Mapping Myths, Mapping Asia: Rediscovering Asia’s Physical & Human Geography
This six hour, interactive PD session explores various strategies for bringing Asia from the periphery to the center of world geography classrooms. We will begin by exploring the historical origins of some of our most important geographical categories--from the divisions between East and West to the continental system itself--and consider how these divisions shape how we see the world today. Then we will survey some of the most important features of East Asia’s human geography, from diverse languages and religions to changing population structures and patterns. Finally, the workshop will provide teachers with concrete strategies for using web-based mapping tools such as ArcGIS Online to engage Asia’s complex geography in the classroom. These tools allow students to analyze spatial patterns and create meaningful visualizations of data from the local to the global.