Geography: 1) the nature and relative arrangement of places and physical features; 2) the study of the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere, and of human activity as it affects and is affected by these, including the distribution of populations and resources, land use, and industries
Click here for a an article from ThoughtCo.com explaining the origin of the word geography, outlining the concerns of physical and cultural geographers, and highlighting the importance of new technologies.
Geo-Literacy: Geo-literacy is the term that National Geographic has adopted to describe the understanding of how our world works that all members of modern society require. Geo-literacy is the ability to reason about Earth systems and interconnections to make far-reaching decisions. Whether we are making decisions about where to live or what precautions to take for natural hazards, we all make decisions that require geo-literacy throughout our lives.
Geography in California’s K-12 Curriculum
- History–Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools
- History-Social Science Curriculum Frameworks, including grade-level curricula
- California Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects for English Language Arts (Did you know there are free iPhone/iPad and Android apps with the Common Core standards?)
- Next Generation Science Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve (CA NGSS) – adopted, pre-publication version
Other Guidance for Geography Education
