“A glimpse inside the life of students from Senegal to Vietnam and China.”
See on www.takepart.com
I have a longstanding obsession with J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit,’ starting with the great 1977 animated film that captured my young imagination. Hobbits are content to be intensely local and ignore the world beyond their neighborhood until Gandalf instills in Bilbo and subsequently Frodo to learn about the wider world. I’ve always seen that as push for all of us to get to know more about the world, and to experience it first-hand. Sometimes academic geographic forgets the explorer component of geographic inquiry and discovery and it is these geographic quotes from the movies and books that I wish to share.
See on geographyeducation.org
SimCityEDU – Create & Share SimCity Learning Tools
Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:
I will confess that I have personally never played SimCity, but I do know educators that have tapped into that gaming experience to teach spatial thinking and some principles of urban planning. This link is designed with those teachers in mind.
Tags: urban, planning, spatial, unit 7 cities, edtech.
See on www.simcityedu.org
Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:
The packaging on the McDonald’s fry box states, “Why are our fries the gold standard? Because only a select number of potato varieties make the cut. I’m lovin’ it®” This is a message is primarily aimed at millions of individual consumers. As geographers who analyze systems, we can look at this message for meaning beyond taste and quality control in how it affect both urban and rural places. Given that McDonald’s is the United States’ largest purchaser of potatoes, what are the economic and agricultural implications for their fry selection on the market(s)? How does this impact farmers, consumers, competitors and other groups?
See on mcdepk.com
A rice enriched with beta-carotene promises to boost the health of poor children around the world. But critics say golden rice is also a clever PR move for a biotech industry driven by profits, not humanitarianism.
Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:
This is a great podcast that emphasizes various geographic themes including agriculture, development and economics. This new genetically-modified rice was designed to provide vitamin A (something no natural rice provides) to impoverished diets. Skeptics point out that the history of the industry shows that the goal is to enrich a select number of corporations while some are hailing this as a major advancement that will benefit the poor. Where people side on this is often ideological, so those that are firmly against genetically modified foods find the flaw in the plan and vice versa. What do you think? How might this change food production and consumption worldwide and at a local scale?
Tags: GMOs, development, NGOs, Food, agriculture, agribusiness, unit 5 agriculture.
See on www.npr.org
Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:
This infographic is a great introduction to the historical genesis of South Sudan and the political uncertainty and difficulties that it now faces as an independent country.
Tags: South Sudan, political, sovereignty, Africa, territoriality, states, unit 4 political.
See on latestinfographics.com
Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:
I’ve seen other “Where the Hell is Matt” videos and this recent one is building on that tradition. These videos show some fantastic international icons and people around the world. Simultaneously, this video show the unique cultural elements seen around the world while showing the essential beauty of our common humanity. Who wouldn’t want to go to all the places that Matt has been?
Tags: geo-inspiration, worldwide, folk culture.
See on www.youtube.com
Two opposing groups battle to define the word jihad on public buses and subways.
Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:
This New York Times video highlights two current media campaigns that are in their own struggle to shape the meaning(s) of the word jihad for the American public. While the definition of “Holy War” is often quoted, it also means a struggle. When you hear the word jihad, who’s jihad do you think of first? The cultural context within which a word is used might not be the same context in which the message is received and interpreted. This disconnect can be a part of cultural conflicts and misunderstandings.
Tags: Islam, perspective, religion, culture, USA.
See on www.nytimes.com
Challenge your knowledge of Geography from around the world in our ‘Where in the World?’ Quiz Tournament. It’s just £0.49 ($0.75) to enter with a cash prize of £30 ($45) up for grabs. Enter now if you think you know your stuff!
Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:
See on www.quizfortune.com
GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION 