Geography for the Geographically Disinclined

When you were younger, did you really dislike geography? I have been finding that this is the case for many of my students. This class is to help students who are teens (or close to it) understand where things are in the world and how to remember where they are. This will help immeasurably with life, and it will be a fun. Also, as in most of my social studies classes, there will be memes. 

Each class will focus on a different country or region in the world. We will rotate continents in this order: Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America, South America. 
In each class, we will look at the place on a map and discuss how to describe its location. We will discuss the climate and how it impacts the people who live there. We will discuss cultural indicators and ways we see them in the world today, especially in popular culture. 

The inspiration for this class was when a student asked me if Denmark is a state in England. I realized that many teens, especially in the US, skipped geography for most of their lives. I began to reflect on how I understood the world, and came to realize that it's mostly through a series of connections from weather conditions to things that the country is known for (for example, the large Scandinavian presence in the Northern US states partially being because they came from a place with a similar climate.) 

This class will be relaxed, conversational, and hopefully prepare students to understand the world a little better. 

I will take country/region requests.

Schedule: 





6/21: Polynesia
6/28: Costa Rica 
7/12: Argentina
7/19: France
7/26: Iraq
8/2: Egypt
8/9: Australia
8/16: Greenland
8/23: Paraguay 
8/30: Croatia 
9/13: Israel/Palestine
9/20: Madagascar
9/27: Fiji
10/4: Pacific Northwest 
10/11: No class
10/18: Iberia
10/25: Venezuela
11/1: No Class
11/8: Zimbabwe
11/15: Malaysia 
11/22: Micronesia
11/29: No Class
12/6: Iceland
12/13: Antarctica 
12/20: Switzerland 
No Class 
1/10: Sierra Leone
1/17: India
1/24: Papua New Guinea 
1/31: California
2/7: Falkland Islands
2/14: Italy 
2/21: no class
2/28: Cape Verde
3/7: Mongolia
3/14: Samoa
3/21: Bermuda Triangle 
3/28: Chile
4/4: France



old:

Week of 9/11: Sweden
Week of 9/18: Chad
Week of 9/25: No Class
Week of 10/2: Korea
Week of 10/9: Guam
Week of 10/16: Canada
Week of 10/23: Argentina
Week of 10/30: Czechia
Week of 11/6: Ethiopia
Week of 11/13: Vietnam
Week of 11/20: No Class (Thanksgiving)
Week of 11/27: Australia
Week of 12/4: Jamaica
Week of 12/11: No Class
Week of 12/18: Uruguay 
No class week of 12/25
Week of 1/4: Spain
Week of 1/12: Kenya
Week of 1/19: Saudi Arabia
Week of 1/26: Kiribati
Week of 2/2: Appalachia 
Week of 2/9: Brazil
Week of 2/16: Poland
Week of 2/23: Rwanda
Week of 3/1: Taiwan 
Week of 3/8: No Class
Week of 3/15: No Class
Week of 3/22: New Zealand
Week of 3/29:  Texas
Week of 4/5: Puerto Rico 
Week of 4/12: Ireland 
Week of 4/19: Ethiopia
Week of 4/26: Mongolia

old:
Week of 3/6: The Outback
Week of 3/13: Texas
Week of 3/20: Belarus 
Week of 3/27: Peru
No class 4/3-7: Spring Break
Week of 4/10: Sierra Leone 
Week of 4/17: Nepal
Week of 4/24: Kiribati
Week of 5/1: Greenland
Week of 5/8: Galapagos Islands
Week of 5/15: Greece
Week of 5/22: Ethiopia 
Week of 5/29: India
Week of 6/5: Polynesia
Week of 6/12: California 

Week of 7/10: Venezuela 
Week of 7/17: Scandinavia 
Week of 7/24: Japan
Week of 7/31: South Africa
Week of 8/7: New Zealand
Week of 8/14: Canada 
Week of 8/21: Chile
Week of 8/28: 

Old:
Week of January 3: Scandinavia
Week of January 10: Japan
Week of January 17: South Africa
Week of January 24: New Zealand
Week of January 31: Greater Antilles
Week of February 7: Argentina 
Week of February 14: Germany
Week of February 21: No class; February Break
Week of February 28: India
Week of March 7: Western Africa
Week of March 14: Australia 
Week of March 21: Florida
Week of March 28: Venezuela 
Week of April 3: The Romania
Week of April 11: The Levant
Week of April 18: No Class; Spring Break
Week of April 25: Ethiopia
Week of May 2: Polynesia
Week of May 9: Mexico
Week of May 16: Chile
Week of May 23: Czechia 
Week of May 30: Turkey
Week of June 6: Madagascar 
No Class June 17-1
Week of July 8: Micronesia
Week of July 15: No Class (Ed-Venture Conference)
Week of July 22: Canada
Week of July 29: Brazil
No classes in August
Week of Sep 5: British Isles 
Week of Sep 12: China
Week of Sep 19: Egypt
Week of Sep 26: Papua New Guinea
Week of Oct 3: The Great Plains
Week of Oct 10: Falkland Islands
Week of Oct 17: Russia 
Week of Oct 24: Korean Peninsula 
Week of Oct 31: Ghana 
Week of Nov 7: Cook Islands
Week of Nov 14: Iceland
Week of Nov 21: No Class
Week of Nov 28: Iberian Peninsula 
Week of Dec 5:  Colombia
Week of Dec 12: Afghanistan
Week of Dec 19: 
No Classes Dec 26-Jan 6
Week of 1/9: Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Week of 1/16: Hawaii 
Week of 1/23: Yucatan Peninsula 
Week of 1/30: Bolivia
Week of 2/6: Benelux Countries 
Week of 2/13: Morocco
Week of 2/20: The Philippines