I've always loved maps. As a geography teacher, I've taught mapping lessons before, but this time I wanted to try something different: instead of having students read and learn about what geographers do, I wanted them to actually do it. So for one of the first lessons in our physical geography unit, I built a lesson around exactly that — get students observing, sketching, and mapping like real geographers, using our own school grounds as the "field site." The lesson ran in

If you've taught introduction to geography for any length of time, you've met the misconception. Ask a student what geography is, and you'll often get one of two answers: it's about maps and mountains, or it's about people and cities. Rarely do students arrive already understanding that geography is really about the space where those two things meet — physical processes and human decisions, constantly shaping each other. I designed a lesson to sit right in that gap, and after

A couple of weeks ago, I organized a field trip to an Indian restaurant in Ningbo, for high school students from Grades 9 to 12. On the surface, it was a restaurant visit. But in practice, it was a larger project that used food as a lens for history, geography, culture, and human connection. I’ve always loved food — not just eating it, but thinking about it. When I lived in Bogotá, I even started a small business focused on Indian food. It involved catering, delivery, and c

The website Our World in Data has a fantastic population cartogram that I printed out as a large poster and hung in my classroom. As a...

There’s no doubt that the development of farming was one of the most consequential moments in human history. It allowed for an...

In a previous post , I shared a lesson introducing students to the complex nature of geography and how it combines both physical and...

Teaching an introductory unit on geography to middle school students can be challenging because geography is such an interdisciplinary...

The 10-mark essay question in IB Geography HL Paper 2 is a crucial component of the exam, testing students’ ability to think critically,...

One of the key responsibilities of teachers is not only to teach but also to plan lessons. Personally, I find lesson planning to be quite...

Teaching climate change is a core component of my curriculum across all grades every year. As a social studies teacher, I feel a moral...

As I complete examining for this year’s MYP Integrated Humanities e-Assessment, I wanted to take up the challenge of creating an...

I teach IB MYP Individuals and Societies and have been an IB examiner for the MYP Integrated Humanities E-Assessment for the past three...

Here is another practice infographic question, along with a mark scheme for Paper 2. This infographic shows changes in South Korea’s TFR...

The IB Geography exams around the corner and I imagine students around the world are revising all the content and material they have...

This year, I am teaching Grade 5 social studies at an international school in China. In this class, I have ten students, out of which...

I had the privilege of being educated in different parts of the world. I studied grades 1-4 in the USA, grades 4-6 in Israel, grades 7-9...

As an international educator, it is my responsibility to teach my students about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a...

1. Focus on command terms and number of marks for each question Here are a few examples of short answer questions that each uses a...

One of the most effective ways to revise is to practice as many past papers as you can. The more papers you practice, the more confident...

A few weeks ago a student of mine told me about a book, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, that he had been recommended...