Psychological research shows that learning can be powerfully enhanced through testing, but this finding has so far been confined to memory tasks requiring verbal responses. We explored whether testing can enhance learning of visuospatial information in maps. Fifty subjects each studied 2 maps, one through conventional study, and the other through…

In order to become an effective map user the environmental scientist must go beyond the mastery of conventional map reading principles and learn to deal with diverse informational dimensions in the context of the map use purpose and the physical/cultural make-up of the geographical region under study. (Author)

The author examines the potential of air photography as a teaching aid and explains some of the techniques for analysis and interpretation of aerial photographs. (AA)

Map projections take on new meaning with location systems needed for satellites, other planets and space. A classroom approach deals first with the relationship between the earth and the globe, then with transformations to flat maps. Problems of preserving geometric qualities: distance, angles, directions are dealt with in some detail as are…

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a large Arab, Muslim country in the Middle East. It has been an economic and political partner of the United States for many years. This unit, designed for elementary students, provides a text, questions, mapping skills, and fun activities. Students read about Saudi Arabia to gain insights and an appreciation of…

"Back to the Basics: Birmingham, Alabama" is the fourth in a series of workshops that focus on teaching foundational map reading and spatial differentiation skills. It is the second published exercise from the Back to the Basics series developed by the Wetland Education through Maps and Aerial Photography (WETMAAP) Program (see…

Contrasts the ignorance of Americans with the "geographic elitism" of Canadians, who know where they are but are weak in general geographical knowledge. Restoring geography in the schools will require renewed commitment in universities and teacher training institutions. South Dakota, California, and Arizona provide solid evidence of this…

Provides 2 examples of walking tours developed for primary grade children. The first example is map-based and the second is a verbal treasure hunt exercise where students follow a series of instructions to move about their school. (JDH)

Examines memory for room-sized spatial arrangement in relation to spatial and classification operations. Sixty first-grade children were given two Piagetian spatial tasks and a two-dimensional point duplication problem. Results of multiple regression showed that Euclidean knowledge (measured by verticality) and age in months predicted memory for…

Third-grade children were able to interpret "Band 5" black-and-white Landsat images (those produced nearest the visible light portion of the spectrum) with little difficulty. (RM)

A teaching strategy to achieve adequate understanding of topographic maps is presented. It is founded upon a group of integrated illustrations that take the learner from data gathering to the final map. The strategy is applicable from elementary through college. (NH)

Describes activities for elementary social studies designed to stimulate student interest in maps and globes. For example, students study geographic regions where friends and relatives live. They locate food production, manufacturing areas, and places they have visited on maps. (AM)

Preschool children's ability to infer an object's position in a room from information contained on a map was assessed under five conditions: (1) map aligned inside the room; (2) map aligned outside the room; (3) map rotated 180 degrees inside the room; (4) map rotated 180 degrees outside the room; and (5) map held vertically outside the room. (JMB)

Preschoolers placed stickers on maps to show locations of objects currently in view. Vantage point (eye-level versus raised), map form (plan versus oblique), and item type (floor versus furniture location) were varied. Results showed that using an oblique map first aided subsequent performance on a plan map. Subjects performed worse on floor…