AP-Human Geography Essay Geography at the moment is not a prevalent subject within the American school system. Some professors believe this is in part at fault for American’s lack of awareness of the world around them. Many believe it is necessary to educate students on geography, so they are able to fully comprehend current events occurring around the globe. Is what we learn by studying geography important enough that we should consider including it more heavily in students curriculums? Geography is the study of the earth, ranging from the land itself and the people who inhabit it. It’s arguable that without knowledge of the geography one can’t fully understand the events of history. Earths geography largely influenced early human civilization in many ways including where humans settled and what people’s occupations were. It also played a large part on the outcome of early wars. Today basic knowledge of geography is necessary to understand many current events. International peace treaties are hard to understand if you don’t know the interest of the countries involved their neighbors, allies, and international ties. The impact that conflicts between countries have on their neighbors is hard to comprehend if you don’t know where these are located. Two articles written by Charles F. Gritzner, a professor of geography at South Dakota State University, emphasize the importance of geography. In both articles the professor discusses how uneducated most Americans are on the subject. He discusses how crucial geography is to understanding other related sciences. Gritzner in “Defining Geography: What is Where, Why There, and Why Care?” talks about how geography goes beyond just ‘where’. He claims geography offers explanations as to why things occur in specific locations and how it concerns us. Geography is not a prevailing subject in most schools. This is most likely due to the fact that other subjects such as math and English are more of a priority. Geography isn’t covered extensively so that other material seen as more important can be covered. Most schools offer extensive geography classes only as electives. I believe that this way works, students who are interested in the subject can study it, but it’s not forced into becoming a requirement.