Geography was an important subject in the 19th and 20th centuries. It gets less emphasis today in America and American kids are among the least geographically literate in the world.
Still, its appalling that a 22 year old with good intelligence doesn't even know which coast the nation's capitol is on. How would he even get there if his GPS broke? And his mother is an elementary school teacher.
I got A's in Geography & History. Geometry, chemistry, & physics were another story. ETA: Add English. Had to change was to were.
There has been a perception that geography and history were "easy" and kids didn't need much instruction in them. It is an asinine idea, of course.
It's called "repackaging" today. Base 10's. In the past, kids knew multiplication tables, for example, but didn't understand the concept. The move was to make it "everyday" applicable. They went too far the other way at first. I argued for a balance, saying there was no harm to knowing the facts AS they showed conceptual understanding too. We've finally come to where there's more of a mix. Problem is, as a parent, you many not see it. Time tables, for example, may be taught in the form of a "settling task". Make it a game- "Around the World." First kid on a row stands next to the second while teacher calls out "8X6". First kid to answer correctly moves to next kid while the one who didn't sits.
I teach U.S. History: Age of Exploration through Reconstruction... My kids practice Geography every class period, but then I am an exception.
