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Learn about the high-tech treasure hunting game being played around the world by adventure seekers! Learn more at http://www.geocaching.com Subscribe to this...
Geocaching is great way to get people outdoors, use geospatial technologies and have fun with the whole family.
Tags: GPS, edtech, geospatial, technology, location. Via Seth Dixon No comment yet.
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This is a ridiculous advertisement for State Farm Insurance (a robot seeks to destroy a particular address--but the one that YOU select)...but this uses geospatial technologies and online mapping instruments very well. Low on content, but could be a fun "hook" to start a lesson. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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This provies the basic overview of the layout and function of http://geteach.com . The video unlocks some great features that are not intended to be hidden, but many first time visitors tend to miss.
This is a phenomenal site, designed by an AP teacher to bring geospatial technologies into the classroom in a way that is incredibly user-friendly. This site allows you to use Google Earth with clickable layers. With multiple data layers of physical and human geography variables, this interactive globe puts spatial information in powerful, yet fun, student-inspired platform. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Every city is filled with different neighborhoods, but often, you won’t find these places on any map. They’re word-of-mouth zoning distinctions known only to locals.
How do you define the borders of a neighborhood? This intiguing look at the social media platform FourSquare to mathematically find like-minded individuals that share spatial patterns. Interestingly, the digital map with algorithms lined up with residents mental maps. What types of regions are these? How come? Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Geo-literacy extends far beyond knowing where places are on a map. National Geographic Education has put an emphasis on geoliteracy, which entails spatial thinking skills and understanding systems in addition to content knowledge about locations and places. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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The National Atlas that is available online has an extensive database for simple online mapping. This is "GIS-light," an easy way to explore the spatial patterns within U.S. census data and other data sets. The lists all contain a wide variety of variables, making this a good way to get students to explore potential research topics. Thanks to the Connecticut Geographic Alliance coordinator for suggesting this link. Via Seth Dixon 
Lisa Fonseca's comment,
August 27, 2012 11:10 AM
I think this website is great! I can see myself using this in a classroom. It provides a clear visual for students and anyone in general to view statistics on a variety of content.
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In collecting cartographic materials relating to the events of 9/11, the Library's Geography and Map Division is concentrating on documenting the role maps played in managing the recovery effort.
This page from the Library of Congress, hosted by the Geography and Map Division is a visually rich resources of geospatial images (aerial photography, thermal imagery, LiDAR, etc.) that show the extent of the damage and the physical change to the region that the terrorist attacks brought.
Tags: Mapping, geospatial, remote sensing, historical, terrorism. Via Seth Dixon 
's comment, September 12, 2012 10:19 AM
I found the thermal imaging and the lidar was very interesting, because it provided data and potential threats that rescue workers on the ground might be unaware.
Jesse Gauthier's comment,
September 12, 2012 10:34 AM
These thermal imagery and LIDAR maps are very useful and high-tech for the year 2001. I have not seen maps like this in regards to the landscape of Ground Zero. What an awesome tool that was able to organize a scene like this one that was out of control.
Lisa Fonseca's comment,
September 16, 2012 8:13 PM
These images are very interesting because it provides you with such a clear visual of just how much was effected by the disaster. I wasn't ever able to view the actual 9/11 location after the incident but these maps provide enough detail.
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This is a brief introduction to what geographic information systems are. This is not a tutorial on how to use it, but a conceptual overview on the potential uses and applications for GIS.
Tags: GIS, video, Unit 1 GeoPrinciples, geospatial, mapping and location. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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By moving the slider, the user can compare 1990 false-color Landsat views (left) with recent true-color imagery (right). Humans are increasingly transforming Earth’s surface—through direct activities such as farming, mining, and building, and indirectly by altering its climate. This interactive feature includes 12 places that have experienced significant change since 1990. This is an user-friendly way to compare remote sensing images over time. Pictured above is the Aral Sea, which is and under-the-radar environmental catastrophe in Central Asia that has its roots in the Soviet era's (mis)management policies.
Tags: remote sensing, land use, environment, geospatial, environment modify, esri, unit 1 Geoprinciples, zbestofzbest. Via Seth Dixon
Lisa Fonseca's comment,
October 9, 2012 9:19 PM
On the left side of the ARAL SEA, KAZAKHSTAN photo the landsat view provides a large deep blue beautiful lake but the right side gives the actual size of the lake which seems to be decreasing drastically in size. MOUNT KILIMANJARO photo provides a small view of the snow and ice, which correctly describes scientists theory of snow and ice drastically disappearing. COLUMBIA GLACIER, ALASKA UNITED STATES, the prediction of the left side states glaciers melting would be more drastic then the way it actually is in the visual to the right. GULF OF FONSECA, HONDURAS, the false color view shows more area being used by shrimp farms. COASTAL MALAYSIA, the right side image with the more recent information gives a more visible view of the large oil palm plantations what they should now determine is the possible destruction to the rain forest that should be foreseen. SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA, large parts of land have been converted to cropland. The image of 1990 demonstrates many changes that are evident to see. ISAHAYA BAY, JAPAN, the image to the left doesn't allow the human eye to view any detail, the image to the right provides a view of where the land has been divided into agriculture. MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL, WEST VIRGINIA UNITED STATES, the mountain tops have been altered little by little all mountain tops will have been striped and the area effected will become much much larger then viewed in this image. DONGGUAN, CHINA, wow, this image shows population and industrial increase drastically over time. PALM SPRINGS CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, the image to the right provides a much better descriptive view. LOUDOUN COUNTRY VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, this is another image where the population increase is greatly shown.
Derek Ethier's comment,
October 18, 2012 1:32 AM
The Aral Sea is literally shrinking before our eyes and people are doing very little to stop it. Due to years of poor farming techniques (growing cotton and rice in this dry climate) the Aral Sea is literally being sucked dry by these crops. People can do very little about it because growing these crops represents their well being. It is a Catch 22 situation...
Sam Capron's curator insight,
March 27, 9:43 PM
As I sat in class, and Professor Dixon began to tell us about humans changing the world around them I was not surprised, after all I have heard about how we caused global warming by destroying the ozone layer and we cut down trees ect. However what I was not prepared for was the speed with which we reshape the world. In a span of about 20 years we have destroyed entire ecosystems, and it is to late to do anything about it. The Aral Sea is dead, and it would be very difficult to nearly impossible to fix it now.
On top of all that damage, we also learned in class that the area where sea water used to be, but is now land because of the receding water is so salty and baron that it is wasteland and not fit for any type of use. When that water dries up, there will be none left for the nearby countries to utilize. Delete the scoop?
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Do you want to use GIS but don't have the budgetary support to install expensive software? Don't know where to start? QGIS is a free, open-source GIS that is a nice option for schools operating on a limited budget that still want a full GIS platform.
Here is an excellent set of video screencasts that are an introduction to what GIS is, using the QGIS software: http://linfiniti.com/dla/ . This site also has sample data, tutorials and worksheets.
Another excellent tutorial for novices to GIS is found here: http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/qgis-basics-journalists/ . This tutorial was especially designed for journalists creating maps, and walks you through the installation process as well as some of the basics of the user interface.
Many small city governments without the budget to run proprietary GIS software use QGIS and here is a repository of QGIS resources including blogs, forums, tutorials and user manuals: http://www.townshipgis.org/resources/qgis ; An excellent blog with QGIS tutorials is: http://qgis.spatialthoughts.com/ Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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The National Geographic Education team has produced a fabulous site that has online GIS tools for understanding the environment of the Cheasapeake Bay watershed. Students can upload their data, click on various layers, and use drawing and measuring tools. Other "Fieldscope" projects are available as well at: http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/program/fieldscope/ Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Geographic content, spatial analysis and decision-making skills are vital and this video succinctly explains it's important within our educational system. I know, I'm preaching to the choir, but please share this video to promote geo-literacy. Via Seth Dixon 
Timothy Roth's comment,
August 20, 2012 11:28 AM
there is a picture of a person on a bike and the road splits into two paths... incredible visual... I want that picture!
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I typically would not link to a Wikipedia article, but this one is not only well crafted, but represents an academic collaborative work in its own right. This a fabulous cartographic gallery that explores the history of geographical thought through the ages (as archived in the earliest maps). Enjoy the maps, and even more, the intellectual context that this article provides for each of these images. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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On myHistro you can create advanced geolocated timelines that you can play as presentations. Pin your events, videos and photos to the map and share them with friends and family.
This new resource, myHistro, combines interactive maps with timelines to organize stories, journeys or historical events as the move over time and place. By embedding photos, videos and links this creates an incredibly dynamic platform for telling historical and geographic stories. By combining these features, this is a powerful tool to create customized resources for you students. Pictured above is a sample timeline that shows the spatial and temporal journey of the Olympic torch for the 2012 Games. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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The natural landscapes shown as captured by satellite imagery is as beautiful as anything artists have ever created. Some of the colors shown in the video may seem otherworldy. Most of those color anomalies are due to the fact that remotely sensed images have more information in them than just what we see in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Some of these images are processed to show different bands so we can visually interpret data such as what is in the near infra-red band, skewing the color palette. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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This is a clip from the TV show West Wing (Season 2-Episode 16) where cartography plays a key role in the plot. In this episode the fictitious (but still on Facebook) group named "the Organization of Cartographers for Social Justice" is campaigning to have the President officially endorse the Gall-Peters Projection in schools and denounce the Mercator projection. The argument being that children will grow up thinking some places are not as important because they are minimized by the map projection. While a bit comical, the cartographic debate is quite informative even if it was designed to appear as though the issue was trivial.
Questions to Ponder: Why do map projections matter? Is one global map projection inherently better than the rest?
Tags: Mapping, geospatial, video, visualization. Via Seth Dixon 
Lydia Blevins's comment,
September 13, 2012 6:17 AM
I think it is very important that we start using more accurate maps. In school, the maps we use are so different from how the world actually is. I agree that children will grow up thinking some places are less important because they are minimized by the map projection.
Greg Atkinson's comment,
October 10, 2012 12:31 PM
Great clip. I use it in my WRG class as a comedic introduction to the power of projection.
Mary Patrick Schoettinger's curator insight,
December 18, 2012 3:01 PM
This absolutely the best video clip for SS teachers EVER! Delete the scoop?
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