Why geography matters article

All places and spaces have a history behind them, shaped by humans, earth, and climate. Studying geography gives a meaning and awareness to places and spaces.

It also helps students with spatial awareness on the globe. Understanding direction and where things are in the world is still a vital skill, despite having easy access to this information online. When a child or adult studies geography, they are further on their way to becoming a global citizen. Those who understand geography and how it has made the world the way it is today have a higher likelihood of understanding our global interdependence.

They are more likely to participate in the global community. For students of all ages, studying geography helps to develop nonfiction reading skills — not only in the studying of maps, but also in the reading materials that are associated with geography. Geography often involves first-hand accounts, reading of research studies, and analysis of data sets.

Geography puts history in context. It helps us see the why, when, and how of what happened in history. Study the geography of a place before you travel. Learn about its natural landscapes, cultures, and their influence on one another. When companies go global, they are contributing to globalization. When you travel abroad, you are participating in globalization. Globalization is the process of cultures travelling globally and having an effect on others.

Studying geography helps us understand where globalization might lead. Global interdependence is the idea that areas of the world are all interdependent on one another.

Each country, continent, and region depends on another for resources and peace. Those countries depend on others, and so on — we are all connected and depending on one another in some form. Studying geography will make you better understand current events. Studying geography can enhance your navigation skills, no matter where you are. Studying geography will help you make sense of and appreciate different cultures around the globe.

Learning about land, resource availability, and how that has shaped a culture to be the way it is today helps you understand the uniqueness of a culture.

If you decide to study geography in college, your opportunities after graduation are vast. Many geography grads go into urban and regional planning, a field that is growing fast.

Other geographers work in environmental management and consulting and can have a direct impact in the fight against climate change.

Also, the skills learned during a geography degree, such as cartography, data representation, and research writing, transfer well into the workforce and can make you a standout applicant! The study of geography helps us to understand relationships between cultures. Ultimately, this leads to a more accepting and culturally aware society. Those who study geography have a unique perspective — one that comes with the knowledge of many cultures and spatial awareness that is not replicated in other disciplines.

This mix of knowledge can help geographers come up with significant and unique solutions that others may not be able to see. Another way geography can have a positive influence in the world is by creating awareness of the effect of climate change. Geographers have intimate knowledge of weather patterns and climate changes throughout the course of history on areas of land. They also have studied how those changes have affected humans in those areas.

That knowledge is shared with others to hopefully bring an understanding and global awareness of the effects of climate change on human society. University of the People is committed to making a change towards sustainability as well. As a fully online university that also uses only free, open-source textbooks, University of the People cuts the need for printed and shipped materials, the need for fuel usage for transport of people and materials to campuses, and promotes quality education for people all over the world, no matter their physical location.

Being an educated global citizen starts with the study of geography. Global citizens are conscious-minded of the world around them, understand others, and work towards making the entire globe a better place.

That all starts with the study of geography! So, once again, why is geography important? At the end of the day, geography will help you become a better overall global citizen. Apply Now. Request Info. Ask a student. UoPeople Arabic. Business Administration.

Master's Degree MBA. Bachelor's Degree. Associate's Degree. Computer Science. Health Science. Master of Education M. Ask Me Anything. UoPeople Quality. Academic Leadership. Academic Experience. UoPeople Difference. Online Learning at UoPeople. Global Network. Career Development. Life After Graduation. Student Life. Program Advising. Virtual Tour. Transfer Credits. English Proficiency. How to Apply. Prepare for University. They need to see not just the differences in cultures, but the similarities.

They both love their families, the both want to play and they both want to learn. When we focus on the similarities instead of the differences, it changes the picture. Geography matters today more than ever because our students are growing up in a globalized world.

Nearly all business is international. Our students will never work in isolation. They need to know that the other people they work with, whether in a cubicle down the hall or on a screen halfway around the world, all have ideas and value. While they might see the problem and solution differently, they still see the problem and have solutions. Geography matters now more than ever because of global crises that range from migration to climate change to pandemics.

The original version of this story appeared on the worldgeochat blog here. Chris Heffernan is a seventh grade social science and math teacher.

Heffernan co-founded worldgeochat with Peter Spiegel geospiegs and Ed Casey ecasey77 , a weekly Twitter chat for geography and global studies teachers of all levels. Support Provided By: Learn more. Monday, Oct The Latest. World Agents for Change.

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