The central objective of this article is to teach students to analyze the Middle East situation by learning to think in terms of concepts and generalizations. Two teaching strategies, opining and inquiry, are suggested. Stressing geography as concept learning demonstrates how geography can be a contemporary problem solving, generalizing…

Suggests a decision-making model that can be applied by high school students to a variety of environmental problems, and illustrates how the model can be used to make decisions concerning future energy shortages. Provides criteria for judging allocation priorities of limited resources and stimulates awareness of alternative solutions to energy…

Notes that the story of George Washington's encampment at Valley Forge is seldom told without reference to the bitter cold winter Washington and his troops endured. Shows how to use historical reports of weather information to allow students to judge for themselves whether the winter at Valley Forge then was harsher than winters in the same area…

Presents three solar access dilemmas requiring student analysis and decision making in order to develop skills that are transferable and applicable real-life public policy issues of geography. Developed for seventh-grade world geography course but equally applicable at higher grade levels. (TRS)

Describes a lesson plan for use in physical geography, earth science, and social studies classes. Suggests that students will find the problem solving approach interesting and will use knowledge of earth-sun relationships, absolute location, and place. Includes objectives, two days of learning activities, evaluations, resources, and an activity…

Discusses the challenges of teaching high school geography in a way that enables students to develop an informed, spatial view of the world. Discusses the High School Geography Project and its effect on geography instruction. Suggests a map drawing exercise for students to demonstrate the importance of mental maps. (DK)

Reports on a field project that allowed students to engage in problem solving, gather field data, and apply geographic concepts and tools. Students conducted a topographic survey of a shoreline and classified, counted, and weighed litter collected from the shoreline. Discusses the classification system and the students' findings. (MJP)