Geography is a discipline that has students examine the world from cultural, physical, economic, and political standpoints, but you wouldn’t know that in many Tennessee schools.

During their middle and high school years, Tennessee’s students will take five required history courses and no required geography courses. The courses they do take have names that begin with “History and Geography”, but if one examines the full titles and the content of the courses, it is blatantly obvious that these are history courses.

This is the case for the current Social Studies standards and those that are proposed to soon replace the current standards. Some argue that geography can be adequately taught in such hybrid courses, but that is not the way it is taught in any college or university in the state.

Source: www.tennessean.com

Preach on Kurt, preach on.  And clearly, it’s not just Tennessee that needs this message. 

 

Tags: education, geography, geography education,