GEOGRAPHY CAN TAKE YOU PLACES; GEOGRAPHY AWARENESS WEEK NOV. 16-22

Geography, the science dealing with the Earth's climates, plants, animals and resources, has become somewhat a lost subject in today's society. More emphasis has been placed on math- and science-oriented classes over the past decade as the demands of technology required more skilled workers.

However, educators and business-people are beginning to see that technology has brought the various cultures of the world in closer contact. Computers, televisions and industries have expanded their markets to the global community, requiring more communication and understanding from everyone.

Because of this, geography is resurfacing as an important educational requirement.

Cape Girardeau Central High School social studies teacher Lou Ann Zoffuto said although geography is not a graduation requirement in many schools, it should not be considered unimportant. People often push geography to the back burner because they only associate it with maps and locations, she said, but in reality the subject encompasses much more.

Geography helps students to put their world in context, she said. It helps them to know where something is taking place and understand how it impacts the environment, community and cultures that live there, she said.

"Basically, it helps them broaden their view of the world in which they'll be living," she said. "It's especially important for Americans because we are such a multicultural society and it helps us to appreciate each other. The more knowledge we have the more we are equipped to understand each other and be less scared of each other."

Zoffuto would like to see teachers of other subjects incorporate more geography into their classes. It can easily be applied to any subject matter because it is so broad, she said.

Examples of geography used to study other subjects include: math word problems using locations; literature studies introducing new cultures; history lessons incorporating maps; and earth science lessons which include the study of plants and animals.

"I try to tell my students that they're already being exposed and already accepting things," she said. Hopefully they'll travel and this will give them a basis for their interest. That's knowledge they can bring forward, because when you look at geography you're never losing anything, you're only adding."

Test Your Geography I.Q.

1. Kiwi is both the name of a flightless bird and a nickname for a person born in the country that is the natural habitat of the bird. Name this country in the southwestern Pacific.

(New Zealand)

2. The state of Florida is an example of what kind of physical feature that is almost surrounded by water?

(peninsula)

3. Which continent is separated from the Antarctic Peninsula by the Drake Passage?

(South America)

4. The tea ceremony, which demonstrates certain Zen Buddhist principles, is associated with the cultural traditions of what country?

(Japan)

5. Most of the world's gum arabic, a substance extracted from acacia trees, comes from Africa's largest country in area. Name this country, which borders the Red Sea.

(Sudan)

6. The language and culture of which South American country reflect a Portuguese influence?

(Brazil)

7. What is the term for the molten rock that flows from a volcano onto the earth's surface?

(lava)

8. A form of Gaelic is spoken in the country that makes up most of what is known as the Emerald Isle. Name this European country.

(Ireland)

9. The Niger River of West Africa flows into which ocean?

(Atlantic Ocean)

10. Mandarin is a dialect of which Asian language?

(Chinese)

-- Questions provided by The National Geography Bee, a program of the National Geographic Society.