Fairmont State University GeoSavvy Guide: Everyday Geography

Understanding geography is more than being in a classroom. We are all studying geography when we take a walk and observe the world around us or think to ourselves about events in our lives. When we are spatial thinkers, use our geospatial lens, or apply geographic inquiry to our world - we are doing geography.   

A sense of place is the feeling of meaning, connectedness, (physical, emotional, history, senses such as sound, smell... , etc.) that we build through geographic experiences.

For this activity you will be using the National Geographic  Geo-Inquiry Process to apply a geographic perspective to an event or activity that you have participated. You would offer unique insight, using your own knowledge and experiences to analyze space, place, and the interconnections between both the human and the world around us. 

Everyday Geography

1. Have an experience - attend a university event, go for a walk, watch a tv show, play a game online, or really anything that takes place anywhere (location). 

2. Reflect on the time, place, and activity using what you have learned about geography so far. Include and apply at least one concept that you have learned about geography and geospatial concepts so far. 

3. What role did the location play in creating the "sense of place"? 

Geography in Everyday Life in 2022: How geography is embedded in our everyday lives (Kerski, 2022)

National Geographic GeoInquiry Process An Educator's Guide

Dollar Street: See How Everday People Around the World Really Live

Our names have geography. This is a modified version from the NSF The Inclusive STEM Teaching Project. 

Reflect on or share the story of your name, To get you started, here are some prompts that will help you shape your name story. 

I hope this helps us know each other better and practice thinking about geography's impact on our lives. One of the first things that many people do when they see a map of the world is ask - show me my house? Similarly, our names are often our first introduction to the complex geographies around one word - our names. 

• What is the history of your name (first, middle, and/or last)?
• What is the meaning of your name (translation or other meaning, as you have learned it)?
• What is the significance of your name? (Are you named for someone, or did someone have the responsibility of naming you?)
• What is the story of your naming? How was your name decided?
• What does it feel like to have your name?
• What is a name that you admire and for what reason(s)?
• Are you responsible for the naming of someone else? Or is someone named after you?
• What is another aspect of your name that is meaningful to you?

Have fun exploring the geography of names in various formats

Namerology (a fun and not official site) https://namerology.com/ultimate-map/

U.S. Census - What's in a Name? https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2017/08/what-is-in-a-name.html

U.S. Social Security Admin - Popular Baby Names, Names by Decade etc. (Scroll to bottom of page) https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/

Professor Yano's Surname Map https://www.arc.ritsumei.ac.jp/e/news/pc/009370.html