The document discusses improving a 6th grade world geography class by systematically studying each continent and focusing on key concepts like location, environment, and regions; it also suggests teaching about early river valley civilizations and later maritime civilizations in a continent-by-continent order; theme-based units on topics like civilizations, religion, trade, colonization, and current events are recommended alongside map quizzes and activities from educational resources.

1. Building a Better
World Geography Class

2. National Geographic-Roper Survey (2006)
63% cannot find Iraq on
a map of the Middle East
88% cannot find Afghanistan
on a map of Asia
*Americans ages 18-24

3. National Geographic-Roper Survey (2006)
Language # N ative S peakers
Mandarin 845 mill.
Spanish 329 mill.
74% believe English is most common
English 328 mill.
native language in the world
*Americans ages 18-24

4. National Geographic-Roper Survey (2006)
48% believe India has a
majority Muslim population
Hindu
Muslim
Christian, Sikh, Other
*Americans ages 18-24

5. Grade 6: World Geography
“Sixth graders systematically study the world outside of the
United States and North America by addressing
standards that emphasize political and physical
geography and embed five major concepts: location,
place, human interaction with the environment,
movement, and regions. Students systematically learn
geography around the world continent by continent,
similar to the way in which atlases are organized. They
also learn about each continent in an order that reflects,
first, the early development of the river valley civilizations
and then the later development of maritime civilizations in
the Mediterranean area and in Northern and Western
Europe.”*
*Massachusetts Department of Education, “Massachusetts History and Social Studies Curriculum Framework,” August 2003, 13.

6. Students will study the world outside
of the United States and North
America

8. What
about us?

9. Students will study the world outside
of the United States and North
America
Students will learn geography
continent by continent

10. What is a
Continent?

12. What is a
Continent?

13. Students will study the world outside
of the United States and North
America
Students will learn geography
continent by continent
Students will study each continent in
order of civilization

14. Africa
Western Asia (the Middle East)
Central and South Asia
Southeast Asia and Oceania
North and East Asia
Europe
South America

15. (sorry.)

16. Africa
Western Asia (the Middle East)
Central and South Asia
Southeast Asia and Oceania
North and East Asia
Europe
South America

17. Grade 6: World Geography
“Sixth graders systematically study the world outside of the
United States and North America by addressing
standards that emphasize political and physical
geography and embed five major concepts: location,
place, human interaction with the environment,
movement, and regions. Students systematically learn
geography around the world continent by continent,
similar to the way in which atlases are organized. They
also learn about each continent in an order that reflects,
first, the early development of the river valley civilizations
and then the later development of maritime civilizations in
the Mediterranean area and in Northern and Western
Europe.”*
*Massachusetts Department of Education, “Massachusetts History and Social Studies Curriculum Framework,” August 2003, 13.

18. Building a Better
World Geography Class
Theme-based units
Civilization & Early Empires
Religion & Beliefs
Natural Resources & Trade
Colonization & Independence
Global Conflict
Population & Food Supply
World Economy

19. Building a Better
World Geography Class
Map Quizzes
Mind Map Tests
Current Events
Google Maps
Activities from
PBS
Smithsonian
Nat. Geo.

20. Building a Better
World Geography Class