When I thought Geography, I thought about places and where they are located on the map. I think the way I was taught in elementary and middle school has a lot to do with that. After reading the TEKS, I know it is much more than just that. When I read Walking and Talking Geography: A Small World Approach, I see the importance of familiarizing students with their immediate surroundings. This is where they will make the connections they will need to understand these concepts. One of the TEKS, 2.7d, is to identify the characteristics of different communities, including urban, suburban, and rural. It is what I am currently teaching in Social Studies. My students have had discussions and made drawings to show differences. In our first discussion, they connected this to Houston, Humble (my placement), and then further north on 59. These are some of their drawings.