May 2006 Archives

War of the Worlds

This New York Times op-ed piece takes a look at the comparative merits of spelling and geography bees. The author’s conclusion? Geography comes out on top.

"...The spelling bee continues to receive all the attention. Perhaps that's because spelling is a tantalizingly easy concept to grasp. You either spell a word right or you don't. The answers are all in the dictionary.

"Geography, on the other hand, asks more. But it offers more in return: to know the world is to know how to make it a better place, from a path to peace in war-torn regions to a promise to conserve our planet's natural resources."

Read more. (You may need to register—it’s free and easy.)

Don’t let the learning stop just because school’s out for the summer. Here’s a My Wonderful World activity guide (PDF) packed full of fun geography games to play in the car, at home, and in your community. Get out!

From the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal-World:

Geography child’s play for this toddler genius

"Some toddlers like to draw smiley faces and stick figures. Tavi Shaffer-Green likes to draw detailed maps of the world."

"Tavi is still in diapers and hasn’t yet started preschool, but he can identify all the countries in the world — with the exception of maybe a Pacific island or two — and can draw many of them by hand. He’s known all the planets since he was 20 months old and can tell you during what time period Antarctica formed."

Read the article and test yourself against this geowhiz of a baby.

Watch as some of the brightest geography students in the U.S. compete for college scholarships! Tune in to the National Geographic Channel at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Wednesday, May 24, to see the national finals of the National Geographic Bee. (Check your local public television station for repeat airings.) And try your hand at questions from past Bees—take the GeoBee Challenge.

UPDATE: We have a winner!

Music's a great way to explore other cultures—you can samba to Brazilian beats, party to Cape Town pop, and go traditional with Vietnamese strings. Check out National Geographic's new World Music supersite for an aural tour of the globe. Plus: watch videos, learn more about regional rhythms, and get world music news.

Other world music sites:

Smithsonian Global Sound

Putamayo World Music

World Music Central

World Music Network

Do you have a favorite world music artist? Let us know!

Zap some life into your desktop with these free "Geography Is ..." wallpapers—and help spread the word about My Wonderful World one computer at a time.

Some of you have wondered why National Geographic asked a question about the television show CSI on the Roper survey. This question reads "Which of these cities is the setting for the original television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation?" The four possible answers are San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. (The correct answer is Las Vegas.)

On this blog, and in e-mails sent to mywonderfulworld@ngs.org, several folks have commented that the question is not really a very good indication of geographic know-how and amounts to television trivia.

The pop culture question was included on the survey as a contrast to substantive, real-world questions.  The issue is not actually what percentage of young Americans know where CSI is set, but how many correctly answered that question compared to questions that we would assert really matter—questions about cultures, peoples, landmarks, security, economics, etc. 

With this as our basis of inquiry, we can now say that more young Americans (39 percent) know that the fictional CSI is set in Las Vegas than can correctly select Chinese from a list of four options as the world’s most spoken primary language (18 percent).  Three times as many knew where CSI is set than could find Afghanistan on a map of Asia (12 percent). A map of Asia! These results speak to the power of pop culture.

Asking a pop culture question is not unprecedented. In the 2002 National Geographic-Roper survey, we asked about that season’s location of the show Survivor.  That year, more people knew the correct answer was the South Pacific (34 percent) than could correctly estimate the U.S. population (25 percent). 

We recognize that these are not top-level benchmarks of geographic knowledge, but pop culture references make good examples of how young Americans can sometimes pay more attention to where their favorite television characters are sleuthing than where their troops are fighting.

Any single question on the survey can, of course, appear trivial. But, taken together, the results paint a disturbing portrait of geographic illiteracy on a range of knowledge and skills in an increasingly interconnected world.

—Chris Shearer
National Geographic Education Foundation

The dismaying results of the latest National Geographic-Roper survey sparked editorials in newspapers across the U.S. this weekend. Here are a few—check them out, then give us your take on the situation.

As geography students, they’re going nowhere (East Valley Tribune of Phoenix, Arizona)

‘Geography’ ... Where’s that? (Arkansas Democrat Gazette)

Knowledge of geography is essential (Bangor Daily News)

Where in the world is geography knowledge? (The University Daily Kansan)

Our coalition partners at the Smithsonian Institution have created an incredibly rich new site to support My Wonderful World.

Geographic Resources from the Smithsonian is a map-based portal to a wealth of Smithsonian online features, from an interactive African art collection to a photo-packed tour of the ancient Silk Road.

To get started, just select a continent and go!

All the major news outlets are covering the just released results of the National Geographic-Roper survey (see CNN, Washington Post, CBS). MSNBC has taken it a step further.

In addition to their news story, they’ve included an interactive geography quiz, plus a live poll that asks “How important is it to know geography?” Hop over and place your vote!

Taking action for My Wonderful World is about helping kids see their everyday lives a little differently. We can do this at home, in school, and in our communities. So find your Action Kit (for parents, teachers, and kids and teens) and get started! Check out the great stuff inside: tips and tools for exploring your world, fun activities, school checklists, and links to tons of great games and resources. There's also a free world wall map and desktop wallpapers. Make a plan now to help give kids the power of global knowledge.

The National Geographic Channel is taking part in My Wonderful World the way it does best—with awesome TV programming. Geo-Challenge is a hour-long quiz show filled with genuine head-scratchers and amazing footage. Who says geography is dull? Watch it at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday, May 4.

We need to hear from you. What school program or event has made a difference in your child’s global knowledge? What helps them better know their real world, from the backyard to Boise to Beijing?

Maybe it’s an international night or a geography competition. Or maybe it’s a field trip to a cultural event. Let us know what works—click “Comments” below and share it!

For years National Geographic has been working to expand people’s knowledge of the world and its complex environments, cultures, and connections.


But a new survey of young Americans’ geographic knowledge shows that they’re falling short. We’re realizing that we need more than just resources for schools. We need a movement. And the My Wonderful World campaign is designed to get people thinking, talking, and acting.

Most important in any campaign, of course, is the message. Ours is simple: Everyone—parents, educators, business and community leaders, and kids and teens themselves—can take action to help the next generation be prepared for an interconnected world.

How can you take part in a global economy when you can’t find Japan or New York on a map? How can you plan for a call with someone in Singapore if you don’t know time zones?

Global knowledge is essential. It’s a no brainer. Kids who understand the world today can succeed in it tomorrow. So join us in thinking, talking, and taking action—and help us spread the word about My Wonderful World.

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