GIS for Elementary Students: An Inquiry Into a New Approach to Learning Geography

Abstract

This case study investigates the potential use of GIS as a means for teaching geography to elementary students. A GIS learning project based upon constructivist pedagogy was developed and introduced to a fifth grade classroom. The findings suggest that the GIS module afforded students considerable opportunity to practice geographic skills. In addition, GIS in the elementary classroom can be highly motivating; however, it is also likely to cause a great deal of frustration. Several promising approaches to the use of GIS at the elementary level are suggested: using local data in the context of an authentic problem, developing elementary level GIS modules, and using a collaborative approach in association with the cognitive apprenticeship metaphor.

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