You’ve probably all seen videos like this one where a reporter stops people on the street and asks them geography questions. Often the person responding shows a sad lack of even basic knowledge about the world. Granted, in this particular video, these National Geographic Geography Bee questions are pretty tough, but it still serves as a reminder that many of us here in the United States need to make an effort to learn more about the world in which we live. Here are a few reasons why it is so important to study geography.
First, looking simply at academics, the study of geography is a great jumping off place for the study of many different subjects. This is a very interdisciplinary field, so by studying geography, your student will also explore a little bit of history, science, religion, etc. The study of geography can play to your student’s strengths as well as introduce him/her to new subjects.
Second, the technology that we have available today connects us with the rest of the world in ways that most people even thirty years ago could never have imagined. We send emails to people halfway around the world, and they receive the message almost instantly. Because we receive news from countries around the world as it is breaking, understanding current events requires a knowledge of world geography. Today, many businesses in the United States have offices overseas. This Forbes magazine article emphasizes the importance for American businesses to understand the culture of the people they work with overseas. According to this article from Business News Daily, knowing the customs of the people you’re working with is essential. And if you’re doing business in South Korea, expect to sing some karaoke!
Finally, and I think most importantly for believers, it is critical that we understand the people and places of this world so that we can share the love of Christ. If we want to reach a culture for Christ, we need to understand it and, to a certain extent, honor it. Learning their customs, understanding their history, and speaking their language will go a long way in showing them that you care and that God loves them. Note that this isn’t just for Christians who are called to the foreign mission field – the world is coming to us here in the United States, and we have so many opportunities to minister and to witness to those from around the world right where we live. (Matthew 28: 19-20).
Whether you study geography together as a homeschool family or take a geography class with Excelsior Classes, don’t wait! There’s a whole world for you to discover.
If you would like more information about my history or geography classes, please feel free to visit: Susan Eggers
Susan Eggers loves learning about the past and the people of our world, and sharing that love with her students. She attended Wake Forest University as a William Louis Poteat scholar, where she earned her B. A. in History, graduating magna cum laude. Continuing her studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she received her M. A. in Russian history and completed additional hours of graduate coursework toward a Ph. D. While in graduate school, Susan received grants to conduct research in the Lenin Library and the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art in Moscow, the National Library and the Russian State Historical Archive in St. Petersburg, the Slavic and East European Library at the University of Illinois, and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. She has presented conference papers across the country and has published several articles on Russian history.
The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the author and should not be taken to represent the views of Excelsior Classes, LLC or the consortium of teachers.
