GeoActivity Types in APHG: Analysis of Maps and Photos

Geography textbooks are full of visuals such as maps and photos, yet they are easily overlooked in class because teachers and students tend to focus mostly on text. Concepts and instrumentality of maps are commonly included in the first or second chapter of many geography textbooks (Gillen et al. 2010). However, activities of interpreting, analyzing, or creating maps seldom appear in subsequent chapters, and mapmaking activities remain without much reference to relevant knowledge and skills. Photos in textbooks are sometimes used merely to break up text and are not utilized to their full potential through accompanying tasks or learning activities (Yates 2000). Therefore, students tend to miss important stories behind these visual representations and opportunities to learn from them. Most geography curriculum is heavily laden with expectations that students interpret and find information regarding visual representations. Map reading and interpretation skills require students to read and interpret information presented in spatial forms. There are many photo and map prompts in Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) exams, so not being able to interpret and analyze them may cause students to miss important clues for those questions. While learning geography, students should have time and opportunities to unpack stories of maps and photos and develop the skills that allow them to take a much more analytical look at the images (Halocha 2008). Research has suggested that writing about or using information found on maps is effective in facilitating map reading and interpretation skills (Walker 1996). Photos also offer powerful points of departure for writing and conversation (Van Horn 2008). Photos invite stories to be told (Lilly and Fields 2014), and writing about photos engages students and helps them learn about the people, places, and environments featured in those photos (Laman and Henderson 2019). Walker (1996) identified four basic elements—the four F’s—of a successful writing program for the geography classroom: (a) fluency, the ability to write extensively; (b) frequency, the habit of writing often; (c) flexibility, the skill to produce diverse writing products; and (d) formality, the knowledge and use of language rules and structure. While there are some resources available, such as the “Interpreting Primary Sources with a Geographic Lens” by the Arizona Geographic Alliance (2015), there are few tools, resources, or specific learning activities known to help teachers design and implement writing activities with a specific focus on geographic analysis. The purpose of this article is to introduce two easy-to-use analytical tools—OPTIC (Overview; Parts; Title; Interrelationships; and Conclusion) and SCRAP (SpatialTemporal; Conditions, Connections, or Comparisons; Region; Aura, Association, or Analog; Pattern or Exceptions)—that can help teachers guide student learning with maps and photos. OPTIC and SCRAP support students’ higher-order thinking as they process and analyze photos and maps, rather than just look at them. Both are perfect tools for daily warm-up activities in APHG classrooms to facilitate student learning of geography while they practice the four F’s. In using these tools for a systematic analysis of maps and photos, students can determine their own approaches to understanding the content and intersections between themes in geography. The acronyms help students remember the structure and steps and go through the strategies in a proper order. They are effective and help students avoid becoming overwhelmed in writing from geographical or spatial perspectives.