Dimitra has added an assignment to the Environmental Folder, in the Teacher Sharing folder, on the right, for the contest gr.12 Environment and Resource Management class. Thanks Dimitra Environmental Defence has a program for youth called YRE Canada (YRE stands for Young Reporters for the Environment). For the program, students use writing, video or photography to find solutions to environmental problems in their community. The students can also submit their work into a national competition. You can see some of last year’s winners here: http://environmentaldefence.ca/2014-canadas-next-green-journalist-winners YRE Canada is part of an international program by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) (http://www.fee-international.org/en). This year, FEE is launching a pilot project with five countries: Canada, France, Israel, New Zealand and Romania. We’re looking for Canadian high school teachers who might want to be involved with this pilot project. For the pilot, Environmental Defence would provide you with free training to run the Young Reporters for the Environment program in your classroom. Your students would also have the opportunity to collaborate with students from one of the other countries involved in the pilot project. Look forward to hearing from you and I hope you are having a great school year so far! Sincerely,

Suzanne Karajaberlian

Managing Director,

116 Spadina Avenue, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2K6
Tel: 416.323.9521 x226 | Cell: 416.786.4870 | Toll Free: 1.877.399.2333 | Fax: 416.323.9301
web: environmentaldefence.ca | twitter: @envirodefence | facebook: EnvironmentalDefenceCanada

We are Canada's most effective environmental action organization. We challenge, and inspire change in government, business and people to ensure a greener, healthier and prosperous life for all.

Environmental Defence is 30! To kick off our anniversary year, check out this special blog and this video about our dedicated team.

Amazing Maps

Some amazing maps can be found by clicking on the following link:

https://twitter.com/Amazing_Maps

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

Up Dating Computer Labs to Run ArcGIS Desektop

For more information on ArcGIS for Desktop 10.1, please refer to the link for the system requirements below:

http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/system-requirements/10.1/index.html#//015100000002000000

Subject: Space Is Limited: National Geographic Photo Seminar in Toronto—Register Now!

Get insider tips from top National Geographic photographers—Hurry, space is limited! View in Web browser. Creative Travel Photography New Photography Seminar Great travel photography requires a command of many skills—from close-up portraits, candid shots, and street photography to landscapes, nature, and more. National Geographic photographers Nevada Wier and Dan Westergren will take you on a visual journey that shows you how to improve your travel photos, while you develop an eye for composition and a feel for being in the right place at the right time. Sunday, October 12 Victoria University in the University of Toronto Toronto, ON, Canada 9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. $195 per person Includes lunch Act Now! Award-winning photographer Nevada Wier explores the world on assignment for National Geographic and dozens of other publications. She specializes in documenting the remote corners of the globe and the cultures that inhabit them. Nevada's journeys have taken her to places throughout Southeast Asia, India, China, Nepal, Africa, Mongolia, and South America, just to name a few. As director of photography for National Geographic Traveler, Dan Westergren is responsible for the magazine’s award-winning photographic vision. He is also an experienced teacher, having led workshops for National Geographic all over the world. nationalgeographic.com/ngtseminars Contact Us | Privacy Policy | About Us | Customer Service National Geographic | 1145 17th Street N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 Copyright © 2014 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.

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 Forest week, September 21st-27th. 

A way to bring the forest to the class.

Forestry in the Classroom takes place during National Forest Week each year (the last week of September). 

http://www.focusonforests.ca/about/index.php/forestryinclassroom

GIS Portal access for TDSB teachers.  Please follow the link below.

https://aw.tdsb.on.ca/tabid/41788/g/posts/t/1638/Access-to-the-GIS-Portal.aspx

Geospatial Revolution

This is a great video, published by Penn State, to help create some excitement about Geospatial Technologies, GIS in action.  The trailer is ideal for an introduction.

http://geospatialrevolution.psu.edu/

Mapping Skills

Map skills and higher-order thinking

By David Walbert

The sheer quantity of maps the internet makes available is great for educators, because we can easily find visual resources to accompany lessons in science and social studies. But it also presents us with a new challenge, because it’s now more important than ever that students develop map-reading skills. And those skills are more complicated than most educators realize.
This series of articles looks at map skills as a kind of visual literacy, considering what maps are, how they’re made, and the higher-order thinking skills students need to move from simply decoding maps to fully comprehending them.
(Photo credit: laurenmarek/Flickr.)

Get started: Table of Contents

NatGeo Mapmaker Interactive

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/