Dedicated to the Teaching of Geography in the State of Illinois
Our purpose is the promotion and enhancement of geographic knowledge in the schools and among the general populace of Illinois. To achieve this purpose, the Alliance maintains a strong grassroots organization of geographic educators from schools and universities, participates in educational reform at the district, state, and national levels. We engage in an active program of preservice and in-service teacher education, develop curriculum materials based on the National Geography Standards, and foster public awareness of the importance of geography in our society.
News
Free, Virtual Workshop in June for K-14 Educators: From Conflict to Peace: The European Union Explained — How the EU Came to Be, How It All Works Today, and Its Greatest Challenges
The European Union Center at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, invites K-14 educators to take part in a week-long online summer curriculum workshop aimed at developing a more effective curriculum on the European Union. These materials may be incorporated into courses such as geography, government, politics, civics, foreign languages, world/U.S. history, and economics. Illinois teachers will receive 16 non-credit Professional Development Hours (PDH) and non-Illinois teachers will receive 1.6 non-credit Continuing Education Units (CEU) for participating in this workshop. There is no cost to attend the workshop.
The 2020 summer curriculum workshop will run from Monday, June 22 to Friday, June 26 and feature lectures and lesson planning sessions presented by University of Illinois faculty and experienced K-12 teachers. The workshop theme is “From Conflict to Peace: The European Union Explained — How the EU Came to Be, How It All Works Today, and Its Greatest Challenges.” Lecture topics include the history of the European Union, cultural policy in the EU, the EU post-Brexit, and environmental legislation. For more information and the full workshop schedule, see here.
Register here by June 15. Questions may be directed to Sydney Lazarus (lazarus5@illinois.edu).
What will the congressional delegation look like in Illinois and other states?
Following the 2020 Census, some states will gain additional seats in the United States House of Representatives, while others will see a decrease. Are you prepared to ask questions of the people responsible for drawing the new congressional district map? You will want to understand the history of migration in your state, essential elements of the apportionment and redistricting process, and geospatial technology tools that will inform that process. Resources designed to inform students and community members about these topics for all states are available through the GeoCivics website hosted at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
Explore resources for each state (https://www.uccs.edu/geocivics/stateresources) and think about using GeoCivics materials as a lesson plan or to frame a community discussion. Click the link below to sign up for more information, or to be kept informed as the GeoCivics project moves us toward being ready for new electoral districts.
Events
NEW - Exploring our World with GIS: A Virtual Workshop for Educators - June 29-30, 2020
The Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC (IGA) and the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment at Illinois State University are pleased to offer a free, two-day workshop entitled “Exploring Our World with GIS: A Virtual Workshop for Educators.”
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provides a lens for analyzing and visualizing geographic data to help us understand our world and to inform smarter decision-making. GIS has applications in the social sciences, natural sciences, humanities, business, and many other disciplines.
The goal of the workshop is to provide participants with key concepts and hands-on experience to utilize GIS effectively. Attendees will learn using contemporary GIS software including ESRI’s ArcGIS Online. The workshop will also cover steps for acquiring free ESRI GIS software for use in the K-12 classroom.
This workshop is aimed at in-service and pre-service high school educators, from any discipline; however, educators at all levels (K-16) are welcome. No prior experience with GIS is needed.
This is a free workshop that will be conducted virtually over Zoom on Monday, June 29, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Tuesday, June 30, 2020, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Participants only need access to a desktop or laptop computer (PC or MAC) and a web browser. Instructions will be provided for accessing GIS software.
Please note that this workshop is a repeat of the June 2019 face-to-face offering.
Workshop participants will receive a free GIS workbook and certificate of completion through the mail.
Please register online by June 15, 2020. Space is limited.
Questions about the workshop can be emailed to Dr. John Kostelnick (jkostelnick@ilstu.edu).
2020 Geography Education in the 21st Century Conference - November 7, 2020 at Illinois State University (Normal, IL)
The Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC and the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment at Illinois State University are excited to announce the 2020 Geography Education in the 21st Century Conference, a 1-day, drive-in conference for geography educators that includes networking opportunities, a keynote, and a variety of breakout sessions to choose from.
This conference is applicable for a wide range of geography educators including pre-service and in-service elementary school, middle school/junior high, and high school teachers and community college and college/university geography instructors and professors. This conference is a fantastic opportunity for you to network with geography educators from around the state.
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2020
Time: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Felmely Hall of Science and the Femley Science Hall of Science Annex on the campus of Illinois State University (Normal, IL)
Cost: Registration is free and includes a box lunch. PD hours (CPDUs) are provided at no out-of-pocket cost.
Please check back early September for more information about the conference and to submit an online registration form.
Questions about the conference can be emailed to the Illinois Geographic Alliance, LLC at iga@illinoisstate.edu.
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