In the 5th 6th 7th & 8th grade we played a number of Board Games that showed countries of the world and the different U.S. states. We learned the names of state capitals & the capitals of different countries. Of course when I was in Grade School it was still the Belgian Congo/ German East Africa/French Indo China etc. etc. Had to do some re learning as the years went by.
I was about 9 or 10 when I was first being taught geography I think.., it was before leaving primary school.. I remember that!
Started in grade school with the easier things...think Hawaii was already a state by the time I had to learn them. Think I was in second grade when it became one but I don't know exactly when we learned the states.
I must have been around 8, I remember being surprised that the world was bigger than Texas, and the people that lived there were happy although they weren't Texans.
@Ren Tanner "Had to do some re learning as the years went by." That's the part that throws me: I still recall Siam, Bombay, Calcutta, etc. Frank
Sometime in elementary school, but I don't remember which years. Early on, it was the US states and capitals, and then we moved to other countries. I know that we had to be able to label them on a map, although I don't remember that there was ever a focus on Central or South America, or on Africa. I know there was a memorization tune that included Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Now, I am told, there is no longer an emphasis on geography. Although part of it is incorporated in Social Studies, the idea is that borders are merely political and of little importance, which I think has more to do with teaching globalization than anything else.
The elementary school I attended combined geography and history into one course called Social Studies. On topics of geography, specifically, I think it started coming up in the third grade.
Moving from Miami to Arkansas in the mid1950s at age 6 made me exceedingly aware of geography. Leaving the Atlantic Ocean behind forever, and the palm, orange and avocado trees, the wonderful pink flamingos, and the predictable afternoon rains driving in our old Packard all the way to the cotton fields of the Mississippi River delta, with flat farmland as far as one could see in every direction. I learned geography as a school subject but it was the travel around the continental USA that taught me the geography of the regions, which never ceased to amaze me. Americans live in such a wonderfully diverse natural world! Although I live in Australia now, which I do love, my memories of childhood in the USA are full of the wonders of Old Faithful and other steaming geysers in Yellowstone Park, fishing off the remnants of the old Flagler railroad in the Florida Keys, watching for the jellyfish (now long gone) from the deck of the Puget Sound ferries plying their way around the Straits of Juan de Fuca in northwest Washington, and camping in the Redwoods of northern California. That is my idea of learning Geography!
Hello Augusta and welcome I live not far from London but regret never travelling to America, I watch programmes in awe of the beauty of it If only 'all' Americans appreciated their surroundings, they would be a lot happier Same goes for here of course - to love your surroundings and the beautiful nature, fills your heart with joy and violence would be a thing of the past if people just appreciated ............ No need for drugs at all, just get out in the outdoors and explore Oh, I've come over all philosophical, sorry 'bout that @Augusta Heathbourne
Welcome to the forum, @Augusta Heathbourne ! It sounds like your family traveled a whole LOT when you were growing up here in the United States, if you lived all the way from Florida to Washington State, and you got to wade your feet in both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans---- how awesome ! I lived in the area near Seattle for many years too (as an adult though), and I loved seeing Mt. Rainier every day, and crossing Peugeot Sound on the ferry. The Olympic Peninsula has some of the most incredible homes because the railroad was supposed to end there and not in Seattle, and all of the railroad industry giants built their homes there. I love it when you go "all philosophical" on us @Patsy Faye , and you are absolutely right that we have an awesomely beautiful (and varied) country, and we should all appreciate it much more than we do. One of the things that I have always wished that I could do was take one of those cross-country train trips and just see more of our beautiful land here. I didn't care about geography so much in school, but I like learning more about it when I want to know more about some country or area. I think we probably started having some geography in 3-4 grade, but mainly I remember it as a Junior High School subject, because we had definite classes in school by then.
Do you girls think that we are too old to become "Hobos" and jump on some freight trains with our little bags on our backs, @Chrissy Cross and @Patsy Faye ? I am pretty sure that @Babs Hunt will want to go along, and maybe even @Ina I. Wonder . We can form the SOC Traveling Hobos Club maybe , how does that sound ?