How to Know the National Geography Standards

In this era of economic, cultural, and political globalization and ever-increasing global interconnectedness, geography is as important as ever. With this in mind, the National Council for Geographic Education formulated eighteen National Geography Standards. These standards indicate what the geographically informed person should know and understand. The eighteen National Geography Standards are categorized into six essential elements. The phrase, "The geographically informed person knows and understands..." precedes each of the standards. To become more geographically informed, try to think about global and local processes from the framework of the National Geography Standards.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Essential Element #1 - The World in Spatial Terms:
   National Geography Standard #1 - How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information.
   National Geography Standard #2 - How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments.
   National Geography Standard #3 - How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.
2. Essential Element #2 - Places and Regions:
   National Geography Standard #4 - The physical and human characteristics of places.
   National Geography Standard #5 - That people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity.
   National Geography Standard #6 - How culture and experience influence people's perception of places and regions.
3. Essential Element #3 - Physical Systems:
   National Geography Standard #7 - The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.
   National Geography Standard #8 - The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface.
4. Essential Element #4 - Human Systems:
   National Geography Standard #9 - The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface.
   National Geography Standard #10 - The characteristics, distributions, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.
   National Geography Standard #11 - The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface.
   National Geography Standard #12 - The process, patterns, and functions of human settlement.
   National Geography Standard #13 - How forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface.
5. Essential Element #5 - Environment and Society:
   National Geography Standard #14 - How human actions modify the physical environment.
   National Geography Standard #15 - How physical systems affect human systems.
   National Geography Standard #16 - The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources.
6. Essential Element #6 - The Uses of Geography:
   National Geography Standard #17 - How to apply geography to interptret the past.
   National Geography Standard #18 - To apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.