National Council for Geographic Education

10/12/2026

Getting ready to head to Richmond later this week! We hope to see you there.

Your invitation to participate!

10/10/2026

NCGE Members, it is time to vote for next year's Board Members. Voting is open through October 17 at 11:50pm eastern.
Read about those running here

Discover who is running and cast your ballot to help guide the future of our organization.

10/09/2026

An article from an upcoming issue of 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 is available online now.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐫𝐜-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬’ 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐢𝐧’𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
by Yeseul Kim and Minsung Kim
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221341.2026.2734736

Abstract: This study examines changes in high school students’ argumentation competence following the implementation of an instructional model for geographic argumentation based on the dramatic arc. Participants investigated geographic conflicts, composed written arguments using Toulmin’s components, answered open-ended questions, and participated in interviews. The resulting data were analyzed to assess argumentation competence and explore students’ learning experiences. Results indicated a statistically significant increase in students’ written argumentation scores. Thematic analysis yielded four themes: learning structured by the dramatic arc, perceived difficulty differences across components, strategic information seeking and evidence selection, and changed perceptions of geography as a school subject. This study advances a systematic framework for argumentation instruction in geography and provides evidence that the dramatic arc structure can support argumentation learning in geography classrooms.

Seoul National University

NCGE members receive free access to current and past issues of NCGE's 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 and 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 as well as the Geographical Association's 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮. Learn more at ncge.org/join.

This study examines changes in high school students’ argumentation competence following the implementation of an instructional model for geographic argumentation based on the dramatic arc. Particip...

10/09/2026

Nice opinion piece by student newspaper editor Siddhanth Kumar, of Staples High School (Westport, CT), on the value of geography in the curriculum.

"I believe students must discover the magic that is geography and understand why that impacts our daily lives constantly."

AP Human Geography American Association of Geographers American Geographical Society

Since I was in kindergarten, maps and atlases have shaped the way that I have seen the world. They have sparked my curiosity about all sorts of fascinating places that I have never even stepped foot in and helped me realize the connection between people and nature. Just by looking at maps, I was abl...

10/06/2026

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐀, 𝐌𝐃, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐄 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐂𝐆𝐄 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 $𝟓𝟗. That price gets you lunch, a full day of professional learning that includes a special two-hour workshop designed specifically for pre-service educators, plus an invitation to the Saturday evening reception!

We're less than two weeks out from the NCGE Annual Conference in Richmond!
https://ncge.org/professional-development/annual-conference/
Teach Geography! AP Human Geography

Join us for our 2026 Annual Conference October 16 - 18 in Richmond, Va. This is the opportunity you have been waiting for! Three full days of connecting with like-minded individuals and engaging in robust sessions designed to increase your professional learning.

10/05/2026

To all teachers everywhere - you are VALUED and ADMIRED!

5 October

10/05/2026

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS

If you haven't heard, the National Geography Bee is now accepting registrations. Sign your school up by Nov. 1 for the lowest rate!

The Bee is back thanks to a new nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting geographical knowledge and education nationwide. Their primary focus is organizing the National Geography Bee, a nationwide competition for middle and high schoolers that aims to inspire and build curiosity about the people and places around them—including their home state, the United States as a whole, and the world at large.

NCGE is thrilled to be partnering with the National Geography Bee and looks forward to seeing participation grown in 2027 and beyond!

The 2026 National Geography Bee Finals took place in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 16. Registration for 2027 is open now!

09/29/2026

OPEN ACCESS!

An article from an upcoming issue of 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 is available online now.

🌏 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 (𝐏𝐋𝐊) 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: 𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 🌏
by Jaume Binimelis Sebastián, Antoni Pons Esteva, Alejandro Gómez Gonçalves & Péter Bagoly-Simó
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/figure/10.1080/00221341.2026.2718715

Abstract
This study examines the impact of a didactic intervention on improving geographic knowledge and place location knowledge (PLK) among third-year compulsory secondary education students aged from 12 to 13 in the Balearic Islands (Spain). Through a quasi-experimental design involving pilot and control centers, the research assesses gains in spatial competence using a validated questionnaire and an online mapping tool. Results reveal significant improvements in both content knowledge and PLK, particularly among students who engaged with map-based active learning strategies. The findings underscore the effectiveness of using maps to foster spatial reasoning and geographic literacy in secondary education.

Universitat de les Illes Balears - UIB Universidad de Salamanca Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

NCGE members receive free access to current and past issues of NCGE's 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 and 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 as well as the Geographical Association's 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮. Learn more at ncge.org/join.

09/29/2026

The National Honor Society for Geospatial Technology's (Gamma Sigma Theta - ГΣθ) Fall application is now open. The deadline is November 8th.

The Honor Society is open to undergraduates (2-year and 4-year), graduate students, faculty, alumni, and community members. It is still free. Thank you to our partners: Geospatial Professional Network, American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) and DroneDeploy.

National Honor Society for Geospatial Technology

09/29/2026

An article from an upcoming issue of 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 is available online now.

🌏 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 🌏
by Sojung Huh
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00221341.2026.2725624
Abstract
This case study examines how a high school geography teacher implemented blended and personalized learning (BLPL) in a World Geography classroom to support students’ learning. Using structured routines, self-paced activities, and digital tools such as Progress Tracker, the teacher facilitated differentiated learning while guiding student mastery of geographic concepts. Early-semester challenges included procedural support and technology navigation, which evolved into mid-semester student autonomy and engagement. This study highlights how BLPL enables teachers to respond to varying student learning needs, balance facilitation with independence, and design differentiated instruction that fosters geographic understanding.

Texas State University TXST Geography & Environmental Studies Teach Geography!

NCGE members receive free access to current and past issues of NCGE's 𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 and 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 as well as the Geographical Association's 𝙂𝙚𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮. Learn more at ncge.org/join.