GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION

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Using newts, coyotes and mice, Jason Munshi-South shows how animals develop genetic differences in evolution, even within an urban city. “Evolution in a Big …

Humanity has obviously had an enormous impact on the environment and our sprawl metropolitan areas are the primary example.  However, we often fail to thing about how urbanization is impacting other species inhabiting the planet.  Our cities have essentially created ‘islands’ of livable habitat for many species and the same evolutionary processes of divergence and extinction are now seen in our urban areas.  Island biogeography is becoming increasingly important as we continue to fracture and fragment the environment within which other species can live.  This incredible Ted Talk can be seen (and flipped) on the new TED-ED site at: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/evolution-in-a-big-city

See on www.youtube.com

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

In a nation of 230 million people, 700 languages and some 300 ethnicities, ethnic Chinese are one of Indonesia’s historic minorities.

Religion and ethnicity are often connected, but not always.  This case study of such a group, the Chinese Muslims of Indonesia, provide an interesting glimpse into the economic, historic and political patterns of these cultural groups that are parts of communal identities.  

See on www.saudiaramcoworld.com

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

The USGS is celebrating 40 years of the LANDSAT

Program by having a competition to select the top 5 “Earth as Art” images from the more than 120 scenes from their curated collection.  All readers can select 5 images on the USGS website and the poll closes on July 6, 2012 (The image above is from Coahuila, Mexico).

See on eros.usgs.gov

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

We often talk about life expectancy data at the national level; this simplification has a great deal of utility but obscures regional distinctions within a country.  Some counties in the United States have life expectancies on par with Japan (84), while the worst off counties are more similar to Indonesia (69).  Even more startling, in 661 counties, life expectancy stopped dead or went backwards for women since 1999.  This is a dramatic look at the importance of scale within any geographic analysis to arrive at reasonable conclusions.  So let’s start looking at local demographic data instead of just nationally aggregated data.  For more on this press release, see:  http://www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org/news-events/news-release/girls-born-2009-will-live-shorter-lives-their-mothers-hundreds-us-counties

See on www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

More than 75,000 firms that have helped to deliver London’s Olympic Games are fighting a 12-year gagging order preventing them from talking about the work they have done, it emerged last night.

London has undergone important urban projects that have transformed the numerous parts of the city.  These massive investments are now being questioned as some observers are skeptical as to whether or not their will be an adequate return on investment. 

See on www.independent.co.uk

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

“This interactive map shows the county to county social interactions given in total call minutes or total number of SMS from the anonymous, aggregated AT&T mobile phone data. Click into your county or type it into the text box to find out how it is connected to other counties in the US. You can switch between call and SMS data to reveal the changes in interaction mode. Also, the population map is provided, which is based on the 2010 Census.”     -Martin Daumiller

See on senseable.mit.edu

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

Apple is expected to dump Google Maps from its operating system, in favor of its own product. In response, Google is showing off how much it has done in maps, and how many features it has.

Google Maps is on many devices, but Apple now appears poised to enter the mapping market more fully, including native Apple mapping apps for the iPhone and iPad designed to replace Google Maps.

See on bits.blogs.nytimes.com

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

Like so many phenomena, there is a spatial nature to obesity (higher in the United States than global averages and higher in the deep South than national averages).  This infographic compiles statistics that are ‘food for thought.’

See on finance.yahoo.com

See on Scoop.it – Geography Education

Inside an extraordinary school that gives India’s Dalit girls a chance at a better life…

Cultural change, especially traditions that are deeply engrained over many generations are difficult to reverse.  In India, the caste system is changing but not without tremendous efforts by individuals and institutions that are deeply committed to equality and expanding opportunities for the most socially vulnerable population.  There are a variety of videos and articles here that show how one school is making a difference in the lives of ‘untouchable’ girls to give them a hope for the future. 

See on www.theglobeandmail.com