cation swore by this approach to learning about the world, particularly the Mission: Explore! books that instigated the movement. Guerrilla geography was the brainchild of The Geography Collective, a network of U.K. geography educa- tors, whose work spawned the series of books. These inter- active books contain “missions” which ask the reader to do a distinctive activity with the finite goal of learning some- thing personally relevant, bond with the local landscape, and interact creatively with the world.2 The guerilla geography experience does not mean that


you are taking your learners on a glorified scavenger hunt. Rather, the purpose is the development of critical thinking about the places one encounters. As your learners explore different places, they are threading memories, emotions, and experiences into the landscape around them. Smells are documented. Boundaries, both physical and social, are transcended. As a result, The Geography Collective states that “Explorers who use Mission: Explore will never see the world in the same way again.” 3 Guerilla geography turns your learners’ ordinary spaces


into extraordinary spaces. The Mission: Explore! book series provides a useful place for educators to begin look- ing for ideas. For example, one mission invites the learner to put on a performance for a random security camera, where they could improvise a short play, show off a dance routine or hold a full-blown talent show. Some assignments are exis- tential and artistic in nature. In Mission: Explore! Camping4, the learner is challenged to watch the sun rise and set on the same day and write a poem about their experience. Other tasks contribute to the betterment of the local community, such as having the learner set up a stall in their local mar- ket to collect positive messages about their area and publish their findings in the local newspaper. In another example, the learner uses their memory and a pencil to draw a map of somewhere, then explores the place using only their map, taking note of what they included and excluded, enlarged and shrunk. Many, if not all, of the missions in our program are unambiguously geographic in nature and each mission unlocks a new aspect of the world and forces your learners to reflect on how they interact with it.


Connection to Standards and Existing


Institutions A possible problem that educators might encounter is, “How does guerrilla geography apply to the standards used by my educational institution?” Because it is largely interpretive, this pedagogy might be viewed as too chaotic and distracting to be utilized effectively. This criticism is a misconception. The lessons learned are grounded in numerous geography standards, including Geography Standard Six: How culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and regions.5 Both guerrilla geography and Geography Standard Six challenge learners to be mindful of how complex and interesting their communities are, as well as how differently they and their peers view the world. Additionally, the two concepts attempt to counteract the apparent “placelessness” (i.e., lack of awareness, an inauthentic connection or appreci- ation of localities) of the modern education system6. In other words, guerilla geography grants learners the permission to see their surroundings through different lenses and perspec- tives, while still being relevant in education.


The local area that your learners witness every day is


a zoo of interesting places to experience. It is chaotic and unpredictable. Fruitful exploration of the world at any scale provides a place to start the path of guerrilla geography. What better way to begin the journey than at an actual zoo? Compared to the world, a zoo appears far more controlled. An orderly space surrounded by borders. Many zoos are even spatially organized according to continents and cli- mates and thus provide an ideal domain for young explorers to begin to hone their place-based exploration.


Sharing Our Story and Creating Your


Story The creation of our Mission: Explore Zoo, Call of the Wild was part of a science communication fellowship program we participated in at our local zoo. Being geography educa- tors and explorers at heart, we sought to create a place-based method of interpretation that builds upon the learner’s own knowledge, interests, and experiences. Picture yourself going to the place where you teach with


a box of DIY booklets filled with unconventional ways for learners to reinvent how they explore places in their com- munity. That was precisely what we did in November 2015 when we put our guerilla geography skills to the test. You can easily put the thought into action too. What you need is an educational display and booth where you can engage with zoo patrons and provide an informal and personal presenta- tion of how to use the materials. If possible, communicate with your local zoo regarding potential opportunities or events to set up an exhibit and hand out your own adventure booklets. The experience is not reserved just for children. Mis-


sions are fun and educational for all parties involved. Zoo patrons of all ages and groupings (e.g., families, couples, and friends) were asked to participate in our activity. In our experience, zoo patrons who had been there many times before were interested in the idea of teasing the extraordi- nary out of a routine and familiar place. Be open to any and all visitors willing to uncage their imaginations at the zoo! If warranted, aspiring guerrilla geographers may need a


quick lesson to contextualize their excursions. Brief learn- ers with a discussion about what geography and explora- tion mean using a series of props like globes and maps. Ask patrons to complete a mental map activity with you to get them thinking geographically. Then ask them to recite the explorer’s oath on the first page of your book. Encourage groups to work together but take their own paths and keep their own field notes, emphasizing what was important and made sense to them. The experience asks the learner to extend past just stroll-


ing through the exhibits, to pay attention to what was out- side of the exhibits as well as inside, and to ask authentic inquiry-driven questions based on self-exploration. After the patrons receive their booklet and recite the oath, they can then be set loose to explore the zoo as guerilla geographers. In our experience, the learners found many of our activities playful, novel, and thought-provoking. You have the creative license to either replicate the ideas presented here or tailor this type of project according to your audience, location, and interests. Additionally, you can use this example as inspira- tion for an event in a different setting and series of missions.


GREEN TEACHER 109 Page 25


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