Tags: cartography, technology, globalization, historical, regions, mapping, colonialism.
This map might appear to be completely trivial and it probably is. Still, there are interesting historical and colonial patterns that can be seen in this technological culture region map.
Questions to Ponder: Will there one day be a single format? When? What are barrier to that happening? What does this tell us about the extent of globalization?
See on tywkiwdbi.blogspot.fr
An examination of shootings and violence in Chicago. Includes interactive map of Chicago shootings and homicides.
I know that many are thinking about mental illness and gun violence after the tragic incident in Connecticut. I do not wish to use this as a platform to suggest any particular political course of action. I do think, however, that this is an appropriate time to share more data that may help others to frame the discussion.
Tags: Chicago, socioeconomic.
See on www.suntimes.com
During the holiday season, online sales shoot up as distant relatives seek to ship gifts in time for Christmas. Some have noted that online shoppers can stay at home and completely render the tradition physical storefront redundant. Online shoppers, whether they think about it or not, hoping that the physical logistics behind the scenes will work efficiently and quickly. This collection of images is a reminder that while it might appear that geography and location are eliminated with online communications, these virtual interactions in cyberspace are dependent on actual physical locations.
Tags: location, economic, space, industry, technology.
See on imgur.com
The U.S. economy once worked like a finely meshed machine. Not anymore. The U.S. economy is still a powerful engine, but workers aren’t seeing the benefits, less-educated men are struggling, and the rich have disconnected from everyone else.
See on nationaljournal.com
It’s already unlikely we’ll get a view as good as the ones collected in “Earth As Art…”
This article and the selected gallery is based on the free e-book “Earth as Art” which I’ve mentioned here before earlier. This particular image is fantastic for teaching about geomorphology and river systems. Students can ‘see’ the historical layers of a meandering stream winding it’s way across the landscape. Connecting the physical geography to human geography, analyzing the flood plains can help explain the land use and settlement patterns in these images of the Mississippi Delta and Willamette River.
See on www.popsci.com
In this age of fast travel and instant digital communications, we tend to forget that not so long ago, distances were subjectively very different.
This series of maps shows the great leaps and bounds that were made during the 19th century in transportation technology in the United States. This impacted population settlement, economic interactions and functionally made the great distances seem smaller. This is what many call the time-space compression; the friction of distance is diminished as communication and transportation technologies improve.
Questions to Ponder: When someone says they live “10 minutes away,” what does that say about how we think about distance, transportation infrastructure and time? How is geography still relevant in a world where distance appears to becoming less of a factor?
Tags: transportation, models, globalization, diffusion.
See on www.treehugger.com
This video shows that the human spirit of beauty and joy can come shining through from the poorest of places. Slums are not new, but rapid population growth coupled with rural-to-urban migration patterns have led to an increasing amount of slums. Despite all the stereotypical images of destitute poverty, slums can also be places with a strong vibrant communities with residents filled with innovation, hope and ambition. For more on this organization, see their Facebook page.
Tags: urban, squatter, poverty, South America, community, Paraguay.
See on www.youtube.com
As if J. R. R. Tolkien wasn’t brilliant enough with his creation of Middle-Earth, it appears that using his numerous maps and illustrations provided, supplemented by observations from within the texts themselves, a geological reconstruction can be achieved! I recently came across this old article from the Proceedings of the J. R. R. Tolkien Centenary Conference, Oxford, England, 1992, and figured it was worth sharing.
As many Lord of the Rings fans prepare for the release of the new Hobbit movie, I wanted to share two things that might be of interest. First this article is linked to a geologic ‘reconstruction’ of Middle Earth. Added to this is this fabulous Middle Earth Map Dress (complete with the traveling cloak collar, the Tengwar script on the belt and hem, and the matching clutch). Why are do we study geography? As Samwise Gamgee reminded us, “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.”
See on fossilsandshit.wordpress.com
As more of our students go searching for information online, we need to also teach our students how to assess the quality of a particular media outlet and develop a critical eye. This great song is a humorous way to approach that topic.
Questions to Ponder: What makes a source reliable? Can a source be reliable on some topics but not others?
Here’s an article about how an over-reliance on GPS (or Sat-Nav) can lead to the erosion of one’s mental map. And yes, the article is from the Daily Mail (as the images on the side clearly demonstrate). Does that change how you approach the information?
See on www.youtube.com
GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION 