World Geography: Urban Patterns and Population Issues

Diesel cars' emissions far higher on road than in lab, tests show Peter Walker and Graham Ruddick

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

Inquiry: What might some of the consequences be to these increase levels? Where might these impacts be felt the most?

Activity: Create a map of the regions of the world that have diesel cars on the road. Add to the map air quality data and human patterns. Make some predictions of environmental impacts. Communicate to an appropriate audience via story map.

Turkish Air Strikes Hit PKK Camps In Northern Iraq After Ankara Bombing 

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: How might the bombing impact the ongoing Syrian conflict? 

Activity: Create a map (spatial journal) of the area incorporating the stakeholders and events related to the conflict and complete an issue analysis to help develop an understanding of the conflict. Communicate a potential solution to the appropriate stakeholder via story map.

Report on Syria conflict finds 11.5% of population killed or injured 

Ian Black Middle East editor
Concepts of thinking: Geographic Perspective, Patterns and Trends, Spatial Significane
Inquiry: At what point might it be possible for UN to label this conflict a Genocide?
Activity: Use an issue analysis chart to help develop a solution to this conflict. Map out the Stakeholder, manage the data in a spatial journal to create a visual of the spatial significance of the conflict. Communicate your developed solution in a story map to communicate to the appropriate audience...UN?

Exploring Humanitarian Law (EHL)

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

Activity: Use this resource to meet Geographic curriculum expectations for wide range of  courses. 

Campaign Notebook: Where the local races matter

The Globe and Mail

Published Friday, Oct. 09, 2015 7:14AM EDT

Last updated Friday, Oct. 09, 2015 7:58AM EDT

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance, 

Lesson idea: Follow WHERE THE LEADERS ARE going and create a spatial journal. Input the information into the pop up.

Photo Gallery: New 7 Wonders vs. Ancient 7 Wonders

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective, Patterns and Trends Lesson Idea: Have students create a spacial journal of all the Wonders of the World and make some observations. Ask the questions; What Is Where? Why There?  and Why Care?

Killer whale with dolphin pod off Nova Scotia a rare sight

By Cassie Williams, CBC News Posted: Sep 25, 2015 12:33 PM AT

Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective,

Lesson idea:

Investigate What Is Where? Nova Scotia

Why There?

Why Care?

Why might this be of interest?

EU governments push through divisive deal to share 120,000 refugees

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania vote against decision to impose quotas, 
as lack of consensus threatens to feed resentment

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

Create a spatial journal to determine:
 What Is Where? and discuss Why There?

BBC News Middle EastSyria profile - Timeline15 September 2015Middle East

Concepts of Thinking: Patterns and Trends, Geographic Perspective, Spatial SignificanceCreate a spatial journal/time line of events to help analyse contributing factors (Concepts of Thinking) of this issue to help determine  a possible solution. Aleppo, along with Damascus, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities

Chile's quick response to quake kept death toll down

Speedy, orderly evacuation of more than one million people after Wednesday's 8.3-magnitude earthquake shows how effective early warning systems and disaster-preparedness plans can be.

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

A man sits by fishing boats that were run aground by the sea while berthed in the port of Coquimbo, about 445 kilometres north of Santiago, Chile, during the earthquake Wednesday night.

By: Marina Jimenez Toronto Star, Published on Thu Sep 17 2015

Mississauga mayor leads charge to raise $5M for Syrian refugees

Concepts of Thinking:

Geographic Perspective

Geography definition: What is Where? Why Care? 

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, seen here at the Hershey Centre as Malcolm Turner, President of the NBA Development League, looks on, in June wants to see the city do more for refugees.

Refugee crisis escalates as migrants break through Hungarian border

Clashes with police follow moves by desperate refugees to break through a border gate, as others make their way to Croatia

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

Greek referendum no vote signals huge challenge to eurozone leaders

Victory by Syriza party of 60% to 40% in polarising referendum presents nightmare for eurozone elites, particularly German chancellor Angela Merkel

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance

No vote supporters hold a banner during celebrations in Athens as results begin to indicate a clear victory against eurozone austerity measures Photograph: Alexandros Michailidis/Demotix/Corbis

Poles of Inaccessibility -

the Remotest Places on Earth

http://tinyurl.com/coolstorymap

Barrow, Alaska

The new cold war

http://tinyurl.com/oil-in-the-arctic

Concepts of thinking: Spatial significance, geographic perspective, interrelationships

Uganda: the human story behind gorilla tourism

http://tinyurl.com/batwa-and-tourism

Concepts of thinking: Geographic perspective, interrelationships, spatial significance, patterns and trends

Why might this situation have been allowed to happen to the Batwa? 

An Australian Company Says Its New Extraction Process Could Bring Unlimited Lithium Supplies

“Micas could eclipse all the other resources currently known.”

http://tinyurl.com/New-Extraction

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance, 

Jason Deign , June 1, 2015

Chinese cruise ship sinks in Yangtze River with more than 400 missing – live updates

• 15 people bought to safety including 3 trapped in hull
• Captain and chief engineer detained by police
• Survivor: ship tilted after heavy rain seeped into cabins
• 458 were on board, most tourists aged 50 to 80
• Read the latest summary

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships,

Chinese rescuers stand on the upturned bottom of the capsized cruise ship in the Yangtze River in Jianli county, Photograph: Imaginechina/REX Shu

Human Development Indicators UNHDR

http://hdr.undp.org/en/data/map

This web site is a great resource for comparing countries and their HDR values.

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

This two web page were posted earlier but I thought it would be worth posting again.

Gapminder and Worldmapper are websites that are inter active graphs, maps, and charts. Supporting lessons for Gapminder are also available.

http://www.gapminder.org/downloads/

Concepts of Thinking: Patterns and Trends, Geographic Perspective

http://www.worldmapper.org 




A series of pictures showing some effects of population increase and the stress on the environment that comes with it.

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective

http://tinyurl.com/effects-of-population-increase

NASA: Global Climate Change, Vital Signs of a Plant

This sit has many great visuals that related to so many different aspect of the geography curriculum.  Two are highlighted below.

http://climate.nasa.gov/state_of_flux#Topaz-Solar-Farm-930px-57.jpg

Great slides of Then and Now dealing with Climate Change.

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

http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=4257&button=recent

IMERG Global Precipitation RatesThis visual shows the process of precipitation around the world

Visualizations by Horace Mitchell on February 26, 2015

Concepts of Geographic Perspective: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends

Wind Power Around the World

Here is a great graphic showing the amount of energy generated from wind around the world.

http://tinyurl.com/windenergygraphic

Concepts of Geographic Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends

Suggested use: Have students create a spatial journal using ArcGIS on line.

Roam the World in (Almost) Real Time

It's always summer on Google Earth. But a landmark Mapbox project uses satellite imagery to show the planet as it is now.

Launched Thursday, a landmark project from Mapbox has changed the summertime paradigm for online cartography. Landsat-live reveals the planet's surface in real time and in stunning resolution, fed by a constant stream of public-domain imagery from NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite. Above is an embedded version you can explore.

http://tinyurl.com/realtimemap

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance

Shell oil drilling in Arctic set to get US government permission

Controversial decision expected from US interior secretary likely to spark protests from campaigners against Anglo-Dutch exploration in seas off Alaska

http://tinyurl.com/arcticalaskadrilling

 Geographic Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective 

UN calls for action as global water crisis looms

The UN has warned that the world will soon face a crisis of huge dimensions if water management does not improve. Population growth and climate change are among the factors fueling the problem.

http://www.dw.de/un-calls-for-action-as-global-water-crisis-looms/a-18329395

Concepts of thinking: Geographic Perspective, Pattern

AQUEDUCT  World Resource Institute

http://www.wri.org/applications/maps/agriculturemap/#x=-131.35&y=2.42&l=2&v=home&d=gmia

A great resource for World Issues

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

Home » Maps & Cartography » 6 Amazing Global Agriculture Maps – Farming Visualized

6 Amazing Global Agriculture Maps – Farming Visualized

http://gisgeography.com/agriculture-maps-global-farming/#prettyPhoto

A great resource for World Issues

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends,

The Shocking Truth About What It Would Cost Walmart If It Paid a Living Wage.

In two minutes, economist Robert Reich completely destroys every possible excuse for Walmart’s low wages…

Click on the link: http://tinyurl.com/qaksn92

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

British gold mining firm agrees settlement over deaths of Tanzanian villagers

Acacia Mining – formerly African Barrick Gold – has agreed an undisclosed payout over claims that hired police and security guards killed and injured villagers at its North Mara mine in Tanzania

 Concepts of Thining: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance, Interrelationships, Petterns and Trends

Acacia Mining’s (formerly African Barrick Gold) North Mara mine in Tanzania where villagers were killed and injured at an incident involving police and security guards in 2008. Photograph: Trevor Snapp/Getty Images

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/10/british-gold-mining-settlement-deaths-tanzanian-villagers

Hundreds of migrants feared dead in Mediterranean this week

UN refugee agency estimates 300 people may have died trying to reach Italy from Libya in bad weather

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance, Interrealtionships

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/11/migrants-missing-boats-sink-mediterranean

The Haiti earthquake five years on - then and now

On 12 January 2010, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti with more than 50 aftershocks following over the next 12 days. The disaster left more than 220,000 people dead and over 300,000 injured and resulted in a humanitarian crisis

• Click each image to show the same location, five years on

http://tinyurl.com/Haiti-5-years-ago

Concepts Of Geographic Thinking: Patterns and Trends

Beijing smog makes city unliveable, says mayor

Polluting factories and skyrocketing vehicle ownership blamed as report finds tourism to Chinese city falls 10% on year before

http://tinyurl.com/smog-in-the-city

 

A child wears a face mask while walking along a street in Beijing. Photograph: Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images

Climate change responsible for super-charging winter storms, scientists say

Researchers say heavier storms of recent years such as current blizzard bearing down on US north-east – carry imprints of climate change.

http://tinyurl.com/Climate-Change-Storm

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

White House unveils plan to open Atlantic waters to offshore oil drilling

Move to lease large swaths of ocean along east coast and double down in Gulf of Mexico oddly comes in wake of attacks against right for climate change denial

http://tinyurl.com/Atlantic-Offshore-Drilling

 

This could be a common sight along the Atlantic coast horizon after the Obama administration moved to open a large swath of the Atlantic seaboard to oil drilling. Photograph: Cristobal Garcia/EPA

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Geographic Prespective

US Senate refuses to accept humanity's role in global climate change, again

Senators accept global warming is not a hoax but fail to recognise human activity is to blame, nearly 27 years after scientists laid out man’s role.

http://tinyurl.com/Senates-View-Climate-Change

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships

An Esri activity that deals with the effects of Climate Change can be found by clicking on the link below:

http://edcommunity.esri.com/Resources/Collections/mapping-our-world 

(this site has several good activities for ArcGIS On Line)

Mapping Our World for ArcGIS Online 

Module 3, Lesson 1

Running hot and cold

Todays Front Pages From Around the World

Through a special agreement with more than 2,000 newspapers worldwide, the Newseum displays these front pages each day on its website. The front pages are in their original, unedited form, and some may contain material that is deemed objectionable to some visitors. Discretion is advised. –

See more at: http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/?tfp_display=map

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

Middle East atlas omitting Israel to be pulped following widespread anger

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jan/05/middle-east-atlas-israel-anger

Dr Jane Clements, director of the Council of Christians and Jews, “maps can be a very powerful tool in terms of de-legitimising ‘the other’ and can lead to confusion rather than clarity”,  all atlases to “reflect the official UN position on nations, boundaries and all political features”.

Great for teaching the Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Persepctive, and Spatial Significance

Revealed: how the wealth gap holds back economic growth

OECD report rejects trickle-down economics, noting ‘sizeable and statistically negative impact’ of income inequality

·         Larry Elliott, economic editor, The Guardian, Tuesday 9 December 2014

http://tinyurl.com/widening-poverty-gap

Baseball in the Time of Cholera: http://vimeo.com/45573842

Sundance award-winning doc addressing UN soldiers from Nepal bringing cholera to post-earthquake Haiti (and the UN's subsequent and ongoing denial of wrongdoing and avoidance of blame).

Good for connecting to the following Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships, and Spatial Significance. 

World's Ebola response slow, patchy and inadequate, Médecins sans Frontières says

Medical NGO MSF says response by foreign countries is ill-adapted to tackling the spread of Ebola in west Africa, warning the outbreak is far from over

http://tinyurl.com/World-Response-to-Ebola

This article deals with the following: Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective and Spatial Significance.  Ideal for the World Issues course.

This link is a good source for World Issue topics.  It may have a limited perspective; however, if may start the inquiry process for students.

http://www.lfpress.com/author/gwynne-dyer

This article provides quality information about Ebola and where it is found.  The Concepts of Think that are evident in the article are: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance, and Interrelationships.

http://tinyurl.com/Ebola-Not-All-Over-Africa

Don’t isolate Africa over Ebola, IMF chief urges

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde points to a button saying "Isolate Ebola, Not Countries" as she speaks during a news conference on October 11, 2014. (Reuters)

Polar bear population worldwide

Also read an associated article http://tinyurl.com/Polar-Bears-at-Winnipeg-Zoo

The Globe and Mail

Published Sunday, Nov. 23 2014, 9:50 PM EST

Last updated Sunday, Nov. 23 2014, 9:50 PM EST

An interesting article dealing with the four Concepts of Geographic Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends, and Interrelationships.

http://tinyurl.com/ukraine-protest-one-year-later

Ukraine's Maidan protests - one year on

What happened to the demonstrators who brought down a government and threatened to reignite the cold war? RFE/RL caught up with some on the anniversary of the movement.

Ukrainian anti-government demonstrators pay their respects at a memorial for protesters killed in clashes with police in Independence Square. Photograph: Fabrice Elsner /Sipa/Rex

Iryna Stelmakh and Tom Balmforth in Kiev for RFE/RL

Friday 21 November 2014 13.54 GMT 

Through the link below you have access to many excellent support materials for World Issues course.

 http://www.globalissues.org/issue/137/human-rights-issues 

Human Rights Issues (watch video below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbul3hxYGNU

Author And Page Information

·         by Anup Shah

·         This Page Last Updated Monday, October 07, 2013

·         This page:http://www.globalissues.org/issue/137/human-rights-issues.

·         To print all information e.g. expanded side notes, shows alternative links, use the print version:

·         http://www.globalissues.org/print/issue/137

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights came into existence shortly after the Second World War, reflecting the wishes of people at the time to try and never see such a horror again.

This is a good resource to address the Geographic Concepts of Thinking, particularly Geographic Perspective and Interrelationship, as well as Spatial Significance.

There are plenty of useful links embedded in the document.

Will New Climate Treaty Be a Thriller, or Shaggy Dog Story?

·         by Stephen Leahy (Uxbridge, Canada)

·         Monday, November 17, 2014

·         Inter Press Service

UXBRIDGE, Canada, Nov 17 (IPS) - This December, 195 nations plus the European Union will meet in Lima for two weeks for the crucial U.N. Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, known as COP 20. The hope in Lima is to produce the first complete draft of a new global climate agreement.

http://tinyurl.com/Climate-Convention

A Timely Resource:

Grief’s geography: Mapping 6,160 Torontonians killed in three wars

http://globalnews.ca/news/932833/griefs-geography-mapping-torontonians-killed-three-wars/

Ozone hole layer remains size of North America, Nasa data shows

Antarctic hole in protective layer of gas stands around same level as 2010, 2012 and 2013, but scientists say recovery is on track

·         John Vidal

·          

·         theguardian.com, Friday 31 October 2014 13.33 GMT

This image shows ozone concentrations above Antarctica on 11

September 2014. Photograph: Nasa

 http://tinyurl.com/mrqnmt5 

Displaced Women and Girls: Leaders and Survivors

A scene from the Mugunga IDP camp on the outskirts of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 17 December 2012. Photo: MONUSCO/Sylvain Liecht

Fourteen years since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 in 2000, significant progress has been made on the women, peace and security agenda. There is growing recognition that women’s empowerment is a key ingredient for democracy, stability and lasting peace. Yet, the increased violence, mass displacement and humanitarian catastrophes of the past year have had a detrimental impact on the security of women and children — particularly girls — hindering progress towards achieving peace, security, reconciliation and stability for all. -

See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-peace security#sthash.zOUVHlGk.fImyN9XO.dpuf

Great interactive maps and charts, ideal for Senior Geography classes.

Explore WEC’s unique facts and figures about all aspects of energy and make the most of graphics and charts using our interactive map. 

E.g. Explore our energy resources data: identify national and regional fossil fuel reserves, renewables installed capacity, rank top producing countries and value resources’ potential in countries around the world.

http://www.worldenergy.org/data/

Great visuals.  Wonderful tool for forecasting wind and ocean conditions

http://earth.nullschool.net/

World Bank chief

Jim Kim demands $20bn fund and says ‘we failed miserably’ as cases in Spain and US fuel fear of western pandemic

Ebola: the disease in a day – live coverage

http://tinyurl.com/kgryqck

• Larry Elliott in Washington
• The Guardian, Thursday 9 October 2014

Watch Iceland’s Bardarbunga volcano exploding - video

Spectacular footage shows explosions at Bardarbunga volcanic system in Iceland. The footage was taken using a DJI drone and a GoPro to record activity in the centre of the area's Holuhraun lava field. The Bardarbunga volcano has been steadily emitting lava for the last month and the eruption could last for up to a year

http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/oct/05/watch-icelands-bardarbunga-volcano-exploding-video

Carbon map – which countries are responsible for climate change?

As heads of state from David Cameron to Barack Obama meet in New York for a UN climate summit hosted by Ban Ki-moon, expectations are high for bold commitments on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Use this interactive, in-depth map to find out who the big polluters are internationally, how China’s emissions have grown stratospherically and see who is most vulnerable to global warming’s impacts. Turn your sound up to hear the introduction to the map

·         theguardian.com, Tuesday 23 September 2014 05.00 BST

Click on the Link below for the interactive map.

http://tinyurl.com/o82djl3

By: Jennifer Yang Global health reporter, Published on Thu Sep 18 2014

Ebola a ‘threat to international peace and security,’ UN Security Council declares

The UN Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to declare Ebola a “threat to international peace and security.”  http://tinyurl.com/pwgw8er

By: Paul Watson Star Columnist, Published on Sun Sep 14 2014

For oil-rich Norway, it’s not easy being green

While a source of pride and profit for Norwegians, many see state oil company, Statoil, as embarrassment because it’s working in Alberta's oil sands.  http://tinyurl.com/qalx5az

From the Council of Canadians: 

Animated video highlights Energy East threats to Canadian waterways and climate

The link below is an interesting video of some possible problems of new pipeline development in Canada.

http://www.canadians.org/media/animated-video-highlights-energy-east-threats-canadian-waterways-and-climate

National Geographic, Mapmaker Interactive.
The tool has pre-made layers that can be added to a base map to be edited, printed, and saved.  The platform is very similar to ArcGIS On Line so it works as a nice transitional tool.  Mapmaker Interactive is very useful for starting the discussion What is Where? Why There? Why Care?  This tool is ideal for all levels of Geography.

http://mapmaker.education.nationalgeographic.com/ 

Canada’s oil sands

The Economist Sep 6th 2014

The steam from below

New technologies are being used to extract bitumen from oil sands

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21615488-new-technologies-are-being-used-extract-bitumen-oil-sands-steam?zid=305&ah=417bd5664dc76da5d98af4f7a640fd8a

INFOGRAPHIC: Worldwide 1/3 of food is wasted - see how!

No single research institution working alone can address the critically important issues of global climate change, agriculture and food security. The CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) will address the increasing challenge of global warming and declining food security on agricultural practices, policies and measures through a strategic collaboration between CGIAR and Future Earth.

http://ccafs.cgiar.org/bigfacts2014/#comparison=food-waste

How Wolves Can Alter the Course of Rivers- Video

When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable "trophic cascade" occurred. What is a trophic cascade and how exactly do wolves change rivers? George Monbiot explains in this movie remix titled, 'How Wolves Change Rivers'.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/wolves-alter-course-rivers-162607632.html

How much bigger can container ships get?

The world's cargo ships are getting big, really big. No surprise, perhaps, given the volume of goods produced in Asia and consumed in Europe and the US. But are these giant symbols of the world's trade imbalance growing beyond all reason?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21432226