Book Review – Thinking Like a Geographer By Rebecca M. Burley

Well, this work was not at all what I was expecting or hoping for. What was I expecting/hoping for? More of a conceptual methodology of the thinking skills that are needed or are useful in the study of Geography that can be applied not just within lessons focused on geography, but also other areas to increase the students analysis skills and critical thinking.

What this book is … basically it is a complete package lesson plan for geography/social studies for the elementary level. While the book states Grade 2, I would say that it could be applied up to Grade 5 depending on the social and academic level of the students. I also feel that some of the exercises would not be emotionally and thus in turn not intellectually relevant to 7/8YOs and might be better suited for older students.

As a complete lesson plan package, the book is sufficient to provide basically a whole geography component of the class curriculum for the year. The teacher is provided with the worksheets, project assignments and lecture content. Included are even examples of appropriate ‘right answers’ from the students to questions presented within the lectures.

*Copy Received For Review.

Geography Is Not Changed By Whims

So once again there are headlines defining Europe and or the EU. Apparently Geography is no longer taught in any school system in the world. Joining the EU does not make someone European. Europe is a continent, it is a geographic body and all countries that are located within the borders of the continent of Europe are European.
I do not understand the concept of the Ukrainians need to join the EU to be European……they already are.. Ukraine is located entirely within the borders of Europe. Nothing changes that and that fact makes ALL Ukrainians European. Even Russia is located within the borders of Europe to the Ural Mountains. So this concept of being European or Russian is also erroneous. It seems to be lost on a lot of people that certain things are not “changeable.” The country you are born in determines your natural citizenship, however, it does not necessarily determine your ethnicity, that is determined by your ancestral lines. The location of the country that you are born in does not move on whims or political elections. Yes, you can move to new countries and you can change your citizenship, however that does not change your birthplace, nor does it change the location of the previous or current country.
Then today there is another headline that the EU isn’t Europe without Serbia…..again I state, Europe is a geographic identity, not a choice, not a club, not a group. Joining Europe is like choosing parents after birth, it does not change your DNA. The same as being born with white or black skin, deciding that you want to be black or white does not change your skin color.  It was this misguided concept that lead to the violence and unrest in Ukraine. So I state, again, that countries should want to be free and independent. They should not want to answer to anyone except their own citizens.  And the citizens of each country should want their governments to only answer to them, not to them and other groups that do not have their best interests in mind. Trust me NO other country has the best interests of your country in mind ahead of or before their own. Only a fool would believe that.
There is absolutely no reason for the EU to care more about your people or country than the government and citizens of said countries. And if the governments and citizens really cared about their countries and their independence and freedom they would not want to join the EU or any other organization that takes away their independence and dictates their policies and alliances.