Test Scores Associated with Lessons Designed to Engage Spatial Thinking in Kindergarten and First Grade Philip J and Carol A Gersmehl New York Center for

Test Scores Associated with Test Scores Associated with LessonsLessons

Designed to Engage Spatial Designed to Engage Spatial ThinkingThinking

in Kindergarten and First in Kindergarten and First GradeGrade

Philip J and Carol A GersmehlPhilip J and Carol A GersmehlNew York Center for Geographic LearningNew York Center for Geographic Learning

(and second grade and middle school and . . (and second grade and middle school and . . .).)

I am nowI am now

25% at the University of 25% at the University of MinnesotaMinnesota

I am nowI am now

25% at the University of 25% at the University of MinnesotaMinnesota

The NY Regents asked us to The NY Regents asked us to help start help start

“ “The New York Center The New York Center forfor

Geographic Learning”Geographic Learning”

A 3-step presentation . . . A 3-step presentation . . .

Step 1: Review Recent Step 1: Review Recent Research Research on Spatial Cognition on Spatial Cognition


1641 articles1641 articles

127 journals127 journals

63 books63 books


1641 articles1641 articles

127 journals127 journals

63 books63 books

Important contributions come from:Important contributions come from:

- neuroscientists- neuroscientists

- developmental - developmental psychologistspsychologists

- robot engineers- robot engineers

- linguists- linguists

- vision specialists- vision specialists

- architects- architects

- geographers- geographers

. . .. . .

Important contributions come from:Important contributions come from:

- neuroscientists- neuroscientists

- developmental - developmental psychologistspsychologists

- robot engineers- robot engineers

- linguists- linguists

- vision specialists- vision specialists

- architects- architects

- geographers- geographers

. . .. . .

Unfortunately,people in one

discipline are not always

awareof research done

elsewhere.

A taxonomyis a really important entity.


It reflects current knowledge,

and it guides future inquiry.




Is it time to seek consensuson a taxonomy of spatial

thinking?





thinking?

Of course it’s premature - so what?

Taxonomies are always tentative.





thinking?

The neuroscience foundation

has become quite strong. (?)





thinking?

If we don’t do one soon, we’re out of NYCLB – 2.

The human brain has several “regions”The human brain has several “regions”

that do different kinds of spatial thinking.that do different kinds of spatial thinking.

Brain structures for spatial thinkingBrain structures for spatial thinking

develop at a very early age.develop at a very early age.



Brain structures for spatial thinkingBrain structures for spatial thinking

develop at a very early age.develop at a very early age.

Skills of verbal, gestural, mathematical, or Skills of verbal, gestural, mathematical, or graphicalgraphical

representation develop more slowly representation develop more slowly (and at least somewhat (and at least somewhat independently).independently).



Self-directed mobility is a key variable;Self-directed mobility is a key variable;

sex, diet, language, and handedness also sex, diet, language, and handedness also matter.matter.

Adult intervention can accelerate Adult intervention can accelerate mastery.mastery.



Adult intervention can accelerate Adult intervention can accelerate mastery.mastery.

At least some spatial-thinking brain At least some spatial-thinking brain structuresstructures

remain plastic through late middle age. remain plastic through late middle age.



Step 2: make a set of lessonsthat dealwith eachmode ofspatial

thinkingindividually.

Step 2: make a set of lessonsthat dealwith eachmode ofspatial

thinkingindividually.

We knowthe taxonomy is tentative.

But is progress ever made by waiting until “the science”

has become unambiguous?

Mosque Mosque >>

Mosque Mosque >>

Marcus Marcus GarveyGarvey

ParkPark

Mosque Mosque >>

Marcus Marcus GarveyGarvey

ParkPark

MLK MLK HousesHouses

Inside,it looks

like a lotof schools

We noticed thateach classroom had

a colorful carpetfor “story time.”

Some of our lessonsuse the rug to teach

basic vocabulary termsfor spatial thinking.

October: “ colorthe flowers in the corners.”



“First, colorthe flowers in the corners.”

December:“Color the flowerthat is between

letters M and O.”



“First, colorthe flowers in the corners.”



February: “Color the flower

that is in the SE corner.”

This buildsa foundationfor the ideaof spatial

analogies.


sequences.


hierarchies.


hierarchies.

For each lesson, we gave teachers abackground page ...


hierarchies.

... a page of plausiblestages of conceptdevelopment . . .


hierarchies.

... some maps to extend the

spatial thinking . . .


hierarchies.

... and some ideasto discuss with

other teachers . . .

A child who writes“the orange plateis in the MIDOL”

has learned the rule.Historic exceptions – “middle” –

can come later.



can come later.

Eurasia is a continent.Eurasia is a continent.It follows the rule:It follows the rule:

““landmass surrounded by ocean.”landmass surrounded by ocean.”



can come later.

Eurasia is a continent.Eurasia is a continent.It follows the rule:It follows the rule:

““landmass surrounded by ocean.”landmass surrounded by ocean.”

Europe is an historic exception.Europe is an historic exception.

We madeGIS mapsof the local

neighborhood. . .

. . . with a

wide rangeof complexity

. . .

. . . drawings

make it seemmore “real”

. . .

. . . but footprintsmade it into“their” map

. . .

Students used this map to preview/reviewa walking field trip

in the neighborhood.

When they returnedto the classroom,their experience became a lesson in language arts.

They also didsome basic

classificationof land uses.

Most teacher/researchers havesome haunting memories of events

that they failed to document properly.

One of mine is of the classroomthat the students transformed into a model of their walking fieldtrip.

They used desks as buildings, and put a green ball on oneto represent the mosque.

It was a nice model, and it clearly showed mastery of the idea of representation!

“Under the hood”of these lessonsis the “taxonomy”

of the modesof spatial thinking.

location

representation

aura (influence)

hierarchy

transition

analogy

association

pattern

region

In a K-12 SchoolIn a K-12 School

Skip K12

527 students:

81 languagesspoken at home

Traditional geography materials (with their heavy emphasis on verbal recall of place-names and trivia facts about places)

have little value in this setting.

We started bymaking mapsof the school

at many scales.

Sixth-gradersused the mapsto help teach

second-gradersabout New York

Third-gradersmapped the

path of the sunacross the floorhour by hour.

Fourth-gradersmade maps

of wheretheir familiescame from.

Fourth-gradersmade maps

of wheretheir familiescame from.

Out of 23“family maps,”

only 3 were of New York.

The shapeis all wrong,

but key detailsare in place.

B



The Buffalo“Embaymen

t”at the end

of Lake Erie

B

O



The Oswego“Embaymen

t”at the end

ofLake

Ontario

B

O



R

A square corner

at Rouses Point

on Lake Champlain

B

O

H



R

Long Island,

extendingout to theHamptons

B

O

H



R

POrient Point,

the “fish tail”

at the endof the Island

B

O

H

P

R

B

O

H

P

R

B

O

H

P

R

Note: many details are there, in

basicallycorrect relative

position, though the general

shape seems “way

wrong”.

What does this mean for What does this mean for teaching?teaching?

What does this mean for What does this mean for teaching?teaching?

Classroom lessons and displaysClassroom lessons and displays

should be designed to emphasizeshould be designed to emphasize

the kind of landmarks children use the kind of landmarks children use

to build a hierarchical mental map.to build a hierarchical mental map.

Relative location? Individual Relative location? Individual differences ?differences ?

IllustrationIllustration

from thefrom the

NationalNational

GeographyGeography

StandardsStandards

(page 65)(page 65)

This is the kindThis is the kind

of intuitivelyof intuitively

plausible goalplausible goal

that appeals to:that appeals to:

- concerned parents- concerned parents

- overcommitted- overcommitted administrators administrators

- well-intentioned- well-intentioned politicians politicians





- concerned* parents- concerned* parents

- overcommitted*- overcommitted*

administrators administrators

- well-intentioned*- well-intentioned* politicians politicians

*PC translation:*PC translation:

neuroscientificallyneuroscientificallychallengedchallenged





- concerned* parents- concerned* parents

- overcommitted*- overcommitted*

administrators administrators

- well-intentioned*- well-intentioned* politicians politicians

*PC translation:*PC translation:

neuroscientificallyneuroscientificallychallengedchallenged

What’s the problem?What’s the problem?

The human brainThe human brain

does not seemdoes not seem

to learn that way!to learn that way!

Step 3: Look at the Test ScoresStep 3: Look at the Test Scores

Language Arts Scores, K1 school:Language Arts Scores, K1 school:

September high September high 50s50s


September high September high 50s50s April mid April mid 90s90s


September high September high 50s50s April mid April mid 90s 90s (43)(43) averageaverage



Composite Scores, K12 school groupComposite Scores, K12 school group

White, Asian / Black, Hispanic White, Asian / Black, Hispanic

81 / 79 81 / 79



Composite Scores, K12 school groupComposite Scores, K12 school group

White, Asian / Black, Hispanic White, Asian / Black, Hispanic

81 / 7981 / 79 (53) / (37)(53) / (37)

ConclusionConclusionWe made lessons based on ideas We made lessons based on ideas from recent research on spatial from recent research on spatial

cognition.cognition.

ConclusionConclusionWe made lessons based on ideasWe made lessons based on ideasfrom recent research on spatial from recent research on spatial


Reading and math scores went WAY Reading and math scores went WAY up.up.

ConclusionConclusionWe made lessons based on ideas We made lessons based on ideas from recent research on spatial from recent research on spatial



Scientific integrity forbids any claim Scientific integrity forbids any claim of a strong cause-and-effect of a strong cause-and-effect

relationship.relationship.

ConclusionConclusionWe made lessons based on ideasWe made lessons based on ideasfrom recent research on spatial from recent research on spatial



Scientific integrity forbids any claim Scientific integrity forbids any claim of a strong cause-and-effect of a strong cause-and-effect

relationship.relationship.

We We cancan claim to have obeyed claim to have obeyed Hippocrates: Hippocrates:

first of all, do no harm!first of all, do no harm!

ConclusionConclusion

There is no credible evidenceThere is no credible evidencethat devoting considerable class that devoting considerable class

timetimeto geography lessons in primary to geography lessons in primary

schoolschool has harmed reading and math has harmed reading and math

scores.scores.

Educational activities and Educational activities and assessmentsassessments

should build on modern knowledgeshould build on modern knowledgeabout human cognitive development.about human cognitive development.

Real ConclusionReal Conclusion

cheap - quick - goodcheap - quick - good

Pick two,because youcan’t have all

three!

Documents

Test Scores Associated with Lessons Designed to Engage Spatial Thinking in Kindergarten and First Grade Philip J and Carol A Gersmehl New York Center for