If you’ve been reading newspapers or checking online news sources in the last few years, you may have noticed a series of stories detailing the downfall of Americans’ geographic knowledge. In 2006, a National Geographic poll found that almost 33 percent of young Americans couldn’t locate Louisiana on a U.S. map. This came less than a year after Louisiana was grabbing headlines in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Of course one could cite sample size and other statistical problems with the study, but there’s no denying that young people could benefit from learning more about the world around them. Educational childrens books like Merriam Webster’s Notebook Atlas are an indispensable resource that kids can use at home as well as at school. It seems that our public education system is leaving a bit to be desired, so it’s up to parents to help fill in those knowledge gaps.
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