The aim of this workshop is to advocate for geographic education pedagogy in grades 6-12 New Jersey public school curricula. The program will offer interactive, modern, engaging resources in geography education that can be adapted for lesson planning.

Location: Rowan University, Discovery Hall, 201 Mullica Hill Rd., Glassboro

Date/Time: Saturday, March 25; 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Registration Fee: Free

Registration/Information: Visit here to register. The deadline to register is March 22.

For more information, email federmanr@rowan.edu.

Workshop Sessions

Event Planner: Professor Francesca Mundrick

Exploring New Jersey’s Physical and Human Geography
Presenter: Richard Federman, Senior Lecturer

Participants will engage in a fast-paced, interactive tour of New Jersey’s physical geography, including the geologic forces that shaped our land, regions and mapping, and the ways in which the land created different realities for residents of North, Central and South Jersey, as well as the state’s human geography, including its rich history, cultural and demographic factors, and land use.

Thinking Through Multiple Dimensions of Climate Change
Presenter: Dr. Lydia Horne

Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that anthropogenic climate change is occurring. Yet, public belief in human-induced climate change remains much lower, especially in the United States. In this session, we will begin to explore human perceptions to understand the underlying processes that shape how we think about climate change and how those perceptions might be influenced by climate change narratives in popular media. Attendees will walk away with (1) a greater appreciation of the range of climate change perceptions in the U.S. and the underlying social and cognitive processes that shape these beliefs, (2) a better understanding of their own perceptions and knowledge of climate change and (3) ideas about how to include these topics in their own courses.

Mapping the Arctic in the Anthropocene
Presenter: Dr. Ashley York

Owing to anthropogenic climate change, the Arctic is warming at a rate four times faster than the rest of the world. For many of us, it is difficult to imagine how changes so far away can impact us here in New Jersey. However, research has shown that declines in Arctic sea ice, with subsequent increases in open ocean cover, impact the broader atmospheric patterns that ultimately determine mid-latitude weather—for example, the polar vortex in New Jersey. In this workshop, participants will define the Arctic, develop an understanding of the Arctic’s unique cultural and physical geographies, and visualize climate change’s impacts on these geographies through computer mapping.

Exploring NJMAP: An Interactive On-Line Map for Ecological Resources, Environmental Education and Sustainable Communities
Presenters: Professor Christine Nolan and Dr. John Hasse

Take a visual and interactive tour of New Jersey’s geography. This free online interactive map was created by the Geospatial Research Lab at Rowan University’s Department of Geography, Planning, and Sustainability. NJMAP makes statewide GIS data relatable and easy to understand. NJMAP displays environmental information such as land use including forests, waterways, habitats, recreation activities, waterways, farmland and sustainability issues such as development trends, preservation efforts and climate resilience.