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THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRIP
There is, a great amount of geographical iliteracy in this country. If we conduct an informal survey of people on the street, and ask them to name the capitals of a sampling of states, they may not be able to do that. If we ask this sample group, or another sample group, That same result may be obtained
One way to start dealing with this problem is by starting to build the geographic knowledge of children at a younger age. If children have a better understanding of geography, at a younger age, they will gain a better understanding of geography at an older age. It is also possible they will develop a love for geography, as a result of this understanding, which will help their understanding even more.
One way for parents to do that is by getting children involved in their neighborhood. This can be easily done by interacting with them during drives around the neighborhood. These drives can be to the supermarket, the mall, the home of friends, or anywhere.
During these rides, parents and others can point out landmarks, such as the homes of friends, stores that are frequently visited, parks, schools, and and other locations, that are significant. In addition, parents and others can mention the names of streets. Children and others may have a harder time absorbing this, but they are listening, and this helps children absorb the knowledge better when they get older.
These trips are also a good time to discuss the various community workers such as police, firefighters, and others, and what they do. Child love to sing, so singing a song is a great way for children have fun and learn. A great song to use here is the Sesame Street classic, "Who are the people in your neighborhood?" The neat thing about the song, is that in addition to the regular lyrics, parents and children can make up their own lines and lyrics.
In addition, the idea of what to do in an emergency can be discussed, and it is made a lot easier, if children understand the process, and how police officer and fire fighters can and will help them. Parents and other can also point out their child's home, as well as the child's address and phone number. Yhis information is pretty easy to remember, and can be very useful to give to a dispatcher or an operator in the event of an emergency.
