Geographic Alliance of Iowa
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Geography News
Volume 29 Issue 2 Fall
2006
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Coordinator’s
Corner
Kay E. Weller, GAI
Coordinator
We are quickly heading into the holiday season. On Sunday,
November 5th, returning home from the UNI basketball game one
neighborhood home was brilliantly lit with holiday lights and cheerfully
displayed a wreath and snowman on the porch. The initial reaction was that the
neighbor is a little ahead of the season but it did create a sense of urgency
to get the newsletter out.
Workshop Plans
We are planning a workshop on June 14 and 15, 2007 at UNI.
The topic is Geography and Literacy in the Classroom. The workshop will
be offered for 1 hour UNI credit. The GAI will arrange for housing and meals
on campus. All classes will be held in the Department of Geography on the 2nd
floor of the ITTC (formerly East Gym). Participants will lay the foundation
for an Iowa geography book. Registration will begin at 9:00 am on June 14th
in Room 249. Cost for this workshop is $199, plus a $25 registration fee.
The GAI is again sponsoring a family friendly workshop to
Costa Rica on June 22 to July 1. There are 18 people currently registered for
that event.
I have submitted a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad for
summer 2007. The chosen destination is Bangladesh. If approved, there will be
a preparatory workshop prior to departure on July 9th. We will
return on August 8th. Following our return, we will host a workshop focusing
on the curriculum materials generated on that project. The focus of the
project is natural hazards and health related issues.
Brent Zirkel from Ft. Madison and Amy Morgan from Harmony
High School are going to work together on a summer 2008 workshop in Southeast
Iowa. This should be an exciting opportunity for us to explore that part of
the state. We look forward to having the information about that workshop
available next fall in the newsletter.
Future Newsletter
Plan
It was decided during the GAI Steering Committee’s annual
meeting that we will try publishing only an electronic version of the
newsletter. We will generate it in a PDF and it will be forwarded using
e-mail. Please make certain that we have your e-mail address so that you
are on our distribution list. Although there are many who are on the list,
we still lack many current addresses. You may notify either Jane or me of your
e-mail address. Contact us at either: Jane.Gillen@uni.edu
or Kay.Weller@uni.edu.
We do NOT give your personal information to others so rest assured we will not
be sharing your e-mail addresses. In addition, Anne Hoeper will try and get
the newsletter on the GAI website quickly so that you can access it there as
well.
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In
This Issue
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Images and Encounters in the Canadian
Maritimes
By Tami (Huegel) McInroy
Greetings, fellow GAI members! This past June 21st,
2006, GAI members and their families sailed from New York City to New Brunswick
and Nova Scotia, Canada. About half of the group even made almost the entire
trip without their luggage! Our group was known around the ship as "those
Iowans without any spare clothes." Naturally, the stores on the ship had
frequent business those first few days. Being a teacher, I’m also giving the
grade of "A" to all those who shared clothes and toiletry items with
others in need. Good job, everyone! After people got over the initial shock of
wearing the same clothes, we began our first meeting on Lido Deck. The pool area
proved to foster good communication. All members introduced themselves, their
families, and shared their flight experiences. It’s a wonder we all made the
ship on time. (Note: In Iowa, if you leave 15 extra minutes to get somewhere,
you will need 60-90 minutes additional time going through New York’s traffic
and tunnels.)
Carnival Victory was our home during June 17-22. A portion of
the group also stayed for an excursion inside New York City (NYC), completing an
OSAE, and visited the Ellis Island Museum for an extra credit hour from June
22-24. Upon leaving NYC, the ship passed narrowly under a large bridge, and the
Coast Guard had to remove a passenger due to illness. We continued down the
Hudson River past the Empire State building, the former area of the World Trade
Center, many expensive condos, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty. I can
honestly say that seeing the Statue of Liberty up close is something I will
never forget. It made me feel more like an American than I ever have before.
Going past Ellis Island made me think of how my relatives from Germany must have
been feeling as they entered the United States. The themes of movement and place
really hit me as we cruised past these landmarks.
During our days at sea, we had the opportunity to hear
lectures about our two ports of call: St. John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova
Scotia. Both towns had experienced devastating fires in the past, although
Halifax’s was the result of a munitions explosion on a ship in 1917, which
reportedly broke every pane of glass in the city. The fog in both towns was
unbelievable. It didn’t burn off until mid-morning, and you could see it
rolling in about 3-4:00 p.m. each afternoon. We learned about the decreased
importance of lighthouses now that GPS is available on every major sailing
vessel. There has been a push in both areas to preserve the lighthouses that
remain.
| The tidal influence was more
pronounced in St. John. Half of the group went on a jet boat ride over the
reversing falls. This is where the St. John River meets the Bay of Fundy.
Every morning, low tide occurs, and high tide arrives in the afternoon.
Our group got to experience low tide. The stairs we descended towards the
boat were not steep when we left, but after the 90 minute ride, we
returned to stairs that were much steeper due to the tide going down more
as we were gone (the stairs were on rollers to adjust with tidal changes).
During that ride, we saw harbor seals, many gulls, cargo ships unloading,
debris hidden under the water during high tide, and many whirlpools up to
150 feet deep. During low tide, the river rushes into the Bay of Fundy,
and during high tide, the reverse happens. This is why the falls are named
the reversing falls.
During the walking tour of St. John, I
noticed an ad for Subway in the window, picturing a bacon and scallop sub.
This was another example of geography, seeing the local food for sale. I
don’t think I’ve ever seen this special in Iowa. |
Bay of Fundy
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Our next port of call was Halifax, Nova Scotia. During our
time in this city, the GAI members divided into different tours. I noticed the
steep streets and the houses the most. The older houses are built pretty much
right up to the sidewalk, while the newer homes (in a different neighborhood)
are set back from the street and have lawns, gardens, and plenty of
rhododendrons.
The Titanic disaster also had many connections to Halifax.
The White Star Line had offices in Halifax, and many of the victims recovered
from the disaster site were buried in cemeteries here. Gravesites are all marked
with a number corresponding to the order the bodies were pulled from the ocean.
Some graves still only bear a number and the date of April 15, 1912. Our guide
for the Titanic tour always wondered why current cruisers want to come learn
about a ship that sank. He had a good point.
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Church in Peggy’s Cove |
Some group members had the
chance to experience Peggy’s Cove. If you enjoyed the comfortable bus
ride version, you saw the outcrops of granite bedrock and other glacial
features during the 45-minute drive. Upon arriving at Peggy’s Cove, you
could explore the small town on your own, or walk on the rocks next to the
cove, remembering to stay off the wet black rocks. I even climbed up on
the dry rocks and didn’t feel very safe (or warm), due to the 10 degree
temperature drop and gale force winds that preceded my arrival there. But
I did get to hold a live lobster, and send mail stamped from the
lighthouse, so it was worth it. For the group members who took the
horrendous boat ride from Halifax to Peggy’s Cove, I hope you have
gotten over that experience. The best decision my roommate and I made was
switching that boat ride to the bus tour the day before. The best thing
about this day of the trip was everyone getting their luggage back (with a
day and a half remaining). |
Bay of Fundy |
This trip was a great way to learn about the geography of
Canada. One final thing that many of the group members learned: the Bay of Fundy
is a rift valley! We had a great time, and hope that you can join us for our
next adventure. (Just remember to bring extra clothes in your carry-on bag.) J
Technology and Geography
Workshop
By Julie Smith
On June 26-27, I
attended the Technology & Geography workshop on the UNI campus. In
this two day workshop we learned how to use a GPS locator, the latest mapping
technology, and how we could incorporate this technology into our classrooms.
As a high school Spanish and adult ESL teacher, I have taken
all the Spanish and ESL classes there are and I was looking for another way to
earn recertification and graduate credit. A colleague suggested I try the GAI.
She knew of my long-time interest in cartography and thought this might be a way
to learn about the field of cartography as it relates to new advents in
technology. I was not disappointed in the workshop.
One of the biggest strengths was the professor. Alex Oberle
was not only incredibly knowledgeable, but was able to convey the information in
a succinct and understandable way so that I, who have little background in
geography as well as those students who are geography majors, could clearly
understand.
We received good value for our money. Our $199 fee for this
two day workshop included: one hour graduate credit, a textbook and handouts,
and a dining card for $25 to use at the union.
The classes began with an hour or two of information/lecture
and then there was a chance to apply the information. Activities ranged from
using software to explore mapping technology, to a scavenger hunt on campus
where we had to be able to read a GPS locator and find prizes. After a morning
break (time to use that $25 dining card!) we returned to the classroom for
another information/lecture and then would go outside again to practice what we
had learned.
After an hour break for lunch, (gotta use up that card!) we
spent our afternoons in the classroom working on projects/lesson plans that
could incorporate the information we had learned and practiced early in the day.
We also shared our lesson plans with others in the group so that they could be
added to suit other grade levels and units.
Two activities I came up with were using mapping and
geography to discuss the Nazca lines of Peru and how the geography of the Nazca
plateau informs the theories of what these lines could mean. Students can use
Google earth to explore these lines as well as actually make them on their
campus.
Using GPS locators on a college visit is the other activity I
planned. This could be used on a college visit to get students to explore the
campus and hopefully this unique version of a college tour may motivate some
students to remember the campus and perhaps be a spark to want to go on to
higher education.
I strongly recommend any classes offered by the GAI to not
only teachers of geography, but also to teachers of other subject areas.
Dates:
June 14-15, 2007
What to Expect:
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Expert UNI
Instructor and Experienced Teachers
Laying the Foundation for an Iowa Geography electronic textbook
Grade Level Breakout Sessions
Informal Setting |
| Benefits:
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Earn 1 hour UNI
graduate or undergraduate credit
Workshop hours are 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. June 14 and
8:00 a.m.
through 5:00 p.m. on June 15
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Location: UNI
Innovative Teaching & Technology Center
(ITTC-formerly East Gym)
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Cost: $25
Registration Fee plus
$199 by May 11, 2007 OR
$299 after
May 11, 2007
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Geography & Literacy Registration Form:
Mr.
_ Ms. _
Name________________________________________________________________
Home Address_________________________________________________________
City_____________________________________ State________ Zip_____________
Phone______________________________ Fax______________________________
E-mail________________________________________________________________
_
Check
here if you do not want the above
information included on a roster distributed
to participants.
_
Check
here if you have any special needs,
including dietary. We’ll call to discuss
how we can best meet your needs.
*Sign up today! Enrollment is limited. Registrations
are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
Your registration is confirmed
when payment has been received.
FAX:
319/273-7103
| MAIL:
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J. GILLEN
UNI – ITTC 205
CEDAR FALLS, IA 50614-0406
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PHONE:
800/601-3899 OR 319/273-5952
PLEASE REGISTER ME:
_ Regular registration –
meals
and lodging included
_
Commuter registration – special rate of $149, (including meals), plus $25 registration fee
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
:
_
I’m interested in receiving 1 hour UNI credit
PAYMENT INFORMATION:
_
Check payable to UNI Geographic Alliance of Iowa
_
P.O. or Requisition #________________________
Marilyn Mark
is a special education teacher (mostly social studies) at
Taft
Alternative
Middle School
, a
Cedar Rapids
level three program for students with severe
behavior disabilities. Students use
district curriculum materials for geography and American and World history, but
also learn about current events and participate in enrichment activities such as
music, art, cooking/tasting of foods from other countries, games, etc.
A multiple-intelligence approach seems to work well with students who
sometimes have difficulty with reading/writing activities but who often are
energetic, creative and eager to learn.
Marilyn
attended
St.
Olaf
College
in
Northfield
,
Minnesota
, where she roomed with a Chinese student from
Thailand
and was active in the International Club.
After earning a B.A. in French education and music, she taught French and
then music for several years. Graduate
work included courses in music, geography and special education, and she earned
her M.A. in special education (B.D.) from the
University
of
Iowa
in 1992. Since
2004 she has taken several GAI courses, including the cruise to St.
John/Halifax/
New York City
this past June.
GAI courses are wonderful – economical, well-planned, worth-while
for information that can be shared with students, and attended by interesting
teachers who love to travel and learn.
Originally
planning to teach French and spend summers in
Europe
, Marilyn’s plans were modified when she met
her husband Tom at St. Olaf and got married the following year.
Although he also taught (briefly), his main interest has been insurance,
and he works at United Insurance in
Marion
. They
both love to travel, and have visited many wonderful places over the years
besides the
U.S.
–
Canada
,
Australia
,
England
,
France
,
Spain
and several other European countries.
To celebrate 35 years of marriage Tom, also went on the
New York
cruise trip this summer.
Family includes sons Bob (in the Army), Jeff (in the insurance agency),
and Andy (music major at
Missouri
State
).
Bethany
Lutheran
Church
has been a big part of the family since 1982, as
have Boy Scouts, sports and music lessons. Marilyn
loves sewing and art projects, and is also a musician.
She has taught music in school, private lessons in piano and organ, and
owns about 20 pianos! Most are
child’s toy pianos, which she collects, and four are full-size models.
Much music has been played in their
Marion
home, where Tom and Marilyn also enjoy
entertaining family, friends, and other gatherings.
Along
the way, thousands of photos have been taken.
In fact, photography has been a part of Marilyn’s life since childhood.
Her negatives are organized in a commercial fire safe so they are
protected and easily retrievable. Some
years ago she began making greeting cards and framed enlargements (FRAMABLES©)
as a way of sharing her photos, and she also has Cedar Rapids or Iowa Christmas
cards printed for sale to businesses and gift shops.
Most photos are simply filed, but those from special trips go into albums
and now on disks to be shared with students or others.
For the past two years she has digitally documented family and school
activities, and this year she made an electronic portfolio of the school
year’s students, field trips and other activities.
Digital photography is a great way to build a professional portfolio, to
share trips with students, to document student work, and even to reach difficult
students. They love to learn how to
take pictures and manipulate/print them and they love to be “caught being
good” on film.
In
today’s shrinking world, Marilyn truly appreciates the opportunities afforded
by the Geographic Alliance of Iowa, and plans to keep taking courses they offer.
Each course has enriched her teaching, and has been digitally documented
on disk for easy sharing with future students.
She calls herself “Josephine Photo”, and plans to visit a dear
91-year-old French lady this year in Strausbourg (for the sixth time!).
How about planning a GAI music/photo/food & wine trip to
France
?!!
Marilyn
and Tom in
Strausbourg
,
France
| Amber Munson
is currently ABD in Geography Education from
Texas
State
University
in
San Marco
,
Texas
. Amber
continues to be involved in geographic education, and completed her basic institute training through the GAI in 1998.
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Iowa’s Changing Cultures
By Marcia Hummel
There was one major flaw with the GAI’s "Iowa’s
Changing Cultures" workshop on June 29-30—it was not nearly long enough!
The 25 lucky participants left Des Moines that Friday feeling totally inundated
with information! Never would we have dreamed that we could find so many
cultures to experience in so little time in the middle of Iowa!
"One immigrant arrives in America every 30
seconds." "Only 15% of immigrants enter the country illegally."
"An alien is a person who entered the country legally but is not a citizen
of the country where he or she is residing." (That one was easy—my
son-in-law is a Canadian citizen residing in New York.)
All of these facts, and many more, were part of a true-false
quiz that began our workshop. We were then treated to visits from Sergeant Joe
Gonzales, who works for the Des Moines police force as the Hispanic Outreach
Neighborhood Resource Advocate, a unit he helped create in 2001, and David
Shontz, who fled Sudan and moved to Iowa in 1994.
Sergeant Joe contrasted growing up Hispanic in Des Moines in
the 1970’s with today. He sees much more pride in maintaining cultural ties
today than when he was growing up but also more confusion among teens about
where they "fit in." David told of his life in Sudan during the
religious/ethnic civil war where whole villages were often eradicated. Refugees
(often orphaned children) tended to huddle together in camps waiting to leave
for anywhere that was safe. David pointed out that 7,000 Sudanese immigrated to
Iowa between 1989 and 1994.
Next on the agenda was an exquisite lunch at The Cookery—West
African food at its best! Ginger drink? It was either wonderful or awful,
depending on your taste buds. I adored it! A little tour of an international
gift and clothing store, then we boarded the bus for the Basilica of St. John,
where we learned about its focus on working with the local population, which has
changed constantly since its inception. Next we explored another international
shop and flea market before moving on. The Buddhist Temple was a very
interesting experience—quite peaceful and welcoming. We abandoned peace for
materialism at the Double Dragon Oriental and Mexican store—what a wealth of
wonderful foods! Supper was at La Plaza Mexico, where the great food enchanted
one and all! Geographers do travel on their stomachs, as anyone can tell you!
Friday was more of the same: food, temple, food, temple, each
more exquisite than the one before! We loved La Tapatia with its great breakfast
snacks, the Hindu Temple with its magnificent shrines, the Tandoori with its
fantastic Pakistani food, and the Sikh Temple with its true generosity of
spirit.
At
each of our travel stops, we were enlightened on how it came to have a role in
the community. Most of the people who spoke to us were immigrants with very
interesting life stories to tell of their path to Iowa.
Wonderful sights, wonderful smells, wonderful tastes,
wonderful thoughts were the hallmark of the course. Most memorable of all,
though, were the wonderful people who gave of their time and selves to share
their cultures with us. It was one of the most amazing classes I have ever
taken! Thanks to Aileen Meyer, Chris Joslin, and committee for setting this up!
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Iowa's Changing Cultures Participants
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National Consortium for
Teaching About Asia (NCTA)
The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA)
seminar is part of a national initiative designed to encourage and facilitate
teaching and learning about East Asia in secondary world history, geography, and
literature curricula. This 35 hour seminar will be held in Iowa City on seven
Saturdays in spring 2007. Each participant will receive $200 in core texts, a
$300 personal stipend upon successful completion of all course requirements, and
a $200 personal stipend for attending two follow-up meetings in the fall of
2007. In addition, participants will pick out $200 in exemplary curriculum
materials for their school libraries at the first follow-up meeting.
Eligible participants are those who teach a secondary
geography, world history, or world literature course that requires the inclusion
of the study of China or Japan and are at least two years from retirement. Two
hours of licensure renewal credit is available through Grant Wood AEA at the
participant’s own expense ($50 for 2 hours). This seminar does not
apply towards a social studies endorsement. Participants who meet additional
course requirements may receive up to two hours of University of Iowa graduate
credit at their own expense ($100/hour). For more information, please contact:
Rebecca-kessler@uiowa.edu
at the University of Iowa Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, preferably by
December 15, 2006.
Resources
Visit the UNI Rod Library User's Guide "Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) and Map Resources" at http://www.library.uni.edu/instruction/luggis.shtml.
The guide provides online links to free GIS interactive mapping and data sites
at the Iowa, national, and international levels and includes other useful
websites with relevant documents and additional resources.
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Geography
and Literacy Workshop –
June
14-15, 2007
The GAI is looking for staff to assist with next summer’s program.
We need 1 teacher at each of the following grade levels:
Elementary, Middle School, and High School.
This will involve attending 1 planning meeting and participation
during the workshop on June 14-15. Please
contact our office at:
1/800-601-3899,
or locally at: 319/273-5952
if you are interested.
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Geography News is a free publication of the GAI
and produced with the support of the Department of Geography at the University
of Northern Iowa. The Alliance is funded by a grant from the National Geographic
Society. Permission is granted to reproduce any parts of the newsletter.
Geographic Alliance of Iowa’s Calendar of Events
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December 2006
15
UNI fall semester ends
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January 2007
8
UNI spring semester begins
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February 2007
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March 2007
12-16
UNI Spring break
30
Iowa Geographic Bee @ Drake
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April 2007
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May 2007
4
Spring semester ends |
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June 2007
14-15
Geography & Literacy
Workshop -- UNI
22-July 1
Costa Rica Workshop |
July 2007
9-August 8 Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad: Bangladesh
(pending funding approval) |
August 2007
20 UNI fall semester begins |
