Including Students’ Geographies in Geography Education: Spatial Narratives, Citizen Mapping, and Social Justice

Abstract

Preparing students to become active, participatory citizens is more than promoting personal responsibility. It requires actively engaging with others in order to improve one’s community. Using a critical geography approach, this article describes research with students living in urban areas that engaged them in fieldwork and citizen mapping of the neighborhood around their high school. We were interested in how they interacted with this environment and their perceptions of social justice issues in the community. Student groups worked together to identify and investigate topics of their choosing in order to produce and present their findings and recommendations to community stakeholders. We collected data from these students through case studies, sketch maps, and interviews, which revealed an increase in understanding of their neighborhood and an appreciation for the use of spatial thinking and technologies in addressing issues that they care about as citizens.

Keywords:

• citizen mapping
• civic identity
• critical geography
• experiential learning
• spatial narratives

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank the students and teachers who participated in this project. Without them, it would not have been possible. In addition, we appreciate the help of our graduate assistants, Owusua Yamoah and Brinda Athreya, who facilitated the research and provided us with assistance in making the maps in this article. Finally, our external evaluator, Dr. Hilarie Davis, has been a critical friend to us throughout every stage of the project.

Notes

¹ For a detailed outline of the workshop or a description of daily activities, contact the corresponding author for copies.

² This element of the study aligns with recommendations of the Road Map for 21st Century Geography Education Project, which calls for educators to “design instructional materials that build upon students’ prior geographic knowledge and experience and challenge students’ thinking” (Schell, Roth, & Mohan, 2013, p. 8).

³ Currently, we have developed six curriculum modules, including parks & community gardens, crime, housing, youth employment, open/green space, and historical geography. Please contact the corresponding author for copies.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant (NSF Award No.: DRL-1433574).