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.

Oil vessel off the Newfoundland coast spills 250,000 litres of crude Malone Mullin · CBC News · Nov 16, 2018 

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

Inquiry: What might be needed to ensure these "accidents" stop happening? How will communities be impacted by future drilling plans?

Activity: Gather data on oil drilling off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador to create a spatial journal. Collect information on the stakeholders to conduct an issue analysis.  Develop an action plan to communicate a potential solution and create a story map to communicate the result.

Related stories: 

All offshore oil rigs shut down in N.L. after Husky Energy spill: board

Poor weather prompts temporary shutdown of all N.L. offshore rigs

#Travelgoals: why Instagram is key to understanding millennial tourism

Concepts of Geographic Thinking: Spatial Significance, Interrelationships, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry: How might increased Instagram use impact travel/tourist destinations?

Activity: Gather data on the top destination before instagram (April 2012) and create a spatial journal. Collect data on sites that instagram has made popular and add this to your spatial journal. Observe for patterns and trends. How might spatial significance impact the popularity? Conduct an issue analysis of to develop a plan of action to maintain the location. Create a story map to communicate your results.

False statements on migrant caravan spark political controversy newsela

Concepts of Geographic Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships

Inquiry:  What role should social media and governments play in managing this form of communication? How can individuals protect themselves from false information?

Activity: Conduct an issue analysis of the situation. Determine where false information is being transmitted. Is there any spatial significance to these sources? Create a spatial journal to identify where false information is coming from and who is trying to stop it. Create a story map to communicate strategies to help deal with the spread of false information.

These will be the world's megacities in 2030 World Economic Forum

Concepts of Geographic Perspective:

Patterns and Trends, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: What might be the global impacts of these mega cities

Activity: Gather information on mega cities. Create a spatial journal of the cities to help determine spatial significance. Conduct an issue analysis to help develop a plan to help reduce the environmental impacts of mega cities and communicate via story map. 

Europe’s dirty air kills 400,000 people every year

Concepts of Geographic Thinking:

Interrelationships, Patterns and Trends, Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry: How might the issue of air pollution be better addressed so that 400, 000 people do not need to die? Where else might people be a risk?

Activity: Conduct an issue analysis to help develop a plan of action. Conduct research in to Europe's air pollution and around the world. Catalogue current strategies to deal with air pollution. Determine areas that most at risk and create a spatial journal. Develop an implementation plan that can be communicated via story map.

How to dispose of human waste on Mount Everest  Oct 25th 2018 | GORAKSHEP, The Economist

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

Inquiry: How might human waste be managed in a sustainable manner on the mountain?

Activity:  To develop an understanding of the issue conduct an issue analysis. Then conduct some research into human waste disposal methods.  Determine a method the would be appropriate for the spatial significance of the region and map out the most appropriate location in a spatial journal. Develop a plan to help implement the appropriate method that will help maintain the ecological sensitivity of the area. Communicate results via story map.

Explosion at Saint John refinery raises questions over how information was shared with public By Andrew Cromwell

Digital Broadcast Journalist  Global News

Geographic Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry: How might this explosion impact communities? 

Activity: Gather information on the oil refinery to determine the life cycle of the oil coming into the refinery. Create a spatial journal to identify some of the location Irving Oil gets it's resource from. Conduct an issue analysis and develop a strategy to help deal with future issue regarding oil transportation. Communicate results via story map.

How much you earn depends largely on where you live The Economist

Concepts of thinking: Patterns and Trends, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: What might the distribution of money be over the next 30 years or so? What might be the equivalent to a $1.00 day in 1975 be at today's market considering inflation? How might this comparison be made more accurate?

Activity:  Conduct some research on inflation to determine what $1.00 dollar in 1975 would be in today's market. Determine what people might be able to purchase by country. Conduct an issue analysis to determine a possible solution the  the lack of monetary distribution. Create a spatial journal to observe and patterns and predict the future trends. Communicate suggestions via storymap.

New Eye Means Hurricane Florence May Get Stronger Before Slamming into the US 

By Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer | September 11, 2018

Concepts of Geographic Thinking:

Spatial Significance, Patterns and Trends,     Interrelationships

Inquiry: How might the US government respond to Hurricane Florence? Why might the response to this hurricane be different than the response to Hurricane Maria from last year?

Activity: Gather data on past hurricane response. Conduct an issue analysis to gain insight on the stakeholders. Develop an appropriate response to such an event and communicate via story map.

The battle begins for Hodeida, Yemen’s lifeline The Economist

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: What might be needed to help bring this conflict to an end that will last?

Activity: Conduct an issue analysis to collect data on the stakeholders. Create a spatial journal of events and stakeholder interests. Develop a potential solution to the issue and share via story map.

The IEA’s first Global Energy and CO₂ Status Report – released in March 2018 – provides a snapshot of recent global trends and developments across fuels, renewable sources, and energy efficiency and carbon emissions, in 2017.  

Concepts of Thinking: Patterns and Trends

Inquiry: How might this trend impact communities around the world .

Activity: Conducta an issue analysis to gain insight into the stakeholders perspective.  Create a spatial journal to show where some impacts may be felt. Create a story map to communicate findings.

First yellowtail farms to be ASC certified are Japanese

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationship

Inquiry: How might this certification impact ecosystems? 

Activity: Research fish farms and their impacts on the environment. Create a spatial journal of fish farms. Conduct an issue analysis of the stakeholders to develop a plan to create sustainable development of fish farms. Communicate plan via story map.

1494: TREATY OF TORDESILLAS

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Spatial Significance

Inquiry: More than 50 million Indigenous people were negatively affected by this treaty, how might this situation be corrected for their ancestors?

Activity: Collect info on the problem and conduct an issue analysis of the stakeholders. Create a spatial journal of the stakeholders. Develop a solution that helps the people whose ancestors were not taken into consideration at the time of colonization. Communicate solution via story map to an appropriate audience.

2017 Was Another Record-Busting Year for Renewable Energy, but Emissions Still Increased EMMA FOEHRINGER MERCHANT JUNE 04, 2018

                   

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

Inquiry: Why might emissions continue to increase even as renewable energy use is increasing?

Activity: Create a spatial journal of renewable energy and nonrenewable energy use. Conduct an issue analysis to help develop a plan of action to get more countries reducing nonrenewable energy sources. Communicate results via story map.

The 2018 Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals: an all-new visual guide to data and development 

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

Inquiry: How might the World meet these goals?

Activity: Gather information on countries and what they are doing regarding the SDGs. Create a spatial journal of the information to show how countries are doing. Conduct an issue analysis to develop a plan that might help all countries meet their goals. Communicate results via story  map.

Guatemala's Fuego volcano erupts, killing 33 and injuring hundreds

Concepts of Thinking: Interrelationships, Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective

Inquiry: What made this eruption so deadly? How might the communities impacted move forward after this event?

Activity: Gather data on effects of volcanoes . Conduct an issue analysis of the stakeholders involved to help develop a plan of action. Create a story map to communicate the results of the research.

Related:
Search halted overnight after fresh eruption of volcano in Guatemala forced thousands to evacuate to safer areas.

WHY GUATEMALA’S VOLCANO IS DEADLIER THAN HAWAII’S

As Tigers Become Rarer, Poachers Are Targeting Lions National Geographic

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships

Inquiry: How might the lion be saved from extinction?

Activity: Gather data on the range of the lions past and present to create a spatial journal. Conduct an issue analysis of the stakeholders impacting the lions. Develop a plan of action and communicate via story map.

This Refuge May Be the Most Contested Land in the U.S. National Geographic

Concepts of Thinking: Spatial Significance, Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships

Inquiry: How might the US oil extraction impact Canadians? 

Activity: Gather data on fossil fuels in the region and create a spatial journal. Conduct an issue analysis to gain insight on the stakeholder. Develop a plan to deal with potential impacts and communicate via story map.

Russia’s role in shooting down an airliner becomes official The Economist 

Concepts of Thinking: Geographic Perspective, Interrelationships

Inquiry: What should appropriate compensation be for this incident? How might this decision impact relationship of the stakeholders?

Activity: Create a spatial journal of the stakeholders. Conduct an issue analysis of the incident.  Develop a potential resolution to this situation and communicate via story map.