Geography US vs Europe

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
Hmm... Cuba is an island in the Americas, so I would guess NZ to be a continent in Australia. Maybe Asia. Or Australasia.

The continent site that I had posted says it's common now to refer to the Australian continent as Oceania - which includes New Zealand. I put the text in my last post as to what is considered Australia/Oceania. I will therefore repeat it here...

Many modern atlases and geography experts now consider the long-established continent of Australia to be better defined as Australia/Oceania, which then combines and includes all of (Australia), the large island groups of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomons, and the countless volcanic and coral islands of the south Pacific Ocean including those of Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Erhem. Of course I meant that I would expect NZ to be an island in Australia, not a continent.

Anyway, pardon me, I haven't really been keeping up in those thrad, I just read the last two posts.

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
Erhem. Of course I meant that I would expect NZ to be an island in Australia, not a continent.

Anyway, pardon me, I haven't really been keeping up in those thrad, I just read the last two posts.

it was just addressed to you - your's was just the last post that questioned the status of New Zealand and what the continent was called after I had posted it. There was also Sun-Star and Elfgirl too.

[Sheeana]

In NZ we call it Australasia. The term "Australia" has since, as you pointed out, been changed/expanded to Oceania. Either way, the Australasian/Australian/Oceanic plate includes Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania (pacific.). Anyway, my point is that since the continent encompasses more than just Australia, it should either be called Australasia (as we call it), or Oceania. And YES, the term is a perfectly valid one as any general search on google will show.

[jerseydevil]

I think we still use the term Australia generally - even in schools - but I'm not sure. When we learned about the continents (which is not much) we were never taught about the islands or anything.

Basically as far as I knew - North America was 3 countries - Mexico, United States of America and Canada. I didn't even know it included the Carribean island nations. I also thought that the Australian continent was just Australia. I thought the island nations again - were just islands and not part of any continent.

I don't really know if I like the term "Oceania" - it sort of reminds me of George Orwell's "1984".

[mithrand1r]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
I don't really know if I like the term "Oceania" - it sort of reminds me of George Orwell's "1984".

I agree with you there. I also thought of 1984.

When I was in school, I was taught about the seven continents:
Africa
Antartica
Asia
Australia
Europe
North America
South America

My cousin (from Europe) considers North/South America as one continent.

JD,

Cool site on geography.


Here is a sad study. They asked 8th graders from the US to find the US on a globe. Only 25% were able to accomplish this difficult task. [I do not remember when or where this info came from exactly. I think it was about 4-8 years from Educational Testing Service.]

[Lizra]

I have to say I don't believe that! Where are these incredibly stupid children hiding? Even my mildly mentally retarded daughter could answer that question when she was in 8th grade!

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by mithrand1r
Here is a sad study. They asked 8th graders from the US to find the US on a globe. Only 25% were able to accomplish this difficult task. [I do not remember when or where this info came from exactly. I think it was about 4-8 years from Educational Testing Service.]

I saw a TV programme about how poor knowledge US students have about geography. It was really shocking. And these students were studying to be lawyers and doctors and other high educational professions. It's a shame they didn't know more about the world.

[jerseydevil]

I don't knwo where they are either. IN school we always had to know where the states were and work with maps. I had maps hanging up in my room all the time though - I always needed to know where places were. I still have a hard time believing that 25% number though. I knwo hardly anyone can find NJ on a map though.

[mithrand1r]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
I don't knwo where they are either. IN school we always had to know where the states were and work with maps. I had maps hanging up in my room all the time though - I always needed to know where places were. I still have a hard time believing that 25% number though. I knwo hardly anyone can find NJ on a map though.

Doing a search on google I was able to find the article:
How Can We Help Children Learn Geography?

and here is the quote from the article.

A recent survey revealed that one in five Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could not locate the United States on an outline map of the world. What explains this lack of geographic knowledge? In the United States, geography is not considered a basic academic course. Geography content in the middle grades (5-8) is often integrated into a world history or social studies course, and only one student in seven takes a high school geography course.

This is even worse than I remember. (1 in 5 or 20%; ouch!!!)
This article is from about 1990-91.

Although I personnally did not experience or witness such geographic ineptitude, if this study was even about half as bad (ie only 40-50% could find the US on a globe) it would reflect poorly on US students.

Some more articles I found while trying to dig up the previous article.

NAEP 1994 Geographic Assessment

The article makes the following statements:
» At grades 4, 8, and 12, approximately 70 percent of students were able to reach the Basic level.
» The Proficient level was reached by 22 percent of fourth graders, 28 percent of eighth graders, and 27 percent of twelfth graders.

National Geographic

[jerseydevil]

I was going to point out that the US is not the only country with problems. There was a previous thread about the lack of knowledge concerning Europe by Europeans.

The National Geographic link also demonstrates this...

Young adults worldwide are not markedly more literate about geography than the Americans.

On average, fewer than 25 percent of young people worldwide could locate Israel on the map. Only about 20 percent could identify hotspots like Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.

Of all the young adults in the survey, only about one-third in Germany, Sweden and Japan, could name four countries that officially acknowledge having nuclear weapons. In the rest of the countries that number dropped to less than a quarter. In France 24 percent did not know that that their own country was a nuclear nation.

To me - knowledge has always been power. If students can be taught this and believe it - maybe they would be more inclined to understand that knowing where Israel is and what is going on - is important.

As a side note - I would also like these surveys to be broken up by state. Each state has their own requirements and education is a STATE right. The educational requirements in Indiana are no where near the the educational requirements of New Jersey (from personal experience).

[Earniel]

Originally posted by jerseydevil
I was going to point out that the US is not the only country with problems. There was a previous thread about the lack of knowledge concerning Europe by Europeans.

I don't think anyone said the US was the only country.

I know my geography knowledge is faaaaaar from exemplary. But I think I can manage to locate the different continents though. That is, if we ever reach a consensus on just how many continents there are!

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Eärniel
I don't think anyone said the US was the only country.

No - but based on past experience - too many people like to think that America is the only country that contains ignorant people.

I know my geography knowledge is faaaaaar from exemplary. But I think I can manage to locate the different continents though. That is, if we ever reach a consensus on just how many continents there are!

I just go by the American way. If other countries want to consider them differently - then that's up to them. I don't really understand how they consider North and South America as being one continent though.

[Lizra]

Well, I still don't believe it! Sometimes kids act like they don't know stuff just cause they are being goofy. No way 20% can't find USA on a world map or globe. Sorry, I don't buy it! Now, I can believe people not being able to find lots of the countries that have changed names and boundaries in the past fifty years. There's been quite a bit of that, I don't keep up with africa or the former soviet state. I wonder if they still make kids do those salt maps....I remember making quite a few south american countries with that flour/salt/food color goo! (It was fun! )

[LutraMage]

Originally posted by mithrand1r
A recent survey revealed that one in five Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could not locate the United States on an outline map of the world.

Have you ever heard the phrase 'lies, damned lies, and statistics?'

[mithrand1r]

Originally posted by LutraMage
Have you ever heard the phrase 'lies, damned lies, and statistics?'

Yes and you make a good point.

I am glad I found the article, so people may read the source and decide for themselves how much credence they wish to attribute to the survey.

Lizra also makes a good point that people may sometimes act "dumber" than they truly are.

I do know some people that are geographically chalenged. (can not read a map for navigation purposes)

[Spock]

....Hell, I can't keep up with what country Afro Elf is in much less find it!!

[afro-elf]

Originally posted by Spock
....Hell, I can't keep up with what country Afro Elf is in much less find it!!

LOL.
Who said 1/2 Vulcans had no humor.

[Fat middle]

I'm just resurrecting this old thread to point out that the Olimpic Flag agrees with us: there are five continents

BTW, where's A-E now?

[jerseydevil]

Originally Posted by Fat middle

I'm just resurrecting this old thread to point out that the Olimpic Flag agrees with us: there are five continents

BTW, where's A-E now?

It doesn't agree with you - they just didn't want six rings - because it would the rings would look lopsided - so they just combined South and North America. The two together are called THE AmericaS.