A GREAT WAY TO EDUCATE AND ENTHUSE FUTURE TRAVELERS

In 1987, alarmed at the erosion of young America's knowledge of the world, the National Geographic Society rallied Congress to create an annual event to focus attention on the situation and correct it.  The goal was to make students more aware of the importance of geography, as a tool to understand the world and its people. The approach was to designate a National Geography Awareness Week that would spur the nation's schools and teachers to incorporate geography into their curriculums.

So for the last decade, the National Geographic Society has created and distributed packages of colorful, professionally produced teaching materials to hundreds of thousands of educators around the country, with a different theme each year. This year, governors from 34 states, including Pennsylvania, have supported the 1998 Geography Awareness Week (Nov. 15-21) with official proclamations.  The theme for the 1998 Geography Awareness Week is "People, Places and Patterns: Geography Puts the Pieces Together."  The Pennsylvania Geography Alliance (724-357-5098) also has scheduled a series of statewide activities during the week. It's holding the sixth annual Geography Awareness Week State Poster Contest. Various local geography fairs have been scheduled and, on Wednesday, Nov. 18, students are encouraged to wear T-shirts with geographic themes to school.  With the support of a list of corporate underwriters, the Society's geographic education division has created a nifty classroom activity packet. Each contains four colorful, two-sided posters that present different aspects of geographic knowledge.  One poster highlights different geographic information systems, with 10 U.S. maps, each depicting a different "point of reference." Another focuses on foods around the world. A third presents a dramatic nighttime view of the lights of the United States compiled from satellite views, and the fourth, a stunning space eye view of St. Louis.  The activity packets, which cost $4 per classroom, also contain an interactive CD-ROM, packed with mapping data, programs for learning to use geographic information systems and printable versions of all the learning materials provided in the teacher's handbook. In addition to a world of geographic ideas, the handbook offers 10 focused classroom projects and thought-provoking activities designed to turn kids on to understanding the world and its people.  The program is ideally suited for geography and social studies classes, but the individual activities incorporate aspects of math, language and the arts, and can be used by teachers of any discipline and every grade from K through 12. The activities involve minimum preparation and, in addition to copies of the program handouts, require only materials that should be readily available.  National Geography Awareness week is a great opportunity for teachers to implement the national standards for the teaching of geography, and we might add, the education of future travelers.  That's why the Post-Gazette supports Geography Awareness Week. In fact, we'd like to make it easier to participate, by providing activity packets to teachers in any school in our circulation area who'd like to get their students in on the fun.  If you're a parent or grandparent who would like to help excite your offspring about the wide world of possibilities out there, make sure their teachers are aware of National Geography Awareness Week. If you're a teacher, mark Nov. 15-21 on your calendar.

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