Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
their awareness develops in a more complex way, such as, “Ah, I see, that place and
this place have this kind of locational relationship.” In other words, when students
have visited a place and know about it, there is an associative process in the mind.
Further, if it is a place they do not know, they make analogies from similar and
already known areas; a so-called learning anchor point is formed that adds to mental
map development (Teramoto and Ohnishi 2004 ).
In third grade Social Studies, learning key place names and identities of facilities
provide anchor points, and surrounding second-order place names furnish supplemen-
tal information. For example, children who live in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward use rail
lines connecting locations of the Asakusa district (a famous tourist site), Chiyoda
and Minato wards (where the Diet and other government agencies are clustered), and
arenas in Saitama and Yokohama (sites of sports events and concerts). Along their
travel routes, students can verify locational relationships between these places on a
map. In the fourth grade unit “Our Tokyo Prefecture”, student mental maps expand as
they become aware of locational relationships while studying the silk weaving
industrial zone of Hachioji or shapes of the seven islands of Izu. These examples are
representative of how cognitive space is developed through geography education.
8.3.2
Necessary Instruction in the Period of Expansion
in Geographic Awareness
The third and fourth grades are a period of expanding children's geographical
awareness (Yamaguchi 2009 ). In the fourth grade, atlases are distributed and are
important as engines to expand children's anchor-point knowledge about Japan and
other countries.
Maps are composed by three kinds of symbols: point symbols that indicate a
place on the earth surface (i.e., city hall or landmarks), line symbols that represent
continuous landforms or structures on that surface (such as rivers or railway lines),
and area symbols of fi xed extent (such as land use or oceans). Printed on top of these
are place names and lines of latitude and longitude. If these three map elements
(points, lines, and areas) are included in the instructional methods then they contrib-
ute to students' cognitive space awareness.
Using these three elements in instruction, using a pointer or fi nger to indicate a
point, trace a line, or outline an area, will certainly affect student learning (Teramoto
2002 ). When reading a map of Nagoya and its vicinity, the teacher can say, “You can
fi nd many point symbols for cars around Toyota City. Point out these symbols with
your fi nger.” In this way, students become aware of point symbols. Then, introduc-
tion of the line element may begin with, “Around Toyota City you can see many
roads, along which cars are shipped to factories all over Japan and to foreign coun-
tries. With your fi nger, trace the lines of the main expressways and toll roads, as well
as roads extending to the harbor.” Students thereby become aware of line symbols.
Next, “There are many factories not only in Toyota City, but all around Ise Bay.
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