Geography teachers love maps!

...and so do many other educators, environmentalists, historians, politicians, technologists, and curious citizens the world over. Representing an organization with a proud history of producing authoritative and appealing maps, we are constantly bombarded with requests from educators about these resources, and it's no surprise that the Mapping section of our new Education website is the most popular feature by far.

In an effort to better meet the needs of our map enthusiast friends, we will publish more blog posts about maps in 2012,  including new releases from National Geographic's Map group, and a few from our own Education group.

In this week's Five For Friday, we take you into the trenches of the Maps division for 2011 cartographic updates and information about new maps coming to press in 2012.


2011 Updates
National Geographic's cartographers are constantly at work editing our iconic maps as a result of changes in political and physical geography. Below are some 2011 developments.

1. July--South Sudan: On July 9, South Sudan becomes the world's 195th independent nation.

2. August--Libya: The conventional long form name for Libya--Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya--no longer applies. Libya becomes the country's formal conventional name.

3. August--Challenger Deep: Sonar mapping of the Mariana Trench, conducted by the University of New Hampshire's Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, determines that the Challenger Deep--the deepest point on Earth--has a new maximum depth of -10,994 m (-36,070 ft).


Keep reading to find out what's on the horizon for 2012!

You've probably heard of "crowdsourcing," the very 21st-century term coined in 2006 in Wired magazine. This new word, a twist on the idea of outsourcing, describes the practice of posing a question or challenge to the public, and asking for individuals to contribute a small piece to the project goal. Successful examples of online crowdsourcing include Kickstarter, a fundraising website for individual projects; National Geographic's own search for the tomb of Genghis Khan; and the uber crowdsourcing phenomenon, Wikipedia.

All of which is to say, the concept and practice of crowdsourcing has found a place in 21st-century society. But recently, I've started noticing a crowdsourcing niche, one that has yet to be named but I believe deserves to be singled out as its own phenomenon. Let me give you some examples.

Yesterday we announced the exciting launch of the 2012 Google Science Fair, a creative learning experience for young adults supported in part by National Geographic. Speaking of National Geographic-sponsored hands-on science programs...how about the annual BioBlitz, a mad dash to combine the power of scientists and citizens in identifying as many species as possible in a National Park?!

Watch this video highlighting the 24-hr 2011 BioBlitz in Saguaro National Park, AZ--in 5 minutes.


Sarah Jane for My Wonderful World

We're thrilled to announce that the new website for the 2012 Google Science Fair launched this morning (at 12:01 GMT, to be precise)! National Geographic is very proud to be partnering with Google and our friends Lego, Scientific American, and the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) on this groundbreaking program, following an extremely successful inaugural year in 2011. We're especially honored to be offering one of the banner prizes, a scientific voyage to the Galapagos Islands!




So, what it's all about!

The Google Science Fair is an online science competition seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe. Anybody and everybody between 13 and 18 can enter. All you need is an idea!

Like, what kind of idea?

...It could be a new take on particle physics, or game theory. It could be a cost-effective way to provide clean water to a remote community, or maybe a project like reducing the carcinogenic properties of grilled chicken (that was one of last year's winning entries). It should definitely be inspired! Everyone has a question. What's yours?

Ok, now I'm interested. How  do I participate?

It's a simple 4-step process:
1. Register
2. Get parental consent
3. Build your project site
4. Submit your project

Learn more about National Geographic's participation in this post on the Nat Geo News Watch blog, and visit the Google Science Fair website to get all the additional details you need to enter!

Village [Human Geography]
Noun. A village is a small settlement usually found in a rural setting. It is generally larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town. Some geographers specifically define a village as having between 500 and 2,500 inhabitants.

In most parts of the world, villages are settlements of people clustered around a central point, such as a church or a marketplace. This is called a nucleated settlement. Village inhabitants usually engage in primary activities such as farming, fishing and mining, which provide basic goods and services for inhabitants and for people in surrounding areas. Villages function as trading centers and, often, as units of local government. With their homes built close together, villages also increase residents' ability to defend themselves against threats.

A special opportunity for high schools from our friends at NEEF. We encourage you to enter the contest to showcase how your school is using technology and addressing energy issues--two of our favorite topics.  Visit neefusa.org/energyaward for more information and to enter by February 10. Good luck!

Today we had our first snowfall in several weeks here in Washington, D.C.--which is strange, as we've usually had at least a few serious flurries by this point in the season.

I thought I'd share some cute National Geographic My Shot photos of dogs enjoying the snow to mark the occasion. I always think it's intriguing to see how pets react to new environments and weather conditions. My cat will have nothing to do with snow--my neighbor's dog can't get enough of the cold, wet stuff. A couple I know took their D.C.-based dog to Manhattan Beach in L.A. over the holidays; they strapped bicycle flashers on her and let her run rampant in the evening darkness. What do you think affects how pets react to new geographies? Individual personality? Life experience? Breed?

 

SustainUS, United States Youth for Sustainable Development, is calling for submissions to its annual CitizenScience essay contest. This year, the competition theme will focus on the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, sustainable development, and current challenges in line with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Here are five reasons why you should enter:

1. Share your passion for addressing the world's toughest challenges through sound science.
2. Join the SustainUS delegation to the 56th Session of the UN Commission on Status of Women in New York.
3. Present your work and communicate the importance of youth involvement to international leaders.

What do you get when you take a seasoned geography educator, send him on a multi-week adventure to the Amazon, and equip him with a blog to tell his story? Twenty-one days of inspired teaching moments and fascinating photographs!

We invite teachers and their students to follow along as Herb Thompson, better known to his colleagues and former students as "Geoman," travels from Nassau, Bahamas, to the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil, to it's terminus in Iquitos, Peru. Herb is a retired world geography teacher who has been a teaching consultant and co-coordinator for the National Geographic-supported Nevada Geographic Alliance for several decades.

Twenty-five years ago Herb embarked on a Semester at Sea adventure that changed his life and those of the many students who would benefit from his enlightened teachings about the world. Prior to his Semester at Sea experience Herb had traveled to one foreign country--Mexico--he has since visited 65.

Boundless Boundaries [All Geography]
Noun. A boundary is a real or imaginary line that separates two things. In geography, boundaries separate different regions of the Earth. There are many different types of boundaries...

Physical Boundary: A physical boundary is a naturally occurring barrier between two areas. Rivers, mountain ranges, oceans, and deserts can all serve as physical boundaries.

Political Boundary: Political boundaries are the dividing lines between countries, states, provinces, counties, and cities. These lines, more often called borders, are created by people to separate areas governed by different groups.