Thursday 31 March 2016

Migrant workers suffer 'appalling treatment' in Qatar World Cup stadiums, says Amnesty

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: Why are there so many migrant workers working in Qatar? What laws might there be for these migrant workers? How else might migrant workers be protected? Where else might workers be treated this poorly? Who should be responsible for ensure workers safety?




Activity: Collect data on where the migrant workers are coming form to help determine spatial significance by mapping out the data. Use proportional symbols to help better display the data for analysis. Complete an issue analysis to better understand the different views and communicate to an appropriate audience a plan of action to help resolve the situation. i.e. story map.

Donald Trump retracts call for women who have abortions to be 'punished'

; the Gaudrian

Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry: How might Trumps policy impact womens' rights in the US and in Canada? How might Canada's relationship with the US be affected if Trumps views are adopted by the majority of US citizens? 

Activity: Complete an issue analysis of the stakeholders, Trump, US citizens, Canadian governments', and Canadian citizens involved in this situation and map them to determine how spatial significance may impact views of the stakeholders. Communicate to the appropriate audience what Canada might do if Trump were to become President of the USA.

Wednesday 30 March 2016


Sea levels set to 'rise far more rapidly than expected 
Antarctica’s snowfall was expected to keep the ice sheet in balance but it is less stable than previously thought. Photograph: Steve Mandel / Barcroft Media

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: How might the expertise make these predictions? How should carbon emissions be decreased?




Activity: Collect and map carbon emissions data to determine where the majority of carbon is coming from. How might spatial significance impact carbon emissions? How can  geographic perspective help influence carbon producers?

Tuesday 22 March 2016

Shoal Lake 40 First Nation Advocates Say More Money Needed For All-Weather Road

  By The Canadian Press
Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends, Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry: How could a community in Canada be under a boil water alert for so long? How could an all weather road help this community? Might there be other communities in similar situations?

Activity: Create a map showing the spatial significance of Shoal Lake 40.Gather information on other communities under a boil water advisory. Can any patterns be observed? What spatial significance is observed? How can this issue be addressed? Communicate results to and appropriate audience via story map.

Immigrants Beat Canadians At Starting Businesses: StatsCan

 |  By
Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: Why are immigrants beating Canadians at starting businesses? How might this pattern impact the Canadian Economy?

Activity: Gather data to create a map and graphs to observe patterns trends of immigrant impact on Canada's economy. Communicate your results to an appropriate audience to help improve Canada's economy.

‘Burnt Hot Dog’ sea cucumbers raise red flags for threatened global fisheries

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships

Inquiry: How does Spatial Significance contribute to the health of the Burnt Hot Dog? What might be done to maintain a healthy Burnt Hot Dog population?

Activity: Create a map Burnt Hot Dog populations around the world. Distinguish between healthy and none healthy populations. Observe any patterns that may appear. How might spacial significance impact the health of the Burnt Hot Dog? 

10 of the best alternative city breaks in Europe  By:  
@will_coldwell

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: Why might these locations be considered the top 10 best alternative? What might be Canada's top 10 best alternative cities?


Activity: Create a map of these locations to observe patterns, if any, that appear. Evaluate each location in Europe for its spatial significance. Create a map of Canada, using the same spatial significance, to locate the top 10 alternative cities. How might these cities be advertised to increase awareness of their uniqueness?

Monday 21 March 2016

"Geography is a subject. But also a framework within which you can talk about the future. And what ought to happen," he said during his talk, "Creating Our Future: Sustainable Solutions for Our World." Esri co-founder Jack Dangermond 







Acquire Media

Additional content provided by Acquire Media
Blasts at Costa Rica’s Rincón de la Vieja Volcano Hint at Something Big

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships

Inquiry: How might this activity impact the region? If people have to evacuate where might they go? How might they get there?

Activity: Create a map of the region with data such as plate boundaries, volcanoes, population distribution to determine patterns and make predictions.

Obama lands in Cuba as first US president to visit in nearly a century

 in Havana
Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, 
Interrelationships, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: Why has it been so long between US presidential visits? Why might the US be interested in relations with Cuba?

Activity: Investigate reasons why Cuba might be getting more attention i.e. economic, political, social activities. Locate stakeholders associated with Cuba to determine significance. How might this visit impact Canada?

Friday 11 March 2016

More pain for Canada’s natural gas producers: U.S. drillers ready to pounce and reverse flow northward

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: Why might Canada be importing it's oil?

Activity: Graph the data of oil production and distribution. Map out the spatial significance of where the oil is coming from and going to. Communicate results to the appropriate audience via story map

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Mineral exploration spending expected to plummet this year in Nunavut, Yukon

By Guy Quenneville, CBC News Posted: Mar 09, 2016 7:23 AM CT


Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Patterns and Trends, Interrelationships, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: How might the reduction in spending impact different parts of the North?




Activity: Answer the inquiry question by: Determine the interrelationships of mining and the community/ the environment by mapping the mines locations and other human activities as well as environmental features (Lakes, rivers, wetlands, etc). Communicate to the appropriate audience solutions to this situation.

February continues streak of record low Arctic sea ice extent

By Natasha Vizcarra, National Snow and Ice Data Center

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: How might this pattern of low Arctic Sea ice impact the different interrelationships?

Activity: Create a map to outline the extent of the Arctic sea ice, add other data such as human activity, climate conditions etc. to answer the inquiry questions.

Polar bears migrate north as rising temperatures hasten Arctic ice melt            for the Washington Post

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: How might the migration patterns of the Polar Bears changed? What might be the consequence of such change?

Activity: Create a map to outline migration patterns of Polar bears add other data such as human activity, climate conditions etc. to answer the inquiry questions.

Total eclipse: Indonesia witnesses totality as Sun is blocked by the Moon BBC News


Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance

Inquiry: Why was the eclipse only visible for this portion of the earth? 

Thursday 3 March 2016

True North refugees: Where 25,000 Syrians have settled in Canada

Nick Taylor-Vaisey and Amanda Shendruk March 2, 2016
Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: How might the ideal location for an Syrian refugee family be determined?

Activity: Have a class discussion on the characteristics that should be met to help support Syrian refugee families. Gather Canadian demographic data to map out potential locations. Evaluate the spatial significance of potential locations to determine where new Syrian refugees needs could be best served.

Wednesday 2 March 2016

How access to water changed the lives of these 4 women

This article was written by Morée Scofield, photos contributed by Benjamin Heath and under copyright in support of Water.org.
Concepts of Thinking: Patterns and Trends, Interrelationships, 

Inquiry:  Why isn't water accessibility equitable? How might global access to safe water for all be accomplished?

Activity: Determine the spatial significance that contribute to reduced access to safe water via a spatial journal. Evaluate the different stakeholders views of the issue and devise a plan of action to improve water access.

Five reasons we need to protect the Peace-Athabasca watershed

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: Why might this delta be considered one of the most important features of this region?

Activity: Collect and analyse data of the region. Create a spatial journal to elaborate on the spatial significance of the region. Evaluate any patterns and trends that the research has divulged and make suggestions to sustain the watershed. Create a story map to communicate any suggestions developed.

Untapped loans double Canadian banks oil exposure to $107 billion

Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: How might Canadian Banks play a leading role regarding Climate Change? 

Activity: Investigate where Canadian banks are investing and why. Compare that with other banks activities around the world. Create a spatial journal of banking activity around the world. Analyse the patterns and trends and communicate suggestions.

Refugee crisis: European leaders demand urgent support for Greece

 in London, in Brussels, in Thessaloniki, and  in Calais
Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: How should this crisis be dealt with so it will end for millions of people. Why is not just a Syrian issue?

Activity: Complete an issue analysis of the issue. Create a spatial journal of the stakeholders with demographic data. Devise a potential solutions and communicate via story map for an appropriate audience. 

Tuesday 1 March 2016

Stunning Photos Of Norway's Reindeer Hide A Radioactive Secret

Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Patterns and Trends, Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry: How could radio active fallout still be impacting people and animals 30 years after a nuclear melt down that was more than 1600 km away? What might be some of the reasonable precautions people could take to reduce the impacts of radio active contamination?


Activity:  Create a story map indicating the spatial significance of the disaster and the areas that have been contaminated. Document the results of this contamination, evaluate patterns and trends of the contamination, determine the interrelationship to show cause and effect of the contamination, take into consideration geographic perspective. Communicate suggestions/course of action that could be in place for when/if the next melt down occurs.

CNN Reporting From Cape Breton As Trump-Inspired Spotlight Continues

 |  By The Canadian Press
Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry: Why might some Americans be looking at moving North if Donald Trump is elected as President?

Activity: complete an issue analysis of this event. Determine the best course of action and communicate via story map to the appropriate audience. 

Canada GDP Grew 0.8 Per Cent In Fourth Quarter Of 2015

Concepts of Thinking: Patterns and Trends, Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: How might this growth impact Canadians across the country? 

Activity: Collect data on the growth and decline of Canadian economy. Create graphs and charts to represent the patterns and trends of the economy. Determine what impact spatial significance plays in the Canadian economy by mapping certain events/industries that are improving/declining. What are some observations can be made? What predictions can be made? Could this be a go time to buy a house and where might the best place to buy be?

  Welcome to the great ISRAELI REAL ESTATE EVENT Coming to the USA and Canada  https://realestateisrael.org/ Concepts of Thinking:  Geograp...