Geography Lesson

[playoutside]

The maparium is very cool. Very interesting to be on the inside looking out. Also neat how you can whisper at one end and be heard perfectly on the other. It's a must see with kids and the geographically challenged.

I've had to travel throughout the world for work. Before my first trip I got a good world atlas and studied it before I headed to each new country -- no sense in perpetuating the ignorant American stereotype. I love looking at maps. I'm pretty good with geography, but have twice been completely shocked by where I've ended up

A couple years ago I was on a flight to Edmonton (hadn't checked my atlas). I expected it to be in the mountains. I was surprised when we landed late at night in what looked like the plains. I turned to the guy next to me and commented on the flatness. He laughed and put on a full hick accent and said "First time in the big city?" Made me laugh at my ignorance. I wasn't going as far west as I had assumed.

Another was nearly 20 years ago while driving west through Germany. I saw a sign that said Luxembourg 15K. In less than 2K I came to what looked like a toll booth. I was wondering what the heck it was and as I pulled up, I was waved through. I couldn't resist and stopped to ask what it was...it was a border crossing from Germany into Luxembourg the country. Turns out the sign I'd seen was for Luxembourg city. I'm sure the guys at the border laughed all day about the dumb American.

I really wish every house had a globe, an atlas and maybe a US map hanging on the wall. Kids (and many others) need to be exposed to this stuff so it starts to stick.

 

[hardline]

I used to work on the waterfront in Burlington, VT. It was a quite frequent occurrence that out of towners would ask me if that was the Atlantic ocean. They thought for certain it had to be because of all the seagulls flying around :roll:

where did you work down on the water? i worked on the ferry one summer for few weeks.

 

[hardline]

a funny thing happened a few weeks ago. i know the country pretty well have seen a lot of it while touring on a bus and think i am relatively inteligent. so me and a friend where talking about Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam and the the short they did about the mason dixon line. so one thing leads to another and we both realize that from the cartoon we booth thought the line was somewhere below virginia. so pop out the phone googled it and low and behold it almost runs thru NJ. we where both amazed that we as kids we had just both assumed thats where it was from a cartoon.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

Knowing names/ locations of US States is easy -- try asking folks about names and locations of countries in AFRICA

My 8th grade geography teacher made us memorize the countries in Africa. I remember getting a 100 on the test, but somehow I've managed to forget almost all of them at this point. Sad.

A lot of New Yorkers and non-upstate New Yorkers have no idea how big upstate NY is. When I tell them I grew up upstate, "oh, Westchester?" is a pretty typical response.

 

[from_the_NEK]

I freely admit to not knowing the exact location of many states. Some I've simply never had any practical reason to know. It doesn't really make any difference to me if I can't pick out Arkansas on a map. If I ever had the need to go there for any reason I'd look on a map, then I'd know.

At least you know that Arkansas is a state and that it is generally in the midwest.

 

[Warp Daddy]

My 8th grade geography teacher made us memorize the countries in Africa. I remember getting a 100 on the test, but somehow I've managed to forget almost all of them at this point. Sad.

A lot of New Yorkers and non-upstate New Yorkers have no idea how big upstate NY is. When I tell them I grew up upstate, "oh, Westchester?" is a pretty typical response.

LMAO when i used to make my semi- annual visits to both Congress and the NYS Legislative Bodies i used to say that i was representing a school in the State of TILNOW -an acronym meaning :

There Is Life North Of Westchester .

 

[ctenidae]

I really wish every house had a globe, an atlas and maybe a US map hanging on the wall. Kids (and many others) need to be exposed to this stuff so it starts to stick.

We have a big atlas, a small atlas, and a world map on the wall. All quite handy at times.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Being a history teacher, I have too many to tell.

 

[bvibert]

At least you know that Arkansas is a state and that it is generally in the midwest.

Huh? I thought it was a city somewhere in Washington or Michigan?? :-? I think those are both in the midwest, so I guess I was close..

 

[Warp Daddy]

Being a history teacher, I have too many to tell.

C'mon we NEED a few LAFFS --give us a few OUTRAGEOUS examples .


One of my great buds was HS History teacher he had us in tears many times with some ESSAY question responses

 

[Warp Daddy]

One of my favs was the kid who listed THE primary reason for the construction of the BERLIN wall ----"to keep the colonist's out of France

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Being a history teacher, I have too many to tell.

Wait you're a teacher and you were talking about buying a $600k house..wowser..

 

[BeanoNYC]

Wait you're a teacher and you were talking about buying a $600k house..wowser..

You should work on your reading comprehension.

 

[Paul]

At least you know that Arkansas is a state and that it is generally in the midwest.

Would you really consider AK the midwest? I generally think of Mid-west as IL, MO, KS, NE, IN, IA, WI, MN, MI... I guess even though from a longitude perspective it is lined-up with most "mid-west" states, I think of it as the South.

 

[wa-loaf]

Would you really consider AK the midwest? I generally think of Mid-west as IL, MO, KS, NE, IN, IA, WI, MN, MI... I guess even though from a longitude perspective it is lined-up with most "mid-west" states, I think of it as the South.

I think of it as deep south, but it does share a border with Oklahoma. Is Oklahoma midwest or considered one of the plains states. Can you be both?

 

[Paul]

I think of it as deep south, but it does share a border with Oklahoma. Is Oklahoma midwest or considered one of the plains states. Can you be both?

OK is an extension of TX. Its another planet.

 

[Hawkshot99]

Would you really consider AK the midwest? I generally think of Mid-west as IL, MO, KS, NE, IN, IA, WI, MN, MI... I guess even though from a longitude perspective it is lined-up with most "mid-west" states, I think of it as the South.

Well AK stands for Alaska......Alaska is defiantly not the Mid-west.:razz: AR(Arkansas) is deep south...

 

[Paul]

Well AK stands for Alaska......Alaska is defiantly not the Mid-west.:razz: AR(Arkansas) is deep south...

 

[ctenidae]

I think of it as deep south, but it does share a border with Oklahoma. Is Oklahoma midwest or considered one of the plains states. Can you be both?

Arkansas is a Southern state, not as Deep South as Mississippi, but more southern than Tennessee. Oklahoma is the edge of the Southwest, though it's a pretty pointless state. Texas is more Southwest than South.

 

[Paul]

Arkansas is a Southern state, not as Deep South as Mississippi, but more southern than Tennessee. Oklahoma is the edge of the Southwest, though it's a pretty pointless state. Texas is more Southwest than South.

Well-put. Except you forgot Alaska....