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perspective

United States of Alaska Map

If the title of this post is confusing, it’s because the map is completely unconventional (and I love it).  True, it is not the title of the map, but it could have been.  So often we see a map of the United States with the 48 contiguous states prominently displayed and Alaska and Hawaii scaled down, and stuck in a corner somewhere.  Well, this map ingeniously inverts that paradigm.

Alaska

If the inset (and the insult) are too subtle for you, here is the meme that brought this to my attention.

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Questions to Ponder:

  • Describe the quality of the main map compared to the quality of the inset maps.
  • Why would the cartographer take the time to make this map?
  • Why would someone purchase this map?
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99 Good News Stories You Probably Didn’t Hear About in 2018

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“For the last 12 months, the global media has been focused on a lot of bad news. But there were other things happening out there too: conservation successes, huge wins for global health, more peace and tolerance, less war and violence, rising living standards, some big clean energy milestones, and a quiet turning of the tide in the fight against plastic. Stories of human progress, that didn’t make it into the evening broadcasts, or onto your social media feeds.”

Source: medium.com

The world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but far too often the news will give us an overly pessimistic viewpoint about the world (as mentioned in Hans Rosling’s Book, FACTFULNESS).  Slow, incremental progress isn’t dramatic enough to make the headlines, and consequently we often miss the evidence that will demonstrate the ways in which the world is improving.  This article wrapping up some positive news from 2018 then, is a welcome bit of news that might change how we perceive some aspects of world.  

Scoop.it Tags: statistics, development, perspective.

WordPress Tags: statistics, development, perspective.

 

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The Enlightenment Is Working

"Don’t listen to the gloom-sayers. The world has improved by every measure of human flourishing over the past two centuries, and the progress continues, writes Steven Pinker."

Source: www.wsj.com

This is a great article that only reiterates what was said in Hans Rosling’s Book, FACTFULNESS, that the world is getting better. 

Scoop.it Tags: statistics, development, perspective.

WordPress Tags: statistics, development, perspective.

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Winners of the 2018 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest

 "In this photo, I tried to bring the intense and stacked living conditions that Hong Kong is famous for into perspective for the viewer. With so many people living in small spaces, it’s strange to see all these amenities empty. As a solo traveler, I’m often alone in crowds and this photo resonates with me. I barely scratched the surface of this incredible urban environment, but this image really summarizes my experience here."

Source: www.theatlantic.com

The winning images have been selected from this year’s edition of the National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year competition. This image, Alone in the Crowds by Gary Cummins, received honorable mention, in the category, Cities. There are many gorgeous images in here that–oh yeah– are also great teaching images.  If you want more, check out this additional gallery.

Scoop.it Tags: perspective, National Geographic, images.

WordPress TAGS: perspective, National Geographic, images.

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Factfulness

"The three authors of Factfulness explain why they decided to write the book that is now available in 24 languages."

Source: www.youtube.com

I just finished Hans Rosling’s book, Factfulness.  It was an absolutely delightful read (who wouldn’t want to imagine hearing Hans Rosling’s voice while relaxing on the beach?).  So much of the populace have outdated paradigms about the world and too many have an overly pessimistic worldview that everything is getting worse.  This is why FACTFULNESS is so needed day.  This term is used to describe a fact-based, data-driven worldview that is not overly dramatic, or fear-based.  In so many ways, the world has been consistently getting quantifiable better; this derived from an optimistic perspective, but a factful understanding of the world today.  This book is his clarion call to understand the world as it actually is and is the culmination of his professional achievements.  Now that he has passed away, it feels like a major part of his lasting legacy.  If you’ve ever used his TED talks, Gapminder, the Ignorance Project, or Dollar Street resources, this is a must read.

 

Tags: statistics, models, gapminder, development, perspective, book reviews.

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Five Tips and Strategies on How to Interpret a Satellite Image

What do you do when presented with a new satellite image? Here’s what the Earth Observatory team does to understand the view.

  1. Look for a scale
  2. Look for patterns, shapes, and textures
  3. Define the colors (including shadows)
  4. Find north
  5. Consider your prior knowledge

Question #2: READ TO ANSWER FOR MORE INFO ON THE FIVE TIPS: earthobservatory.nasa.gov

Question #3: Also search through NASA’s Earth Observatory (Images or Articles) and the Jefferson Grid Instagram account.

Aerial photography can be quite beautiful, as can satellite imagery. These are more than just pretty pictures; interpreting aerial photography and satellite imagery is not easy; here is a great article that gives an introduction on how to interpret satellite imagery. With a little training, satellite images become rich data sources (instead of some visually meaningless data).  Using Stratocam, you can explore and tag some of the amazing place on Earth. 

Tags: mapping, perspective, remote sensing, geospatial, unit 1 Geoprinciples.

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Lights of Human Activity Shine in NASA’s Image of Earth at Night

NASA scientists have just released the first new global map of Earth at night since 2012. This nighttime look at our home planet, dubbed the Black Marble, provides researchers with a unique perspective of human activities around the globe. By studying Earth at night, researchers can investigate how cities expand, monitor light intensity to estimate energy use and economic activity, and aid in disaster response.

Source: www.youtube.com

NASA scientists are releasing new global maps of Earth at night, providing the clearest yet composite view of the patterns of human settlement across our planet.  You can download the image at a good resolution (8 MB jpg) or at a great resolution (266 MB jpg) to explore at your leisure.  

 

Tags: mapping, perspective, images, geospatial.

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Boston schools ditch conventional world maps in favor of this one

Social studies classrooms throughout the Boston public school system are getting an upgrade some 448 years in the making.

Source: www.bostonglobe.com

Personally, I’m not a fan of this decision, but it’s as if they watched the classic West Wing clip and decided to roll with it. I think that the Peters projection map is better than the Mercator for most educational applications, but it isn’t the “right, best, or true” map projection.  Many viral videos comparing the two love to exaggerate and say things like “The maps you use are lying to you” or “the world is nothing like you’ve ever seen.”  Yes, Mercator maps distorts relative size, but it isn’t a “wrong” map anymore than the Peters projection.  All maps have distortion and map readers need to under that all maps are a mathematical representation of the Earth.  

 

Tags: mapping, visualization, map projections, cartography, perspective, education, geography, geography education, Boston.

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Hijab: Veiled in Controversy

Hijab is an Islamic concept of modesty and privacy, most notably expressed in women’s clothing that covers most of the body.

Source: www.nationalgeographic.org

What is the geography of the hijab?  Covering one’s head pre-dates Islam in the Middle East but many associate this practice strictly with Islam and only for women. Read this article (with teaching tips and supplemental resources) for more context on this cultural and religious practice.

Tags: Islam, perspective, religion, culture, National Geographic.

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