This document outlines the importance of teaching geography in elementary education, emphasizing its role in helping students understand physical and cultural characteristics of the world. It highlights that geographic education equips children with essential knowledge and skills necessary for effective citizenship and global awareness. The lesson includes objectives for students to define geography, analyze its significance, and evaluate cultural interactions, aiming to overcome ignorance and enhance geographic literacy.

1. LESSON 2. Concept of Geography
and Its Importance in Teaching of
Elementary Grades
Overview
Students at young age are in exploration
and wandering stage, they may wonder
about the earth, the physical features of one
place to another and the interaction of
people to environment.

2. LESSON 2. Concept of Geography
and Its Importance in Teaching of
Elementary Grades
Upon this lesson, you will learn the concept
of Geography particularly its definition and
the importance of teaching geography in the
elementary grades

3. LESSON 2. Concept of Geography
and Its Importance in Teaching of
Elementary Grades
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this lesson, students are expected to:
1. Define Geography;
2. Analyze the importance of teaching geography in the
elementary grades;
3. Evaluate the eradication of ignorance of geography in
the elementary learners;
4. Compare and contrast Culture and Geography in the
teaching of elementary grades.

4. What is Geography?
• Geography is the study of places and the
relationships between people and their
environments. Geographers explore both
the physical properties of Earth’s surface
and the human societies spread across it.
They also examine how human culture
interacts with the natural environment and
the way those locations and places can
have an impact on people.

5. What is Geography?
• Geography seeks to understand where
things are found, why they are there, and
how they develop and change over time.

6. WHY SHOULD GEOGRAPHY BE TAUGHT
IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
• Geography helps one understand the
physical and cultural characteristics of the
world.
• Geographic education provides the values,
knowledge, concepts, and skills to better
understand ourselves, our relationship to
the earth, and our interdependence with
other peoples of the world.

7. WHY SHOULD GEOGRAPHY BE TAUGHT
IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
• The locational organization scheme of
geography provides a framework for
learning the physical, social, and historical
phenomena studied in both elementary
and secondary schools.

8. WHY SHOULD GEOGRAPHY BE TAUGHT
IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
• Formal instruction in the primary and
elementary grades is effective in
increasing geographic knowledge and
skills (Buggey & Kracht 1986).
• Elementary students have the abilities to
learn geographic skills in observation,
classification, organization, and map
reading and interpretation.

9. WHY SHOULD GEOGRAPHY BE TAUGHT
IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
• Elementary school students also have
measurable attitudes concerning people in
other nations and are interested in and
able to learn about people in other areas
of the world (Mitsakos 1976; Pike &
Barrows 1976).
• These attitudes often develop, however,
without accurate knowledge of the
locations and characteristics of places and
the people who live in them.

10. WHY SHOULD GEOGRAPHY BE TAUGHT
IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
• There is a great need to increase the
quantity and quality of geographic
education in elementary schools to
overcome ignorance of geography.

11. Importance of Teaching Children
Geography
• Geography helps one understand the
physical and cultural characteristics of the
world.
• Geographic education provides the values,
knowledge, concepts, and skills to better
understand ourselves, our relationship to
the earth, and our interdependence with
other peoples of the world.

12. Importance of Teaching Children
Geography
• There is a great need to increase the
quantity and quality of geographic
education in elementary schools to
overcome ignorance of geography.
• Place names and locations are stressed in
elementary geography, as are map and
globe skills and the recognition of physical
landforms appearing on maps.

13. Importance of Teaching Children
Geography
• Teachers promote the study of geography
through one or more teaching strategies:
personal experiences, textbooks and printed
media, and interactive computer software.
• Fundamentally, just as it is necessary to know
the alphabet for reading, or multiplication tables
for arithmetic, it is also necessary to learn
geography to know where places are, and also
some facts about those places so you can tell
why they are different.

14. Importance of Teaching Children
Geography
• Geography, History, and Civics are seldom
taught in classrooms today, which a major
concern is considering the increasing focus on
globalization and the world economy.
• Future leaders who are oblivious of geographical
knowledge will have a hard time analysing world
events and making rational decisions, let alone
understanding basic physical systems of
everyday life, like implications of the solar
system on climate, water cycles, ocean currents,
etc.

15. Geography Helps You Understand Your
Own Country
• Studying geography gives you knowledge about
different places on earth and how they relate
with each other. Usually, you start by learning
about your home community, region, country,
continent, and so on as you gain more
experience. When it comes to your country, you
can expect to learn about:
-Citizenship -History
-Economics -Environment

16. Geography Helps You Understand Your
Own Country
Citizenship
Geography knowledge makes you become a better
citizen. Learning geography allows you to identify
and appreciate important events and national and
international policies; make better and informed
decisions regarding the best use of national
resources; and ask relevant questions about
policies that optimize the landscape and land use.
A more informed citizen makes for a better leader.

17. Geography Helps You Understand Your
Own Country
Economics
There is a close relation between economics and
geography with regard to the level of
industrialization or energy production;
transportation networks and the applications of
technology; the location of natural resources; and
many other factors that influence trade patterns
and the economy of the country and region.

18. Geography Helps You Understand Your
Own Country
History
Learning geography allows you to identify and
appreciate important clues of your nation’s
history, including the influence of landforms and
climate on land use, the rise and fall of
civilizations, and migration patterns, among other
things. Knowing the history of the landscape
helps you understand the transformation
processes that have taken place.

19. Geography Helps You Understand The
World
Geography also gives you the tools to gain an
understanding of international matters,
multicultural concerns, and environmental matters.
You learn to read maps, interpret local and
global information, and understand international
networks for trade and other things.

20. Geography Helps You Understand The
World
All this information allows you to integrate multiple
concepts from humanities, social science,
and science, and apply critical thinking to dealing
with current issues at the local, national, and
international level.
But it starts with allocating some hours or days per
week for the study of different geographical
aspects in the education system.

21. Evaluation
Direction: Answer the following questions
comprehensively
1. In your own understanding, define geography.
2. Is it important to teach geography in the
elementary grades? Why or why not?
3. Is it necessary to eradicate ignorance of
geography in the elementary learners? Why or why
not?
4. Compare and Contrast Culture and Geography
in the teaching of elementary grades (You may
create your own graphic organizer)

22. Quiz