MAIN STREET - TEACHING ELEMENTARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS STANDARDS-BASED URBAN-GEOGRAPHY

Successful curriculum development that will have impact upon individua l American classrooms remains the key to maintaining the momentum of G eography for Life: National Geography Standards 1994. Teachers and stu dents must be able to translate the national geography standards from the national stage to the local classroom setting to become geographic ally informed people, One example of this development for elementary u rban geography is the Main Street lesson plan. It encourages observati on and analysis required by Standard 4: The geographically informed st udent knows and understands the physical and human characteristics of places. After testing In a variety of Missouri classrooms, instructors thought that Main Street was a unique way of studying urban places an d allowing students to gain a greater understanding of place.