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Geography standards in the United States: past influences and future prospects

The purpose of this article is to examine how geography is represented and positioned in primary and secondary (referred to here as K-12) education in the United States through a critical analysis of the content and implementation of the National Geography Standards, Geography for Life. We begin by providing context on the organization of education in the United States and offering a brief account of changes in geography in this complex system over the past three decades. Next, we describe the Standards, originally published in 1994 and recently revised, highlighting the forces driving innovations in both documents, both within the geography community and outside. The institutionalization of the Standards is discussed in the context of state and local adoption of their key features, framing a discussion on the struggles geography has claiming space in an already crowded curriculum. Finally, we conclude by offering ideas on where we think Geography for Life – and geography education – may go in the near and far future.