The
Michigan Geographicnewsletter
Alliance
www.cst.cmich.edu/mga
291 Dow Science
* Central Michigan University
*
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
Volume 23, Number 1 * 989-774-3723
Fall, 2012
C O O R D I N A T O R’ S
O Dr. Michael Libbee
Geography at the Michigan Joint
R
Social Studies Conference.
N The Michigan Geographic Alliance is proud to be a partner in the Michigan Joint Social Studies ConE ference. This year the Geography Strand will feature some old resources and some new ones, but
depend on receiving interesting grade-appropriate Michigan specific materials, for free.
R
World and US Geography and History Workshops – MGA is sponsoring two 2-hour workshops
on Friday using the world and US GeoHistoGrams. Each participant will receive a GeoHistoGram
poster and a CD of Activities. If you are teaching world or US History and Geography, these resources are not to be missed. (See page 5 for more on the new US GeoHisotGram.)
World Geography – A two-hour world Geography workshop will be offered on Friday. Each participant will receive a copy of the Teaching Geography CD and a range of other activities.
Dealing with Total Inclusion Classrooms - MGA is trying hard to take accommodation in geography seriously by incorporating the brain research into the design of materials to help struggling
readers understand social studies content. But we are also developing workshops for with practical
strategies for social studies teachers. Check the Saturday schedule for more workshops.
And More – Pages 2-3 include the range of workshops scheduled for the MCSS. Stop by the MGA
booth for National Geographic Maps and a copy of our new Spatial Thinking poster, available in both
an elementary and a secondary version. See you there!
Joint
Social Studies
Conference
REGISTER NOW!
www.mcssmi.org
See pages 2-3 for
more details
We are looking forward to seeing you at the
Michigan Joint Social Studies Conference.
Look Inside for more about....
Geography Awareness Week
CNN Hero from Michigan
Sister City Exchange
TC Tidbits
Cool Links
2012 Michigan Joint Social Studies Conference
When: Friday, November 2-Saturday, November 3, 2012
Where: Macomb Community College
John Lewis Student Community Center
14500 East 12 Mile Road
Warren, Michigan 48088
Two-Hour Sessions on Friday
SOCIAL STUDIES STRANDS:
Geography* (see page 3)
History
Civics
Economics
GENERAL SESSIONS:
Supporting All Readers in SS
PLCs that Work
Flipping Over SS
Critical Literacy in K-8
Please visit www.mcssmi.org for
more information and to register!
GO GREEN!
Check out how you can
“GO GREEN” with this
newsletter on page 8.
World Geography and History for Middle School Teachers is
a workshop on teaching world history from a geographic perspective. The workshops is specifically designed for middle school
teachers and focused on the first three eras of world history. Participants will learn how to use the world GeoHistoGram, and receive posters, classroom sets of placement size GeoHistoGrams
to laminate, and a CD of activities.
Dr. Michael Libbee, Cindy Bloom
US Geography and History is a workshop for American history teachers on using the new US GeoHistoGram poster and a set
of activities from ranging from colonial to contemporary. The
workshop is a great new resource for beginning or experienced
American History teachers.
Dr. Phil Gersmehl
Practical Strategies for Teaching World Geography will use
principles from the contemporary brain research to help teach
about world patterns, connections, and comparisons. The workshop will also provide an introduction to using the Teaching World
Geography CD. Bring your laptop!
Dr. Michael Libbee, Dr. Phil Gersmehl
2
MGA’s Geography Strands
All MGA sessions will be presented by Dr. Michael Libbee, Dr. Phil
Gersmehl, or by Michigan Geographic Alliance Teacher Consultuants.
Friday, November 2
NGS maps and world history
Genocide: Never Again
Using NGS Maps: Persia and Southeast Asia. This
session links well with the World History and Geography workshop by focusing on two case studies:
Persia and the Khmer Empire.
Engage in a variety of critical thinking activities
to examine the causes, effects, and solutions to
genocide in the 21st century.
Bev Feldkamp
Dr. Michael Libbee
Saturday, November 3
Water, Water Everywhere?
The Pros and Cons of Bottled Water
Learn how to engage students in a public policy issue from multiple perspectives and receive a crossdisciplinary lesson that meets geography GLCEs,
ELA CCS, and CCR Standards.
Jaye Lynn Trapp
Analysis of Population Trends and Charts
This session will provide lessons examing various
population charts. Participants will be given data
and information about the history and trends of
population as it has changed over time.
Lori Barber
NGS Maps and Africa
Examine how NGS maps and other materials enhance student comprehension in the secondary
classroom. Focusing specifically on Africa, examine how human-environment interaction has
shaped the economies, politics, and cultures.
Amy Ostrander
Incorporating Formative Assessment
Activities in Social Studies
Formative assessments provide feedback to students so that they can improve their performance.
It also helps educators differentiate their instruction and thus improve student achievement.
Rania Hammoud
Michigan’s Land and Environment
MEECS for Third Grade – MGA has modified the
popular Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support Project (MEECS) for third grade
Michigan teachers. This workshop will provide a
variety of Michigan specific posters and activities
specifically designed to teach about environmental
issues and land-use in third grade.
Marty Mater
3
Accommodating Your Geography and History
Lessons to Meet All Learners
Sharing some accommodation ideas and different
strategies to help reach all learners in the classroom. The different accommodations are available
for assessments, presentation of information, map
activities, and reading activities.
Jenna Waters
NCGE Awards
MGA is proud to announce two award winners! The National Council of Geographic Education will award the
Distinguished Teaching Award to Teacher Consultant Rania Hammoud and the Outstanding Support for Geography Education Award to Teacher Consultant David Hales (at its national conference in San Marcos, Texas.
MGA Teacher Consultant (2005) David Hales is the
Social Studies Consultant for Wayne County Regional
Educational Service Agency. He is passionate about
making geography accessible and relevant for teachers
and students. He has helped to direct two subsequent
county-wide Wayne County Geography and World
History “Improving Teacher Quality” grants through
the Michigan Department of Education, developed an
extensive online K-12 Social Studies Social Studies
teacher network and is chair of the Michigan Social
Studies Supervisors Association. David has developed and shared curriculum with classroom teachers,
including creating a set of interactive learning modules
with the Charles H Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit to provide teachers and student
with comprehensive knowledge of Ancient West African History and Geography.
David has certainly provided Outstanding Support
for Geography Education!
MGA Teacher Consultant (2011) Rania Hammoud
teaches 6th Grade Social Studies at Discovery Middle School (Plymouth-Canton Community Schools).
She incorporates the most up-to-date technology tools
which support student learning in Geography: Google
Earth, StrataLogica, Flocabulary, Brain Pop, and various computer software programs and often mentors
colleagues on the use of instructional technology. Rania was one of 25 national educators awarded a grant
by the National Geographic Society to attend the 2012
ESRI Conference in San Diego this summer.
Rania maintains a safe and respectful learning environment by addressing student discipline in a positive
approach. She is the founder and sponsor of the Discovery Middle School Diversity Council, which empowers and guides 85 student leaders to pilot schoolwide projects that address racial tolerance and school
bullying. Congratulations to a nationally recognized
Distinguished Teacher!
Check out more information!
geographyawarenessweek.org/
Celebrating Geography Worldwide November 11-17, 2012
This year’s Geography Awareness Week theme explores the idea that we
are all 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.
Have your students investigate their own interdependence by completing
the “Global Closet Calculator”–an interactive game that aggregates the
contents of their own closets by origin to generate a map showing their
unique global footprint.
See us at
MCSS for
materials
Download and print this year’s poster (or pick up your free copy
at the MGA booth at MCSS) to find global connections.
4
US GeoHistoGram
On the United States GeoHistoGram, the relative importance of different regions of the country is shown
by the size of five colored areas. “Relative importance” is defined as a combination of population, economic power, and political clout at any given time in
history.
Activities using the US GeoHistoGram include:
•Events That Changed the Balance of Power within
the United States
•Inventions that Promoted Growth in Different
Regions of the U.S.
•Transportation Innovations that Linked Regions of
the U.S.
•Major Waves of Immigration in the History of the
United States
•Key Events in Early African-American History
•Famous African-American Migrations in U.S.
History
•Famous Black “Movers” in U.S. History
•Milestones in the History of Women’s Rights in
the United States
•Truth or Myth – using the U.S. GeoHistoGram to
evaluate ideas
•Novels That Had Influence in Different Regions
of the U.S.
Participants at the MCSS session US Geography and
History (Friday, November 2) will receive a US GeoHistoGram Poster and CDs of activities to help students get a new perspective on history and geography.
2012 CNN Hero from Michigan
“A School for My Village”
Michigan has a CNN Hero. Jackson Kaguri grew up in Uganda, studied in the U.S. and lives in Okemos.
Kaguri is helping grandmothers who are raising grandchildren left orphaned by AIDS. His Nyaka AIDS
Orphans Project provides free education and health care to nearly 600 children in Uganda, and it offers support to nearly 7,000 grandmothers. He has created two schools for children who lost parents to AIDS. His
foundation/effort also has built homes for the grandmothers who care for these children. He has helped create
water supplies for rural areas and even built a library in Nyaka. (www.nyakaschools.org).
“A School For My Village” is the stirring story behind The Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project. Weaving together
tales from his youth with the enormously inspiring account of the remarkable challenges and triumphs of the
school, Kaguri shows how someone with a modest idea is capable of monumental results.
5
He has been nominated as a CNN Hero for 2012. Read about him and other CNN heroes at http://www.cnn.
com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/2012.heroes/jackson.kaguri.html
TC TIDBITS
“A Rain Garden for Our School”
The NCSS spring publication of "Social Studies and the
Young Learner" published an article on Teacher Consultant Joy McFadyen’s (Bay City) on-going project,
with guidelines for involving students of any age in
real citizenship and environmental projects. The article
is entitled "A Rain Garden for Our School", and it is
available at NCSS and online at Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network. Click "publications and news"
and scroll down to “Hampton Rain Gardens" to view,
read or download.
ESRI Attendee
Teacher Consultant Rania Hammoud (Discovery
Middle School, Canton) received a $1000 grant from
National Geographic Education Foundation to attend
the 2012 ESRI Conference in San Diego in July. “I
learned a great deal about inquiry-based student projects that incorporate innovative Geography tools like
ArcGIS online” reports Rania.
Library of Congress
Teacher Consultant Vickie Weiss (Grand Blanc?) attended a fabulous workshop at the Library of Congress. She viewed interesting maps and learned about
visible thinking and using primary sources. Michigan
Grade Level Content Expectations require students to
use primary sources to learn.
MEECS Training
Ten Michigan Geographic Alliance Teacher Consultants took part in the new MEECS training in July.
Lori Barber (Lansing) and Pat Graves-Wesolosky
are ready to offer workshops on Land Use. Connie
Rasmussen (Manistee), Jaye Lynn Trapp (Traverse
City), Clare Friend (Holland) and Kristi Karis
(Muskegon) will offer training on the Water Quality
Unit and the Ecosystem and Biodiversity Unit. Workshops on Energy Resources will be available from
Al Lewandowski (Port Huron) and Susan Husiak
(Whitehall). Joy McFadyen (Bay City) trained on
Air Quality and Energy Resources, and Jill McGinn
(Ann Arbor) is ready to offer workshops on Land Use
and Water Quality. To set up a workshop on one or
more of these units, or to find a workshop in your
area, please check the DEQ website. http://www.
michigan.gov/deq. Choose ‘Environmental Educaton’ under Key Topics.
MDE Involvement
Teacher Consultant Yolanda Portis (Thurgood
Marshall Elementary School, Detroit) worked on
the State of Michigan Items Review Committee for
MEAP testing, and is a Michigan Teacher’s Certification Writer for new teachers.
Teacher Consultant Jenna Waters (Wilson Middle
School, Wyandotte) worked with the MI Department
of Education on the extended GLCEs for 8th grade
social studies and the MI Access assessment for social studies due out in 2014.
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE!
Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic
Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed
to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the
subject, and increase public awareness about geography. Schools with students in grades four
through eight are eligible for this entertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge.
Schools registered by October 15, 2012 will receive their contest materials in
early November.
S2013 National Geographic Bee Dates:
• School Bees: November 12, 2012–January 15, 2013
• State Bees: April 5, 2013
• National Level: May 20–22, 2013
GO GREEN!
Check out how you can
“GO GREEN” with this
newsletter on page 8.
6
Sister City Exchange
Teacher Consultant Jenna Waters (Wilson MS, Wyandotte) traveled to Japan from June 25th until July
5th with seven students from Wyandotte Public Schools as part of Wyandotte’s 50-year old sister city
exchange program. The group stayed in Komaki (sister city) and also traveled to Kyoto, Inuyama, and
Nagoya. The students are future 9th and 10th graders.
This totem pole is a replica totem pole that Wyandotte gave to the people of Komaki, Japan.
The totem pole is a landmark of Wyandotte.
The one in Japan is placed in an area of the
park completely dedicated to Wyandotte.
The group was able to participate in a traditional
winter style Japanese tea ceremony. The ladies
dressed the chaperones in traditional kimonos. It
was a great experience for the students.
Cool Links
For Teachers
Understanding Fundamentals of Geography
http://www.startlocal.com.au/articles/educational_geography.html
Physical geography is one of the most far reaching of
all the sciences because it examines everything that
happens in the natural environment of our planet. Want
to understand why mountains are formed, why certain
animals live where they do, and why tropical areas are
prone to hurricanes? This site provides sources for
those who want to learn geography.
For Fun!
Students and teachers
alike will enjoy discussing both the geography
mistakes and the stereotypes shown on this
fun map of the United
States according to
Michiganders:
http://probalicious.
tumblr.com/image/23520489222
“Running the Numbers”
http://www.chrisjordan.com/gallery/rtn/#light-bulbs
Running the Numbers looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens
of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: 15 million sheets of
office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (30 seconds of can consumption). These images representing these quantities might have a different effect than
the raw numbers alone. Click on an image to see how this artist designed his message.
7
MICHIGAN GEOGRAPHIC ALLIANCE
Central Michigan University
291Dow Science Building
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
Permit Number 93
Is your mailing label correct?
If not, please let us know!
Call (800) 279-1423 or
email [email protected]
Headquartered at Central Michigan University
This project is funded in part by a grant
from the National Geographic Society Education Foundation.
GO GREEN!
The Michigan Geographic Alliance newsletter is posted on our website, www.cst.cmich.edu/mga.
In honor of trying to ‘go green’, you can choose your method of newsletter delivery: have it sent
by email (pdf), continue to receive a paper copy, or read it on the site (Newsletter Archives).
Visit www.cst.cmich.edu/mga and CLICK “Join the MGA Information Family” to send us your current information. We
encourage all newsletter recipients to provide us with an update of a preferred method of receiving MGA communications.
Please feel free to email your information or preference to: [email protected] or call 1-800-279-1423.
The Alliance mailing address is:
We invite your suggestions and articles for publication. Submissions should be sent to our address or emailed to [email protected].
If you have any questions or comments, please call 1-800-279-1423.
Michigan Geographic Alliance
Central Michigan University
291 Dow Science
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
8