over a period of time (a day, a week, or more): who they talk with, what they eat, what they wear, what they read, watch, listen to. Make maps and globes focal points in your classroom and use them often. Bookmark an online atlas or print out outline maps. Use posters, pictures, and other visuals to show global connections near and far. 4. Explore the planet using technology. From free 2-D satellite maps to 3-D Earths, there's possibility like never before to see our planet in new ways. And zooming into places can create a new perspective on how geography impacts current events. Learn about Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and how it's changing the way we explore. 5. Make geography part of every subject. Every subject—from reading, writing, and arithmetic to science, economics, and foreign languages—can include geography. Use real-world examples and data (from sources such as the CIA World Factbook, Population Reference Bureau, National Park Service, or World Heritage Sites) when teaching other topics. When you can, use geography standards-based lesson plans. Prep students for the AP Human Geography test and urge them to take it. And make geography fun—enter your school in the National Geographic Bee and other competitions. 6. Make it extracurricular. Ask your parent-teacher organization to study the issue and devise ways to bring more geography learning into school. Enlist administration and parent leadership for evening or Saturday programs, festivals, competitions, field trips, geography/international clubs, and other events. And join your local geographic alliance to connect with peers. 7. Connect students with people from other countries and cultures. More and more kids are using digital and online tools to interact with friends. Help them connect with peers overseas in order to practice languages, develop collaborative projects—even get to know time zones or the International Date Line. Check out programs from the ePals, Peace Corps, iEARN, and the Asia Society. 8. Help students envision their futures. Many kids today will cross physical borders but even more will travel through technology. Inject geographic themes into career exploration. (Here's a geography career guide; also one for GIS and one for international careers.) 9. Go there! Remind yourself and your students that learning about new places and cultures is about exploration—you don't always know the exact path to take or what you'll find along the way. Take your kids on field trips and look for opportunities to seek adventure and educate yourself about the world firsthand. Consider study abroad, field research, teaching overseas, or getting a grant to support new practices in your classroom. Hear international experts speak at your local World Affairs Council events. 10. Sign up for the My Wonderful World e-newsletter. You'll get helpful tips, the latest news, links to great resources and fun games, information about contests and offers, and much more. Sign up now—and help give your students the power of global knowledge. Visit this site: http://www.mywonderfulworld.org/index.html