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
Summer Workshop for Teachers - "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-12 educators to take part in a 3-day 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 20 non-credit Professional Development Hours (PDH) and non-Illinois teachers will receive 2.0 non-credit Continuing Education Units (CEU) for participating in this workshop.
The 2020 summer curriculum workshop will be run from Monday, June 22 to Thursday, June 25. 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.” For more information and a tentative schedule, see here.
The cost of attending the workshop is $90, payable by check to “University of Illinois.” Included in the workshop fee are three nights of lodging at Illini Tower and parking for the duration of the workshop. Breakfast and lunch will be provided June 23-25, and dinner will be provided on June 22. Participants will be expected to cover their own dinners on June 23 and 24. The EU Center will also provide a travel reimbursement of up to $150 based on mileage.
The workshop is limited to 15 participants on a first-come-first-serve basis. Register here by April 19. 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.
East, west, north, south, rural, urban or suburban, all Illinois middle and high school students are invited to tell their hometown stories in the 4th Annual Illinois Map Competition. Thanks to Esri, there are prizes for winners! For more information, including how to register, visit https://thinkgeospatial.education.
Please email the contest organizers, Judy Bock and Jenni Dahl, with questions at contest@thinkgeospatial.education.
Events
Exploring our World with GIS: A Hands-On Workshop for Educators - June 15-16, 2020 at Illinois State University (Normal, IL)
The Illinois Geographic Alliance (IGA) is pleased to offer a two-day summer workshop entitled “Exploring Our World with GIS: A Hands-On 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 inspire educators about how they might integrate GIS and digital mapping into their current curriculum. The workshop will feature several hands-on exercises with ESRI’s ArcGIS software, emphasizing key GIS concepts and applications. The workshop will also cover steps for acquiring free ESRI GIS software for use in the K-12 classroom. No prior experience with GIS is needed.
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. (Note: Priority will be given to high school educators. Other educators are highly encouraged to register and will be invited to participate as space permits.)
Participating in-service Illinois K-12 teachers will receive a $150 stipend for successful completion of the workshop. Professional Development hours (formerly referred to as CPDUs) will be provided at no-out-of-pocket cost for Illinois K-12 in-service teachers who participate in the entire workshop. In addition, a limited number of $100 travel stipends are available for participants traveling 2+ hours each way to the workshop. All workshop participants will receive a free GIS workbook. Lunch will also be provided.
The workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. June 15 and 16, 2020, on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.
There is no cost to participate in the workshop; however, space is limited. Please register online by June 1, 2020.
Questions about the workshop can be emailed to the Illinois Geographic Alliance at iga@illinoisstate.edu.
2020 Geography Education in the 21st Century Conference - November 7, 2020 at Illinois State University (Normal, IL)
The Illinois Geographic Alliance 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 at iga@illinoisstate.edu.
2020-03-05T12:49:57.914-06:00
2020