Learning world geography is still a worthy undertaking, even in the age of instant access to Wikipedia. Studying world geography brings cultural awareness, higher self-esteem, and comfort with globalization. Children who study geography find world events easier to understand, and more interesting. What’s happening in Myanmar suddenly seems a bit more relevant when you know where Myanmar is. Your child will even have some fun.
Cultural Awareness
Curiosity about Myanmar leads to curiosity about the country’s history, culture and so on. A child who masters world geography is more interested in the world in general, and better informed. Learning geography inevitably produces a greater awareness of the lives of others, including their culture and history. This, in turn, produces a breadth of viewpoint. Geography, culture, and history are all tightly bound together. Your children will experience this as they branch out from geography to take an interest in the world’s many holidays, foods, animals, and so on. Living in the United States, which has one of the most diverse populations in the world, your child will appreciate the value of such diversity that exists all around him/her.
A growing mastery of facts about rivers, mountains, capital cities, and national borders could even translate to confidence in other subjects. Learning a few things about the geography of South America might translate to an interest in the plants and animals of Brazil, for example. World geography can be the start of a new love of learning. Being a world geography expert can raise a child’s self-esteem.
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Self-Esteem:
Becoming a geography wiz, on some level, will help a child feel better. Knowing things the other kids don’t know and sharing with them can be fun and rewarding. Maybe no one in the adult world cares if you can name the capital of every European Union nation. To a student, mastering geography can feel good about accomplishing such a memorization task.
Mastery of national capitals, rivers, and so forth can help in understanding conflicts that have affected or will affect the child’s life. . . border disputes that become wars; migrations because of human actions or natural occurrences, etc. A bit of success in mastering some aspect of world geography might spill over into other areas of learning — about the cultural traditions of Eastern Europe for example and the political unrest that Russia and Ukraine have.
Being Aware of Globalization:
Knowing the capital of Malaysia and where Malaysia is in relation to Korea, might seem trivial, but it isn’t. Your children are growing up in an increasingly connected global civilization and need to know how to deal with its consequences. Children who grow up learning about the world will be better able to understand and navigate this new international reality.
Geographical knowledge helps a person understand and appreciate current events. Knowing how to find the South China Sea on a map is a starting point to learning more about China, the Philippines, and Indonesia, too. Geography knowledge makes it easier to understand the international environmental crises.
Learning Geography is a Great Investment of Time:
Introduce your children to world geography and let them keep learning about the world’s countries, landscapes, and cultures. The benefits of awareness, self-confidence, and knowledge will continue to pay off in the future. An interest in geography is bound to translate into an interest in other worthwhile subjects as well.
