[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 92 (Monday, July 11, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7991-S7992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. COCHRAN (for himself, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Warner, Mr. Dodd, 
        Mr. Akaka, and Mr. Burns):
  S. 1376. A bill to improve and expand geographic literacy among 
kindergarten through grade 12 students in the United States by 
improving professional development programs for kindergarten through 
grade 12 teachers offered through institutions of higher education; to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Teaching 
Geography is Fundamental Act. I am pleased to be joined by Senators 
Stevens, Dodd, Warner, Burns, and Akaka. The Act's purpose is to 
improve geographic literacy among K-12 students in the United States by 
improving professional development programs for K-12 teachers offered 
through institutions of higher education. The bill also assists States 
in measuring the impact of education in geography.
  To begin to understand other people, we need to understand ourselves. 
Eudora Welty said that understanding begins with a sense of place. When 
we understand our own environment, we can better understand the 
differences in other places, and the people who live

[[Page S7992]]

in them. The diversity of cultures, land, and distances between states 
within our nation is the first evidence we have that a good 
understanding of geography is necessary. According to the National 
Geographic Society, home is where the knowledge of geography begins.
  The 2005 publication, What Works in Geography, reported that 
elementary school geography instruction significantly improves student 
achievement. And, the 2002 National Geographic-Roper Global Geographic 
Literacy Survey shows that more than half of American adults best able 
to read a map had taken a high school geography course. That's the good 
news. Unfortunately, other recent studies show us that nearly one third 
of our elementary schools have reduced the number of geography courses 
in the last few years, and only 7 percent of our Nation's fourth 
graders are taught by teachers with specific undergraduate or graduate 
experience in geography. Geography is taught by less than 9 percent of 
K-12 social studies teachers and not even one quarter of high school 
students graduate with a geography class.
  To expect that Americans will be able to work economically and 
diplomatically with the other people in this world, we need to be able 
to communicate and understand each other. It is a fact that we have a 
global marketplace, and that will continue to be the case. We need to 
be preparing our younger generations for global competition and 
ensuring that they have a strong base to be able to participate in 
future industry. Geography knowledge improves those job opportunities.
  Approximately 20 percent of the U.S. GDP, that's $2.3 trillion 
annually, results from international trade. According to the CIA World 
Factbook of 2005, many U.S. workers need geographic knowledge for this 
global economy. Geographic knowledge is increasingly needed for U.S. 
businesses in international markets. For example, the inadvertent 
placing of Kashmir outside of Indian territory on a time zone map in a 
widely used computer operating system forced a costly recall, fix, and 
reissue of the software.
  A comprehensive geography education provides training in geospatial 
technologies, such as remote sensing and geographic information 
systems. This high-growth industry is expected to reach $30 billion in 
annual revenues by the end of 2005, up from $5 billion in 2002. 
Geospatial technologies are one of the three biggest emerging fields 
identified by the Department of Labor, and they are providing 75,000 
new jobs annually. A strong geographic education system is a necessity 
for this industry's continuing advancement.
  Geography literacy is essential to a well prepared citizenry in the 
21st Century. Last year, then Secretary of State Colin Powell said, 
``To solve most of the major problems facing our county today--from 
wiping out terrorism, to minimizing global environmental problems, to 
eliminating the scourge of AIDS--will require every young person to 
learn more about other regions, cultures, and languages.''
  We need to do more to ensure that the teachers responsible for the 
education of our students, from kindergarten through high school 
graduation, are prepared to participate constructively in solving those 
problems. Over the last 15 years, the National Geographic Society has 
awarded more than $100 million in grants to educators, universities, 
geography alliances, and others for the purposes of advancing and 
improving the teaching of geography. Their models are successful and 
research shows that students who have benefitted from this teaching out 
perform other students. State geography alliances exist in 19 States, 
including Mississippi, endowed by grants from the society. It is clear 
that their efforts alone are not enough. My bill establishes a Federal 
commitment to enhance the education of our teachers, focus on geography 
education research, and develop reliable, advanced technology based 
classroom materials.
  I hope the Senate will consider the seriousness of the need to invest 
in geography and I invite other Senators to cosponsor the Teaching 
Geography is Fundamental Act.
                                 ______