The Integration of Geography and

Language Arts Standards

QuickTime™ and aPhoto - JPEG decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Why GeoLiteracy?Why GeoLiteracy?

To increase student achievement on state-mandated tests

To promote geographic education To practice reading and writing skills To maximize classroom instruction time

Why GeoLiteracy?Why GeoLiteracy?

To assist in meeting North Central Accreditation goals

To help students with limited English language skills

To create a link between tested language arts skills and geography

standards

What are GeoLiteracy lessons?What are GeoLiteracy lessons?

K-8 lessons that:Integrate geography

standards with reading and writing standards

Improve student skillsMotivate student

learningAssess student

achievement

How do GeoLiteracy Lessons How do GeoLiteracy Lessons Motivate?Motivate?

GeoLiteracy lessons motivate students through:

Oral historiesHands-on activitiesMap making activitiesShort writing projects

such as public service announcements and newspaper articles

How do GeoLiteracy Lessons How do GeoLiteracy Lessons Assess Student Achievement?Assess Student Achievement?

GeoLiteracy lessons assess achievement in reading, writing, and geography by using:

The 6 Trait Writing Rubric The format of Stanford

Achievement Test questions

Observation assessments Multiple choice tests

Who created the lessons?Who created the lessons?

Teacher Consultants from the Arizona Geographic Alliance

National Board Certified Teachers An Assessment Specialist from Mesa

Public Schools Department of Geography personnel from

Arizona State University

Who funded the development Who funded the development of the GeoLiteracy Project?of the GeoLiteracy Project?

What are some of the 23 lessons What are some of the 23 lessons for grades K-3?for grades K-3?

If These Walls Could Talk: Learning about human features of a community

A Walk Around School: Mapping how to get from one place to another

Catch Me If You Can: Recognizing relative location terms

Me on a Map: Comprehending that homes make neighborhoods and neighborhoods make a community

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, and Save Trees: Conserving natural resources

Sticks, Stones, Sinews and Stuff: Using the environment to meet basic needs

Nina Bonita: Mapping Nina’s world and understanding tolerance

I Am a Rock. I Am an Island: Identifying landforms and water bodies

What are some of the 25 lessons What are some of the 25 lessons for grades 4-5?for grades 4-5?

Westward Ho: Reading fictional diaries and mapping a journey on the Oregon Trail

Birth of a Rocky Mountain Town: Learning how humans respond to natural features

Let’s Travel: Creating a travel brochure of state landmarks explaining why tourists should visit them

Take Me to The River: Recognizing how a dam has affected the humans living in the area

The Mountain Community: Understanding how physical landscapes and economic conditions influence the settlement of people

Maize to Maquiladoras: Tracking the historical movement of people, ideas, and goods from Mexico to the U.S.

But We Need More: Examining pollution and water conservation issues

What are some of the 33 lessons What are some of the 33 lessons for grades 6-8?for grades 6-8?

Over and Through: Categorizing physical geography terms

Is There a Map in That Story? Drawing a map from a written description

Name that Place: Discovering the word origins of place names in the U.S.

Letter from a Leader: Writing a letter as if students lived in an ancient civilization

Who’s a Noodlehead? Examining cultures to find commonalities

Welcome to My World: Learning how being born male or female in some countries can influence a person’s future

Desertification: Determining the causes and effects of desertification

Three Gorges Dam: Analyzing the pros and cons of building a controversial dam

Wow!Wow!

A total of over 80 lessons

Each is classroom ready

Available on CD ROM or as paper copies

05

101520253035

Number of Lessons

K-3 Gr 4-5 Gr 6-8

Lessons Per Grade Level

And Wow!!And Wow!!

Student samples for some of the lessons!

How do I know the lessons work?How do I know the lessons work?

Piloted with over 5,300 AZ students

Piloted by 100+ AZ teachers

Piloted in more than 20 AZ school districts

How do I know the lessons work?How do I know the lessons work?

Piloted

with

diverse

ethnic

populations

How do I know the lessons work?How do I know the lessons work?

Piloted with

economically

diverse

populations

Distribution of Economic Status of Schools in Pilot Program

26%-50%51%-75%

Less than 25%Over 75%

Percentage of Students on Free or Reduced Lunch

What are the language backgrounds What are the language backgrounds of the piloted students?of the piloted students?

Percentage of ESL Students in Pilot Program

89% 11%

English Speaking Students ESL

What are the grade level distributions of the ESL students?

Grade Distribution of ESL Students in Pilot Program

53%

32%

15%

K-3

Gr 4-5

Gr 6-8

How successful were the lessons?

Preliminary piloting showed:

85%85% of students scored 80% or higher on

the geographygeography assessment 84%84% of students scored 80% or higher on

the readingreading assessment 78%78% of students scored 80% or higher on

the writingwriting assessment

What are the costs of What are the costs of implementing GeoLiteracy?implementing GeoLiteracy?

Grades K-5 would ONLYONLY need GeoLiteracy to teach ALLALL of the AZ geography standards

Cost per school for GeoLiteracy materials for grades K-5 are

Approximately $475Approximately $475

Grades 6-8 would enhance BOTHBOTH their social studies and language arts curriculum with GeoLiteracy

Cost per school for GeoLiteracy materials for grades 6-8 are Approximately $635Approximately $635

What do the costs include?What do the costs include?

High quality children’s books

National Geographic series:

Windows on Literacy

Reading Expeditions

Familiar children’s literature

QuickTime™ and aPhoto - JPEG decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

How can the costs be reduced?How can the costs be reduced?

MANYMANY of the GeoLiteracy materials are in your librarylibrary:

River Ran Wild Ramona Quimby books Gingerbread Man Red Riding Hood The Lorax The Cherokee

Nina Bonita Year of the Ranch Noodlehead Stories Edward and the Pirates Talking Walls Alejandro’s Gift Me on the Map The Desert is Theirs Rosie’s Walk Roxaboxen This is the Tree

How can the Arizona Geographic How can the Arizona Geographic Alliance help you?Alliance help you?

We can: Provide expert training for using the GeoLiteracy

program Offer more components as they are developed Provide maps and information on our website

How can the Arizona Geographic How can the Arizona Geographic Alliance help you?Alliance help you?

Included on the CD are over 60 COPYRIGHT FREE maps that have been produced by Arizona State University, Department of Geography Cartographer, Barbara Trapido-Lurie and her staff.

Which districts have lent Which districts have lent support to GeoLiteracy?support to GeoLiteracy?

Avondale Bisbee Cartwright Cottonwood Deer Valley Flagstaff Gilbert Hebrew Academy of Tucson Homeschoolers Madison Marana Mesa Kyrene

Osborn Page Paradise Valley Peoria Private Schools Sacaton Sierra Vista Somerton Sunnyside Tanque Verde Tempe Tucson Washington

Why should you consider Why should you consider GeoLiteracy?GeoLiteracy?

Innovative approach to integrating geography and language arts

Based on Arizona and national standardsBased on mandated testsPreliminary results show it teaches

geography as well as reading and writing

Thank you for considering our

GeoLiteracy Program.

QuickTime™ and aPhoto - JPEG decompressor

are needed to see this picture.