NAEP Geography -- Elements of the Geography Assessment

Cognitive Dimension	Content Dimension

	Space and Place	Environment and Society	Spatial Dynamics and Connections

Knowing	Where is the world's largest tropical rain forest?	What mineral resources are often extracted by strip mining?	What factors stimulate human migrations?

Understanding	Why are tropical rain forests located near the equator?	Explain the effects of strip mining and shaft mining on the landscape.	Explain the motivations of modern-day Mexicans and Cubans for immigrating to the United States.

Applying*	Support the conclusion that tropical rain forests promote wide species variation.	How can both economic and environmental interests be reconciled in an area of strip mining?	Compare current settlement and employment patterns of Cuban and Mexican immigrants in the United States.

Figure 1.1, NAEP 1994 Geography Report Card Note: Example questions are illustrative only, and are not meant to represent the full array of assessment content. *Applying refers to a range of higher-order thinking skills. SOURCE: Geography Framework for the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress (1994), NAGB.