Baber, Zonia, 1862-1956

Zonia Baber was an American geographer and geologist best known for developing methods for teaching geography. Baber started her career as a private school principal before taking a job teaching at Cook County Normal School where she served as the head of the Geography Department. From 1901 to 1921 Baber worked as an associate professor and head of geography and geology in the Department of Education at the University of Chicago. When it came to teaching, Baber preferred to focus on field work—enabling her students to act and discover rather than memorize facts. Baber's teaching methods are still used today.