The Challenging National Geographic Bee
Thousands of schools in North America participate in the national geographic bee. The material that is used by children is prepared by the National Geographical Society. The main aim of the contest is to encourage teachers to include geography as one of the subjects in school. In this way it can spark an interest in geography in the students and also increase public awareness about geography.
The eligibility for participation is for schools with students from grade four to eight. It is indeed an entertaining and challenging test of knowledge in geography, and the final round of the national geographic bee is going to be aired nationally on the National Geographic Channel on May 21 and later on public television stations.
The Process
The competition of the national geographic bee is conducted in three phases. It begins at the school level. The schools which register for the competition receive materials to carry out their competitions. There is one winner from each school, and that student has to take a written test. The top hundred scorers in each state and territory then compete at the state level.
In spring the state-level national geographic bee is held and the winner of each state competition is then eligible for the national competition. This is held in Washington D, C, where 55 state and territory winners meet at the National Geographic Society headquarters.
At the end there are ten finalists and they compete for a college scholarship. The second and third winners also receive college scholarships. It is indeed a prestigious scholarship, both for the student and the school where the student was trained.
Tips for Students
There is a national geographic bee Official Study Guide to give tips to students so that they can prepare for the competition. The students should be provided with the necessary study tools like a good, up-to-date world map, an atlas, and a good geography reference book. With the help of blank outline maps they can practice how to locate places.
The students should also learn Map Terminology so that they can understand what they are looking at. It is important to read labels and coordinates correctly on a map. The students should understand the interconnectedness of geography to compete in the national geographic bee. Geography has several subdivisions like physical features, climate and culture and all are connected with each other.
Any competition and especially the national geographic bee demand that all competitors are up-to-date with current events. Bee questions can be about political upheavals, international agreements and discoveries. Students should learn how to analyze questions, because that is the best way to learn by looking for clues.
After all, learning is fun and learning for the national geographic bee should also be fun, especially learning geography. Students can even play games to help study for the Bee, so that the learning process is enjoyed by the students.
