World History and Geography for Young Learners

Scott Waring
In our interdependent world, there are numerous ties
between the local and the global, and between the
present and the past. Questions and contradictions that
affect us have often affected others in different times
and places. The articles in this issue focus on geography
and world history and outline ways in which PreK-6
educators can utilize maps, experiences, literature, local
communities, play, and inquiry to meet both state and
national standards, as well as NCSS themes such as 1
CULTURE; 2 TIME, CONTINUITY, AND
CHANGE; 3 PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENTS; and 9 GLOBAL
CONNECTIONS.
In Hey, Ive Been There! Using the Familiar to Teach World Geography in a
Kindergarten Classroom, Elizabeth Kenyon, Carlee Coffey, and Janice
Kroeger outline ways in which educators in the kindergarten classroom can connect
the curriculum to students culture and family. The authors found thatby using
students experiences and family backgrounds, as well as their knowledge of their
local social and physical environmentteachers can foster understanding of both
maps and world geography in young students.
Judy Britts Operation Little Vittles: Teaching the Berlin Airlift with Twin Texts is
a descriptive piece on the utilization of a twin text project and how this approach is a
useful reading practice for developing social studies content knowledge. She argues
that, in addition to reading the books, students can learn about and use disciplinary
literacy skills for history and geography, as well as being exposed to maps, a variety
of primary sources, and Internet technology.
Ann Marie Gleeson and Lisa Andries DSouza provide their thoughts in their piece
Expanding Local to Global through Esri Story Maps, as well as the Pullout:
Handouts for Creating Story Maps. They note that instead of separating local and
global dimensions, teachers can work with children to integrate them, learning about
the world through their local communities. The focus of the piece is on Community
Story Maps, an inquiry-driven project in which students learn about local history
through the lenses of history, civics, economics, and geography and compare their
surroundings to geographically different places and regions.

Cardboard Airplanes: Authentic Ways to Foster Curiosity about Geography in Early

Childhood, by Stephanie L. Strachan, Meghan K. Block, and Scott L. Roberts, is
a article in which the authors demonstrate how early childhood educators can develop
geographic knowledge beyond the local community through play and active inquirybased learning. In this piece, the authors show how an overheard conversation (two
students talking about experiences traveling via airplane) inspired an approach that
allows students opportunities to learn about and create foundational geographic
knowledge of the world around them through play. Students ask questions and find
answers in informational texts and various technology-based sources.
In Integrating Mapping and ELA Skills Using Giant Traveling Maps, Lisa Brown
Buchanan, Christina M. Tschida, and Seth N. Brown introduce the National
Geographic Societys Giant Traveling Map program and discuss how the use of maps
in combination with childrens literature can expand geography instruction. They
provide teachers with resources to allow their students opportunities to actively
explore and kinetically learn geography skills, which can then be used to enhance
students background knowledge while reading books.
Teresa Bergstrom, Krista Valentage, Kimberly Trotto, and Anna Glenn advocate
field trips in A Day at the Museum: Meaningful Student Experiences with Primary
Sources. They outline how teachers can utilize trips to local museums to connect
museum discovery with curriculum and to invite students to put life skills into
practice for achieving social studies goals and standards. Their ultimate goal is to
increase curiosity and to promote the arts and a passion for lifelong learning, while
teaching history through the use of primary sources. They clearly argue that, although
a successful museum field trip takes a bit of logistical planning and pedagogical
support, the connections and learning that occurs are well worth the effort.