Geographic Education In Elementary Schools

Abstract

Geography is a discipline between social and positive sciences. In the new teaching program of elementary and middle school, geography subjects were included in the program, considering the unity of the program. In the new program, geography subjects have been distributed in a variety of subjects including, life science, science and technology, and social studies courses. Students in elementary schools start to take geography subjects in life science course and this contunies up to 7 grade level, taking geography subjects in social studies course. From K-1 to K-7 grade level, students take general introductory geography subject including Turkey. This paper adresses geographic education in elementary school. Also, it aimes to understand what geographic subjects are covered in certain level. Furthermore, this paper describes geographic skills that have been aimed to give students at different grade levels. It investigates whether or not students graduating from middle school have enough geographic information or are geographically literate. The literacy of geographic education at elementary and middle school level are very important for the students. If they are educated with high geographic learning and skills, they would have a better future, which also means a beter futures of our country. Thus, teachers, who teach geographic subject at this level, have very big responsibilities to educate our youth in geography.