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
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
2020 Illinois State GeoBee to be held March 27 at Heartland Community College (Normal, Illinois)
Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic GeoBee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, inspire and reward students' curiosity about the world, and increase public awareness about geography. Students in grades four through eight (4-8) compete for a chance to win college scholarships and the glory of being the National Geographic GeoBee Champion.
Key dates for the upcoming Illinois State GeoBee:
- August 1, 2019: Registration opens
- October 1, 2019: School GeoBee materials available for download
- October 1, 2019–February 7, 2020: School GeoBees held; date and time determined locally
- December 20, 2019: Registration by check closes.
- December 21, 2019–January 24, 2020: Registration limited to credit card transactions
- January 24, 2020: Last day for School GeoBee registration
- February 7, 2020: Deadline for completion of online State GeoBee qualifying test
- March 2, 2020: State GeoBee qualifiers announced on NatGeoBee.org/results
- March 27, 2020: State GeoBees held
- Spring 2020: National Championship held
Sources:
https://sites.google.com/site/illinoisstatebee/
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/student-experiences/geobee/
2019-12-05T12:01:45.394-06:00
2019