UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2015

Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry Questions: From a graphic perspective, why was this situation aloud to develop?  How can countries of the world contribute to rectifying this situation?

Concept of Thinking: Spatial Significance,
Patterns and Trends

Inquiry Questions: What is the spatial significance of the countries in crisis? How might this pattern of countries in crisis change over time?

Gather and Organize: what other information that might be needed to solve this situation



Activity Idea: Create a spatial journal (digital or black-line master) using the charts in the report to create layers. Look for patterns and trends of countries and the amount of funds provided. Create a layer to indicate the reason why the children are in crisis eg. conflict, environmental, political, economic, or a combination. Add in other information i.e. population size, GDP etc to determine if there is any correlation to the funding. How does the type of crisis or the spatial significance impact the funding?

Digital Cartography [121]

This website has several interactive maps on Refugees. The home page will give access to hundreds of interactive maps on a wide variety of topics. This is an ideal tool for Spatial Significance and Patterns and Trends. The other Geographic Concepts of Thinking can be drawn out as well. 

Many Inquiry questions can be developed from the wide variety of maps.

 Activity idea: Have students pick one of the interactive maps and use it to discus the topic.

NASA Examines Global Impacts of the 2015 El Niño Credits: NASA

 

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

Inquiry Questions: How does El Nino impact the interrelationship between humans and the environment? How does spatial significance contribute to the impacts of El Nino? How might patterns and trends of this environmental event be used to reduce its impacts?

Activity idea: Have students gather and organize data on El Nino to develop ideas into how to reduce its impacts on vulnerable communities around the world.

African demography

The young continent

With fertility rates falling more slowly than anywhere else, Africa faces a population explosion Dec 12th 2015 | MERTULE MARIAM, ETHIOPIA |

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

Inquiry Questions:  How might the population change impact the geographic perspective? How is the spatial significance of Africa impacting the population trends? How might the patterns and trends of the population of the continent of Africa impact different societies? How might population growth rate compare in different parts of the continent? What is spatial significant about the regions that are growing fast, regions that are growing slowly? 

Six graphics that explain climate change

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

Inquiry Questions: What is the problem with Climate Change (What Is Where?)? What is the spatial significance of locations impacted the most by Climate Change (What Is Where?)? Why is Climate Change happening (Why Care?)? From a geographic perspective, what are the effects of Climate Change in my community? Looking at patterns and trends, what will the future look like as a result of Climate Change? What are possible solutions to the Climate Change problem ?

Typhoon Nona paralyses central Philippines

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

Inquiry Questions: How does spatial significance contribute to the power and destruction of the Typhoon? How could buildings be built to withstand such Typhoons (Interrelationships)? How can people prepare for Typhoons to help reduce the risk/damage?

Activity Idea: Have students use ArcGIS Online  or black-line master to create a spatial journal of the Typhoons that have hit this area over the past 10 years. Are there an Patterns that can be observed? How can you account for this pattern?

Tom Tobler (MetDesk) Wednesday 16 December 201521.30 GMT

Hyeon Soo Lim: Canadian pastor given life sentence in North Korea

Staff and agencies in Pyongyang

Wednesday 16 December 201504.23 GMT

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationship
Inquiry Questions: Why might someone be imprisoned for conducting business, something that they had been doing legitimately for a long time? What might be a consequence of the Canadian Government getting involved? How could such action be justified in Canada? What other information might be need to solve this problem?

Related material: Pastor Hyeon Soo Lim believes he wasn't executed or tortured in North Korea because of Canadian citizenship

Canada's Most Expensive Places To Buy A Home Illustrated In 1 Infographic

The Huffington Post Canada  |  By Jesse Ferreras

Posted: 12/11/2015 9:05 am EST Updated: 12/11/2015 1:59 pm EST

                                                                                               

Concepts of Thing: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends 

Inquiry Questions: What spatial significance might account for such a variation in housing prices in Canada? How might housing price change in the future if current trends continue?  Are there any factors that might contribute to a change ion patterns and trends observed?

dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends
Have students evaluate the different stakeholders to determine the Geographic Perspective on the issue. Have students analyse the Patterns and Trends of the Climate Change to make prediction regarding the Paris Accord 2015.

Population Matters

 http://www.populationmatters.org/

This website can be a good resource for the World Issues course as it incorporates the Geographic Concepts of Thinking. Students could easily map out locations relating to an issue to start to determine Spatial Significance, look at Patterns and Trends, evaluate the Geographic Perspective, and outline Interrelationships of an issue.

In post-OPEC world, companies look outside Alberta to greener pastures

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

Inquiry question: How might geographic perspective impact Alberta oil consumption? How will view of Alberta oil impact its pattern of production and distribution of oil? How might the Alberta government protect it's economic interests from current global oil consumption patterns and trends?

Claudia Cattaneo | December 9, 2015 2:28 PM ET

Why Boat Refugees Don't Fly! - Factpod #16

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

Ideal for the World Issues Course.
Inquiry Question: How can the EU directive 2001/51/EC? Where does the responsibility lie regarding the deaths of refugees that result from water crossings? Why hasn't there been a drop in refugees attempting to flee the crisis by crossing dangerous water ways?

Published on Apr 22, 2015

This shows you why the refugees crossing the mediterranean by boat, can't just fly to Europe

Where Are the Syrian Refugees? - Factpod #17

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

Ideal for the World Issues course.
Inquiry Questions: What might governments do to allow increased Syrian refugees into the EU and other parts of the World?








Gapminder Foundation

Published on Jun 9, 2015

After the tragic crisis in Syria, more than half of all Syrians have left their homes. Where are they?

Pre-Columbian sites in Latin America: readers’ tips Guardian readers

Readers recommend ancient cities, imposing temples and caves from Mayan, Inca and even earlier cultures

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends

Activity idea: create a spatial journal to locate each of the attraction and determine the spatial significance of each site. Are there any patterns that can be observed? How might a patterned be determined?

 Hands on … Cueva de las Manos, Patagonia. Photograph: Getty

Changing Climate Change: Solutions

The Documentary,Changing Climate Change

Tackling climate change is a global issue and in the run up to the UN climate change conference in Paris most of the world's countries have put forward proposals to do their bit.

Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Spatial Significance

Inquiry Question: What might other solutions look like in other parts of the world?

Source: BBC World Service, posted Nov. 30th.

Can Middle East tourism ever recover?

The Islamic world’s mystery and riches once attracted droves of western holidaymakers. But terrorism has devastated the industry in Egypt and Tunisia – and even countries untouched by conflict. Is there any way back? Kevin Rushby

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Patterns and Trends,

Activity idea: have students investigate the different stakeholders of the issue, their values, beliefs and locations (create a map) and then come up with possible impacts and solutions to the situation.

More than 100 jade hunters killed in landslide at Myanmar mine

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

Inquiry question: Why would workers live in such hunts, near the tailings from the mining? How are the profits of Jade mining distributed? How could the workers get access to these profits?

How Canadian Geographic editors see Canada

Posted by Alexandra Pope in Mapping on Friday, November 20, 2015

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance

Activity idea: Have students create a story map of how they see Canada.

Flex satellite will map Earth's plant glow

By Jonathan AmosBBC Science CorrespondentThe European Space Agency is going to build a spacecraft to map the red glow emitted by Earth's plants (STEM, including Geography, in action)

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends, Geographic Perspective
Inquiry questions: How will this mapping technique impact farming practice around the world? How could these maps be accessible to the people who need the information? What might be the impact on the local social, political, environmental, and economical situations?

Transgender woman found dead in all-male prison

This article is ideal for a World Issues class discussion. This is a sensitive topic so be aware of the readiness of your students to discuss such a subject.

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance

Inquiry question: What might have led to this women to having her human rights over looked? How can the public insure this does not happen in Canada?

Top 10 budget beach hotels and B&Bs on Mexico’s Pacific coast

Christine Delsol

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

Inquiry questions:  Why might tourist be drawn to the Pacific coast of Mexico? How does this influx of tourist impact the local community; social, economical, environmental, political? 

Activity Idea: Use spatial technology to map out the location of the Pacific coast resorts. Research budget hotel location on the Gulf coast and place them on the same map. Add some other data that may impact the movement of tourist and decide where a new resort would be best situated.

Extension idea:

The world's best 

beach hotels and accommodation on a budget

Use ArcGIS Online to create a spatial journal of Beach Resorts on a budget. Evaluate and draw conclusion on the spatial significance and interrelationships of a budget beach resort.

Syrian Refuges Crisis, coming to Canada?

To put things in perspective regarding the Syrian Refugee Crisis and what the Canadian Government would like to do.

Concepts of Thinking: Patterns and Trends, Spatial Significance

Inquiry question: What might the impacts be on the existing security infrastructure? How is it be determined where in Canada these new comers might be relocated?











image source: unknown

Source: http://www.torontopearson.com/en/gtaa/statistics/

The Ontario Mining Association, a not-for-profit organization, is hosting the 8th annual SYTYKM video contest for high school students. The contest challenges students to tell imaginative stories about the benefits of mining to society with 2- to 3-minute videos or a 15-second commercial. The contest, running from November 1, 2015 to April 4, 2016, offers $45,000 in cash and prizes to students and schools. Top videos earn from $2,500 to $5,000. Early bird entries are eligible for an additional $500. Any school that produces more than three videos can win $2,000. Teachers’ Choice Award voters are eligible for a $1,000 prize draw. The awards gala is on June 1, 2016, at the Royal Ontario Museum. For more contest information, visit www.oma.on.ca/en/contestpages/index.asp.

Teachers of communications technology, media arts, Aboriginal studies, physical geography, and Earth and environmental science will find this contest of interest.

I would like to provide each of your secondary schools with a package of information to promote the contest and support students and teachers wishing to participate. The package includes an invitation/registration form for teachers to attend a free professional development workshop in media production at TIFF Bell Lightbox (November 23rd), poster, infographic and cover letter introducing the contest. A teacher partner at East York Collegiate in Toronto has also granted permission to distribute a geography assignment that she created to integrate the contest into “Issues in Canadian Geography”. Please find attached an electronic copy of the package for your review.

I would appreciate your support in electronic distribution to geography department heads and curriculum consultants.‎

Laura Clinton

SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW MINING High School Video Contest Education Consultant Ontario Mining Association

T: 289-387-2256

E: lclinton@oma.on.ca

W: oma.on.ca

Farmers bear brunt of South Africa’s severe drought: 'All we can do is pray

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

Inquiry Question: Why is this extreme weather event happening in South Africa? How will the weather event impact local communities? What can be done to help reduce the impact of this extreme weather event? 

Simon Allison in Heidelberg

Related: Hailstorms hit drought-stricken South Africa

Explore & Remember Those Around You

Free app

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry questions: How could the spatial significance impact an individuals story?

"Welcome to RinkWatch, where backyard skating meets environmental science!"  And Geography

Concept of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends

Activity idea: Watch and keep track (spatial journal) of weather situations across Canada and where rinks are opening and for how long they are open. 

Inquiry questions: How might climate change impact rinks in Canada? What could this impact look like?

Did you know that the TDSB has a rich and growing Adult Education program? This article, from The Toronto Star, highlights some of the adult students who participated in the first-ever continuing education soccer tournament on November 5, 2015 at Downsview’s famous Hanger.

Students shine at first ever TDSB Adult High School Soccer Tournament

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective and Spatial Significance.

Activity idea: This article would be an ideal piece to use with your students to access not only Geographic concepts of thinking, but also spatial skills.

Create a spatial journal to explore the different circumstances that allowed the students to end up studying in the TDSB.

Dead or alive: culture is kicking in Pátzcuaro, Mexico Erica Buist

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significane

Activity: Have students create a Story Map of the location discussing the spatial significance of each place.

Afghan woman stoned to death for alleged adultery Sune Engel Rasmussen

Warning to teachers: This reading may be very triggering to students who have experienced this at the community or home level. Please allow your students to prepare themselves emotionally for the difficult subject matter.

 Concepts of thinking: Geographic Perspective

Inquiry question: What happens in Canada when a person is suspected of committing adultery?  Create a T-chart to compare the Canadian perspective with the perspective from the reading

Further Inquiry: Does the penalty reflect the crime? Could a man be sentenced in the same manner?

Activity: Investigate the different perspectives of the issue by evaluating their values and beliefs. Discuss in groups the different perspectives to come up with a solution to the problem.