“Only 2% of Australia’s population lives in the yellow area. “
Questions to Ponder: Why is Australia’s population so highly clustered? What is it about the yellow (and white) areas that explain this pattern? How does this map of rainfall add to our understanding? What other layers of information do we need to properly contextualize this information?
Tags: Australia, Oceania, population, density.
See on i.imgur.com
“Here’s how the United States looks when it is measured on the county level by the same standards used to rank countries by the UN, the Human Development Index. Five variables are taken into account: life expectancy, income per capita, school enrollment, percentage of high school graduates, and percentage of college graduates.”
Often we treat countries as solid areas and miss many regional patterns; in part because we view global data sets that are at that scale.
Questions to ponder: what regional patterns do you see? What accounts for these patterns? What do you think other countries would look like with data at this scale?
Tags: mapping, regions, census, development, USA.
See on www.policymic.com
I used to think that street harassment was so entrenched in our culture and unchangeable. All I could do to address it was to cope – walk fast; avoid eye contact; pretend to be on the phone. But I got tired of feeling powerless and decided to respond to it and change the culture that allows it to continue.
People experience place and public spaces in very distinct ways–gender plays a crucial role in how we socially navigate in and through space. This article about how women can address street harassment goes well with this additional article that tackles the problems with a society that normalizes street harassment.
See on everydayfeminism.com
An international relations scholar is using her students’ love of food to teach them about global conflicts. It’s a form of winning hearts and minds that’s gaining traction among world governments.
International relations and global politics are what people often think are critical for foreign policy and diplomacy. A geographic and historically nuanced understanding of various cultures can be invaluable–and what more enjoyable way to learn that over an amazing meal?
See on www.npr.org
“In symbolic terms, it’s a huge loss. The Crimean Peninsula holds an important place in the region’s history, and the inability to prevent the region from joining Russia is a serious test of leadership for the new Ukrainian government in Kiev.
In practical terms, however, what Crimea means for Ukraine is less clear. In an article last week, The Post’s Will Englund noted that Crimea may end up costing Russia more than it might like. And what does Ukraine really lose?”
We often view global affairs through our own little prism, considering how it affects us. So much of the discussion has revolved around Russia and the West in general (and the U.S. specifically), that Ukraine almost gets lost in the shuffle. All this amid news that the acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister has said that the possibility of war “is growing.”
Tag: Ukraine, political, conflict, devolution.
See on www.washingtonpost.com
Great idea to help early years learners understand their ‘place’…
This is would be a nice craft to help younger students understand the concept of scale. This adapts some of the ideas from the classic picture book “Me on the Map” by Joan Sweeney.
“Since 2004, six people have died falling from the cliffs on this route.” is what the sign says. Only one step from a 1400 foot fall.
Angels Landing from David Perry on Vimeo.
Angel’s Landing in Utah’s Zion National Park (map) is one of my favorite hikes with an amazing view.The geomorphology of ‘red rock’ country is stunning and it’s sheer cliffs are bound to captivate the imagination. If you want something like this but with a more European flavor, watch National Geographic’s Andrew Evans climb Preikestolen in Norway.
Tags: physical, geomorphology, erosion, landforms.
See on vimeo.com
Thirteen years after the Bamian Buddhas were blasted into rubble, opinion is split on whether to leave them as is, rebuild them, or make copies of them.
This video and article work together to show a ‘behind-the-scenes’ glimpse of this heritage site, or the remnants of the old memorial which is an iconic part of the cultural landscape in their own right but for very different reasons. This is a great example of sequent occupance and some of the difficulties in preserving heritage. Some argue that by restoring the Buddha it will undo some of the damage done by the Taliban and create a tourist destination; others think that the damaged Buddha is a poignant reminder of problems with ‘topocide’ and religious intolerance.
Questions to Ponder: What do you think should become of this place? How come?
Tags: Afghanistan, political, culture, Central Asia, landscape, perspective.
See on www.nytimes.com
Strengthening Geographic Content in the Classroom South Carolina GeoFest
I’m very pleased to be in South Carolina, presenting at their GeoFest on the importance of strengthening geographic content in the classroom and some practical examples of how to do so.
See on www.slideshare.net
GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION 
