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Linking geographic concepts to human and environmental issues
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Elisha Upton
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Rescooped by Elisha Upton from Geography Education onto The Geography Classroom |
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Peter Menzel's beautiful photography and our Hungry Planet...
This video is a fascinating portal into global food systems and how globalization is impacting local foods. He traveled around the world to see what families eat in a given week, and how much all the food cost and where it can from. Many wealthy countries exhibit poor nutritional habits (eating food high in fat, sugar and salt) while some in poorer people have a very balanced diet. This leads him to describe the 'Nutritional Transition.' Warning before showing in class: there are brief instances of non-sexualized nudity in the video. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Coldplay's haunting classic 'The Scientist' is performed by country music legend Willie Nelson for the soundtrack of the short film entitled, "Back to the St...
Sure this is an animated commercial for Chipotle Grill, but this perfectly encapsulates the beliefs, values and ethics that underscore the organic farming movement. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Read more from Slate’s special issue on the future of food. Which counties, states, and countries have the biggest stake in food and its future? Look to these three maps to find out.
Where do most farmers live? Which countries feed the world? Which states produce the highest crop value per capita? This series of interactive maps with data at a variety of scales will allow students to explore these questions. What to understand the spatial patterns of food production and the geographic factors behind agricultural variation? They are ripe for the picking. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Bolivian and Peruvian farmers sell entire crop to meet rising western demand, sparking fears of malnutrition Via Seth Dixon 
Seth Dixon's curator insight,
January 22, 10:33 AM
Quinoa was once a traditional Andean grain that few outside of South America consumed, but it has quickly become a staple among the health-conscious in developed countries in recent years. Dieticians and nutritional experts give it their seal of approval because it is a low-fat starch that is high in protein and filled with amino acids. This rapid adoption of quinoa in high-priced whole food stores has changed the economics of quinoa dramatically. Peruvian and Bolivian farmers are selling at high prices with huge global demand. Local consumers who have traditionally relied on this crop however, now have to pay triple the price to eat quinoa, causing some to question the ethics of quinoa consumption. A simple change in cultural eating habits in one part of the world can have some major impacts on the economy and agriculture of another region. Tags: food, agriculture, South America, consumption, unit 5 agriculture. 
Jen-ai's curator insight,
January 24, 2:14 PM
Your love of this favorite gluten free grain might be jeapordizing the health of the Andina farmers who grow it. Delete the scoop?
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Why are some communities more vulnerable to hunger and famine? There are many reasons, which together add up to food insecurity, the world's no.1 health risk...
Excellent summary of the geographic factors that lead to food insecurity and hunger and the main ways NGO's are trying to combat the issues. This is an incredibly complex problem that, at it's heart, is a geographic issue that can challenge student to synthesize information and make the connections between topics. Via Seth Dixon 
Lisa Fonseca's comment,
December 5, 2011 1:02 AM
This is a incredible clip that does challenge students to synthesize information and make the connections between topics, but it can also help students to realize making a difference at a early age is important. I learned an abundance of facts just from watching, it was informative and intriguing. As I was watching the video I was thinking of ways it can be incorporated into the classroom. This video could get students to learn about the world's number one health risk. Incorporating it into the classroom by holding a food drive, or having a school wide fundraiser to donate to the British Red Cross is also another way to help. Getting our future minds informed and helping the community will make an impact in the future.
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A short film showing the work of FARM-Africa's Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) in Uganda. The National Farmers Union (NFU) is working with FARM...
The Green Revolution is (belatedly) impacting Africa. Notice the cultural environment within which agriculture takes place here. What are the gendered differences in the production of food? What impact does that have on society? Via Seth Dixon 
Matt Mallinson's comment,
November 5, 2012 2:29 PM
Wow not just the men in the video are working this hard, but women and children as well. It makes you think how much we have as Americans and how much we take everything for granted. These African people are tough, they have to do so much more to survive than we do.
Elizabeth Allen's comment,
November 7, 2012 10:46 AM
This video helps us to see the innovative ways African farmers use Cassava. Cassava is a market crop that many African people are dependent on. They know in order to achieve an income from the crop they need to market it in different varieties, for example- to turn it in to flour. Cassava is labor intensive crop that can take up to a year to be at it's full potential, but the people, women and children included, know that they need to tend to the crop in every stage to insure its success. With the income from the crop, families are able to send their children to school.
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Although slavery is no longer legal there are still millions of people living in slavery today. One place and industry where slaves still exist is the cocoa ...
The world's leading producer of cocoa is Côte d'Ivoire and dirty secret is that slavery is commonplace on cocoa plantations in West Africa. Children are smuggled from countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and then are placed on remote, isolated plantations. While statistics are all guesstimates, this video is purporting that 35% of the world's chocolate is produced by slave labor (I've seen higher estimates). What factors lead to this horrific condition? How is this a geographic issue? Via Seth Dixon 
Arlis Groves's comment,
February 28, 2012 12:09 AM
Thanks, Seth. I ordered this DVD last year but can't find it just now, so I'm glad you posted it. A colleague used it as part of a human rights unit in her AVID class which culminated in a socratic seminar. The discussion was thoughtful and informed.
Arlis Groves's comment,
February 28, 2012 12:11 AM
Ah, I mean Karen. I see that my direct rescoop it from your site. Thanks. Arlis
ethne staniland's curator insight,
May 16, 11:58 AM
Not so much for the children but interesting none the less. Delete the scoop?
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This Oregon-based infographic succinctly summarizes the local food movement and taps into the cultural ethos that permeates the growing number of consumers that are demanding more home-grown products. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Mac steel's comment,
March 8, 10:24 AM
With improving food our population will continue to grow at a rapid pace
Mac steel's comment,
March 8, 10:24 AM
With improving food our population will continue to grow at a rapid pace
Mercor's curator insight,
March 21, 6:18 AM
Rescooped by Allison Anthony from AP Human Geography Herm Delete the scoop?
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Dawn Haas Tache's curator insight,
January 8, 1:15 PM
Since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Kurds have been caught in other people's plans for what the states of the Middle East should look like and are the largest 'stateless nation' in the world. Divided between Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey, the Kurds have not been able to politically mobilize support for Kurdistan as they have been violently oppressed in these countries. The Kurds in Iraq have been able to gain political autonomy with the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, and the Syrian Kurds are hoping to do the same if and when the Assad regime crumbles at the end of the civil war. This make Turkey concerned that the Kurds in the southeastern part of Turkey will make renewed efforts to push for sovereignty. UPDATE: This PBS feature explains the historic timeline of the important political events for the Kurds in Iraq.This article from the Economist focuses on the key reason that outside forces won't leave the Kurds alone: oil.
Tags: Syria, ethnic, conflict, political, Turkey, culture, devolution. Delete the scoop?
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While the terms country, state, and nation are often used interchangeably, there is a difference.
A straightforward explanation of important vocabulary terms for a political geography unit. Via Seth Dixon 
Don Brown Jr's comment,
July 16, 2012 10:07 PM
Do you think current maps contribute to the issue of using the terms country, state and nation interchangeably as they do not visually distinguish the differences between them?
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In between taking care of their families, working and trying to keep up with everyday life, many Americans have caught at least a couple stories about Syria.
Geopolitical strategists have noted 6 reasons why the United States should care about Syria (if the fact that people are dying and suffering because of a repressive regime is not enough for you). 1) it is the physical core of the Middle East 2) Al Qaeda 3)Iran 4)Oil Prices 5) Economics and 6) Global reputation within the region. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Across Africa, a continent where the average age is about 19, protests have flared against leaders who may have outstayed their welcome.
This interactive mapping feature compares two distinct data sets in an attempt to show that the two are correlated on the continent of Africa. The base layer of this thematic map is demographic, noting how much of the overall population in a given country is under the age of 16. The interactive feature with point data describes the political unrest or instability in that particular country.
Questions to ponder: Does the cartographer 'convince' you that Africa's having a very young (globally speaking) demographic cohort led towards greater political instability? Are there other factors worth considering? What does this map and it's embedded data tell us?
Tags: Africa, political, conflict, unit 4 political, states, governance, population, demographics, unit 2 population. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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A short film showing the work of FARM-Africa's Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) in Uganda. The National Farmers Union (NFU) is working with FARM...
The Green Revolution is (belatedly) impacting Africa. Notice the cultural environment within which agriculture takes place here. What are the gendered differences in the production of food? What impact does that have on society? Via Seth Dixon
Matt Mallinson's comment,
November 5, 2012 2:29 PM
Wow not just the men in the video are working this hard, but women and children as well. It makes you think how much we have as Americans and how much we take everything for granted. These African people are tough, they have to do so much more to survive than we do.
Elizabeth Allen's comment,
November 7, 2012 10:46 AM
This video helps us to see the innovative ways African farmers use Cassava. Cassava is a market crop that many African people are dependent on. They know in order to achieve an income from the crop they need to market it in different varieties, for example- to turn it in to flour. Cassava is labor intensive crop that can take up to a year to be at it's full potential, but the people, women and children included, know that they need to tend to the crop in every stage to insure its success. With the income from the crop, families are able to send their children to school.
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Although slavery is no longer legal there are still millions of people living in slavery today. One place and industry where slaves still exist is the cocoa ...
The world's leading producer of cocoa is Côte d'Ivoire and dirty secret is that slavery is commonplace on cocoa plantations in West Africa. Children are smuggled from countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and then are placed on remote, isolated plantations. While statistics are all guesstimates, this video is purporting that 35% of the world's chocolate is produced by slave labor (I've seen higher estimates). What factors lead to this horrific condition? How is this a geographic issue? Via Seth Dixon
Arlis Groves's comment,
February 28, 2012 12:09 AM
Thanks, Seth. I ordered this DVD last year but can't find it just now, so I'm glad you posted it. A colleague used it as part of a human rights unit in her AVID class which culminated in a socratic seminar. The discussion was thoughtful and informed.
Arlis Groves's comment,
February 28, 2012 12:11 AM
Ah, I mean Karen. I see that my direct rescoop it from your site. Thanks. Arlis
ethne staniland's curator insight,
May 16, 11:58 AM
Not so much for the children but interesting none the less. Delete the scoop?
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Urban Agriculture Sprouts in Brazil’s Favelas - Organic agriculture is a growing trend in big cities around the world, including Latin America, and no...
This article nicely ties two commonly taught issues in human geography that aren't the the typical combination: 1) the growth of organic farming and 2) the spread of squatter settlements and slums in the developing world.
Tags: agriculture, food, urban, unit 5 agriculture, unit 7 cities. Via Seth Dixon 
Mr. Rodrigues's comment,
September 30, 2012 7:35 PM
It's important to give the impoverished residents of the favelas a resource that can feed them as well as provide a modest secondary income stream. Also of importance is that they are educating these urban farmers in the methods of organic production - in a dense urban sprawl like the favelas, the last thing you'd want to do is poullute the already meager supply of clean water with potentially carcinogenic pestise
Matt Mallinson's comment,
September 30, 2012 8:31 PM
I think this is an awesome idea. It shows that good things can come from places like these favelas, I'm guessing these organic foods are much healthier than what citizens are used to eating too.
Joshua Choiniere's comment,
September 30, 2012 9:12 PM
I found this to be a possitive aspect that can help the people in the favellas. They are growing their own food from their own homes and it allows them to have food and saftey because they dont have to worry about going somewhere far off to farm.
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"The tiny black-eyed pea is about to wage battle in Malawi. The small country in southeast Africa is the site of a project to help with food security, nutrition and income. Western University researchers are among those who will work with 30,000 farmers to help diversify crops into protein-rich legumes, such as the black-eyed pea, a popular type of cow pea in Malawi." Via Seth Dixon
Seth Dixon's curator insight,
March 14, 3:17 PM
Tags: food, agriculture, Africa, Malawi, unit 5 agriculture.
Seth Dixon's comment,
March 15, 8:44 PM
A good friend of mine is currently working for USAID in Malawi. This is what he had to say: I think crop diversification is really important here in Malawi. Most farmers have a heavy reliance on maize,which results in reduced hunger but there continues to be persistent malnutrition among children as their diets consist of mostly maize.Almost everyone here grows maize, you might be a school teacher or a health worker, but you are also most likely growing maize as well. Farmers are very risk averse here, so introducing a new crop takes time, finding the few willing to experiment and then using them to show their neighbors of the benefits. Other organizations are working on crop diversification here in Malawi, the US government, Catholic Relief Services, and other international development partners. Although not spelled out in the article, the majority of farmers are actually women, and agricultural production is typically for household subsistence with minimal cash cropping. As crop diversification increases, cash crops will provide more resources for families to pay for education and health for their families, but probably more importantly families will start diversifying their nutritional intake beyond maize. In a country where 42% of under 5 children are stunted, this will be a positive development. My wife was just out in the South of the country with CRS and was seeing some of the work that they are doing towards crop diversification as a result of USAID funding. She was really impressed to see how different vulnerable groups have been targeted by similar programs. She was able to see changes in rural villages in very insecure food zones. She saw how those lead farmers, willing to adopt new techniques or diversify crops, plant cash crops, etc, are reaping the benefits. Their neighbors are seeing it in action and are now adopting the techniques. It is not an immediate adoption, you have to give it time. These people are very risk averse, when set backs aren't just an inconvenience, but translate into starvation, it is understandable why it takes time. It also makes it more impressive when you find those willing to take the risks and try to set aside some land for a new crop. I am sure my agricultural colleagues would have more sophisticated answers but just some of my personal thoughts/observations."
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This photoessay puts together a diverse set of issues that are interconnected. Industrial agriculture and metropolitan pollution; rising energy prices to sustain consumptive lifestyles with environmental degradation linked to oil spills; regions susceptible to climate change and regions producing that change...thought-provoking. Via Seth Dixon 
Daniella Tran's comment,
February 21, 11:03 PM
I had always known that the amount of humans on this planet was way too much, but i had never realized that our daily consumption of all these resources can result in the issues that are shown in these pictures. These pictures show areas that are highly polluted and it is overwhelming to think that the beautiful earth that we live in is filled with images like that. The number of factors that affect our environment is countless, especially with the growing figures of pollution, waste, use of natural resources and food production. The photo that stood out to me the most from this collection, is the one where the polar bear had to resort to eating a polar bear cub. It is difficult to think that the polar bear did that act as a sign of desperation because of the lack of food affected by the changing environment.
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Coldplay's haunting classic 'The Scientist' is performed by country music legend Willie Nelson for the soundtrack of the short film entitled, "Back to the St...
Sure this is an animated commercial for Chipotle Grill, but this perfectly encapsulates the beliefs, values and ethics that underscore the organic farming movement. Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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This photoblog will also link you to a full article and video that explains how the American pork industry is supplying China's demand for protein as globalization forces (among others) has led the Chinese consumers to eat 10% more meat than they did just 5 years ago. WHat impact will this have on American agriculture? How to we explain fo the rise in meat demand in China? Via Seth Dixon 
Adrian Bahan (MNPS)'s curator insight,
March 7, 8:28 PM
Read the linked article. How is China dealing with its increasing appitite for meat? Delete the scoop?
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What's on family dinner tables around the globe? Photographs by Peter Menzel from the book "Hungry Planet" Via Seth Dixon 
John Peterson's comment,
April 30, 10:38 AM
This collection of slides does a very good job of showing their very different diets that are present in different areas of the world. While the price of food is obviously going to be different throughout the world, it is very interesting to see he very different types of food that are consumed by different groups of people. In different areas of the world, there is more emphasis on different types of food. In some places for example they may eat a lot of fruit while in others they may eat a lot of beans or bread. The different amounts that these foods are eaten are tied into both the economic and social aspects of these different cultures. This is because in each area, different things are going to be more affordable and available, as well as being more traditionally eaten. There can also be a difference in the percentage of homemade food in a weekly diet in different areas of the world. While some areas will not have any fast food places or restaurants readily available, others will and will often use these locations which will drastically change their diet habits.
Jess Pitrone's comment,
May 5, 5:47 PM
These photos are very interesting, in the way it’s interesting to explore someone else’s house the first time you visit. Looking to see the differences in what people around the world eat, but also how much people around the world eat is fascinating. The fact that the family in Chad eat about one quarter of what most families around the world eat is really telling. What a family eats in week reveals a lot about both their culture, their economy, and their geographic location. It’s no surprise that the people in Japan eat a lot of fish, because they’re an island country; and it wasn’t surprising to see so much bread on the table of the Italian family, because bread is such a large part of the Italian culture. What I did find absolutely fascinating is that most of the families had a bottle of Coca-Cola on their table, which just goes to show you how interconnected our global community is.
Jess Pitrone's comment,
May 5, 5:47 PM
These photos are very interesting, in the way it’s interesting to explore someone else’s house the first time you visit. Looking to see the differences in what people around the world eat, but also how much people around the world eat is fascinating. The fact that the family in Chad eat about one quarter of what most families around the world eat is really telling. What a family eats in week reveals a lot about both their culture, their economy, and their geographic location. It’s no surprise that the people in Japan eat a lot of fish, because they’re an island country; and it wasn’t surprising to see so much bread on the table of the Italian family, because bread is such a large part of the Italian culture. What I did find absolutely fascinating is that most of the families had a bottle of Coca-Cola on their table, which just goes to show you how interconnected our global community is.
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Lesser consumption of animal products is necessary to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change, UN report says Via Geography Teachers' Association of Victoria Inc. (GTAV) 
Geography Teachers' Association of Victoria Inc. (GTAV)'s curator insight,
February 4, 6:23 PM
CD - The challenges to food security in Australia and the world, including land and water degradation, shortagte of fresh water, competing land uses and climate change.
Article from The Guardian, UK 02/06/2010 Delete the scoop?
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Which countries/regions struggle the most with corruption in their political institutions? Which countries/regions struggle with development? Why does corruption seem to be correlated with development? Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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Via Seth Dixon
Elizabeth Allen's comment,
October 14, 2012 3:02 PM
Great, quick way to get it straight regarding the UK and England
chris tobin's comment,
March 22, 4:43 PM
Very clarifying information.......narrator really speaks quickly, like he just drank 5 pots of coffee and has to catch a plane or something...The You Tube Video 'Coffee The Greatest Addiction Ever' pops up next to his video
chris tobin's comment,
March 22, 4:43 PM
Very clarifying information.......narrator really speaks quickly, like he just drank 5 pots of coffee and has to catch a plane or something...The You Tube Video 'Coffee The Greatest Addiction Ever' pops up next to his video
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The Choices Program asks Brown University's Political Scientist Melani Cammett to briefly explain the Arab Spring. This is a great primer to teach young students who don't follow international news to understand the beginnings of the Arab Spring. For more videos by the Choices Program in their "Scholars Online" series, see: http://www.choices.edu/resources/scholarsonline.php Via Seth Dixon Delete the scoop?
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