Don't forget to track Santa with NORAD.

G.I.S. and G.P.S. in Action. This is Geography at work.

Donald Trump plans to pull American troops out of Syria The Economist

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

Inquiry: How will communities in the region be impacted by the Americans decision to withdraw troops from Syria?

Activity: Gather information on the stakeholders in this conflict. Conduct an issue analysis to better understand the positions of the stakeholders. Create a spatial journal of the stakeholders and the land they occupy. Make predictions that might happen as a result of this withdraw and develop a plan to might minimize the impact on communities as a result of the withdrawal. Communicate your results via story map and communicate to the appropriate audience.

Canada is a tinderbox for populism.

by Frank Graves & Michael Valpy

Dec 3, 201

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

Inquiry: How might populism impact Canadian communities? 

Activity: Collect data on current issues in Canada and conduct an issue analysis to determine how people and the parties alien with them. Gather information on what leaders are saying to determine if they are solving the problem or saying what people want to hear. Create a spatial journal identifying where the issues are and add to it what is being said observe for patterns and trends. Create a story map to communicate your finds following the geographic definition: What is where? Why there? Why care? and What next?

Canada's must assert sovereignty over the Arctic while there's still time 

National Post, November 2, 2017

Senator Dennis Patterson: As has been the case throughout history, sovereignty often relies on the realpolitik principle of “use or lose it"

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships

Inquiry: How might Canada maintain sovereignty of the Arctic?

Activity: Conduct research on the Laws of the Sea to determine a baseline understanding of land/sea rights. Conduct an issue analysis of the countries and communities in the region. Create a spatial journal to help develop plan of action and communicate via story map to an appropriate audience.

Indonesia Has Declared a State of Emergency as Borneo Oil Spill Spreads TIME

Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: What is required to ensure events like this do not happen in the future? Who might be responsible for this event and how might they be held accountable? What might accountability look like in this event?

Activity: Gather data on the spill and and create a spatial journal of the event. Conduct an issue analysis to develop a structure of responsibility. Create an action plan to deal with the situation and create a story map to communicate your results. 

If we don’t protect the ocean, humanitarian disaster awaits

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships

Inquiry: What might be need to engage stakeholders enough to take action on this issue that will evoke real change?

Activity: Gather resources regarding ocean/water pollution. Create a spatial journal of regions and industries that contribute the most to this global problem. Conduct an issue analysis to evaluate stakeholders positions and develop a plan of action that may solve the problem. Create a story map to convey the potential solution.

Ukraine demands Russia release seized ships as tensions build The Associated Press · Posted: Nov 26, 2018 

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

Inquiry: Why might Russia want to stop Ukraine ships in international waters?  How should the rest of the World react to the Russian aggressions?

Activity: Gather information of the region. Conduct an issue analysis to better understand the stakeholders in this issue. Produce a spatial journal to locate contributing events. Develop a plan of action and communicate it to an appropriate audience via story map.