December 2007 Archives

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Images courtesy of discoverthis.com and borderlinegames.com.

An old favorite gets a face-lift for the new millennium, and a geographic "twist" tests more than just flexibility.

"Has anyone ever heard of the geo safari? That brilliant little toy when I was a kid is the reason I know every country and capital today."

This query from a member of the official My Wonderful World Facebook group motivated me conduct an investigation into the game that was so popular in my youth (circa 15 years ago.) The 'vintage' version of GeoSafari featured a simple interface with interchangeable cards and a computer-generated voice that posed geography questions. I wondered: Did the game still exist?

In fact it does. The new version, produced by Discover This retains much of the original components, but in an updated "lap-top" style. Did you know that you can create your own cards and questions? I stumbled across this useful website that tells you how: a great resource for teachers and parents of younger students! Oh, if only I had a child to surprise at Christmas...though sadly, I bet most of my 18+ family members could benefit from GeoSafari!

Anne, Director of the My Wonderful World Campaign, clued me in to another cool geography game that she recently discovered when visiting her nieces and nephews. "Maptangle" by Borderline Games brings a new level of complexity to the classic body-bender Twister. Rather than colored dots, the Maptangle mat is decorated with a map of the world. Instead of vying for personal glory, individuals work in collaborative teams to locate and physically "travel to" international landmarks. I'm glad to see that this new model improves upon the old by incorporating a range of 21^st century skills. I'd love to give it a go, though I bet it would be even more of a blast--and a better workout--if adapted for use on the National Geographic Live! giant maps. And then again, while my gymnastic abilities served me well when playing Twister in the old days...I might have to work a bit on my geographic precision.

Have you ever played either of these games? Have another great game recommendation for the holiday gift season?

 
Sarah for My Wonderful World

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Images courtesy of Wikipedia.org and the National Geographic online store.

Each and every day, geography influences the outcome of events around the planet in ways major and minor, overt and subtle. Which geographic events had the greatest impact--and received the most press--in 2007? Our friend Matt Rosenberg at About.com: Geography has compiled a list of his top ten picks. I was happy to see that a selection of stories I’ve talked about previously made the cut: Caitlin Snaring winning the National Geographic Bee, Global Warming and Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize, and the international project to name the “New Seven Wonders”of the world. Take a look at Matt’s choices. Then tell us: What are your top 10 (or 5) geographic events of 2007?

Sarah for My Wonderful World

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Pencils down!

Today marks the final deadline for submission of the George Mason University “Coach L's World Basketball Quiz.” We hope you had fun and got a good mental work-out from these geography and basketball-themed questions. See how you did by comparing your responses to the correct answers below. But remember: All entries are eligible for the drawing!

1. Which country won the gold medal in women’s basketball at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece?
USA (other answers were: Argentina, Slovenia, Chad)

2. Transylvania is a region of this country (Hint: The country is home to George Mason freshman Vlad Moldoveanu and a new member state of the European Union).
Romania (other answers were: Russia, Poland, Latvia)

3. Which Asian country has the largest Muslim population in the world?
Indonesia (other answers were: India, Iran, Turkey) 

4. Approximately what percentage of the world’s total land mass is located in Asia?
30% (other answers were: 10%, 20%, 40%)

5. You are most likely to find a woman wearing a kimono while eating sushi in which country?
Japan (other answers were: China, India, Iran)

6. The Asian Tsunami that struck on December 26, 2004 is recorded as one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history. The earthquake that triggered the tsunami occurred off the coast of Sumatra, an island in what Asian nation archipelago?
Indonesia (other answers were: Philippines, Japan, New Zealand)

7. The Tropic of Capricorn, which marks the southern temperate zone, runs through all BUT which of the following countries?
Thailand (other answers were: Chile, Australia, South Africa)

8. Which of the following pairs of countries is located in Asia? (Hint: Actress Angelina Jolie has adopted children from these two countries)
Cambodia and Vietnam (other answers were: Argentina & Suriname, Tanzania & Zimbabwe, Lithuania & Malaysia)

Once all quizzes have been received (Jan. 2), we will randomly select ten lucky contestants to win a “Coach L Prize Pack” consisting of a My Wonderful World campaign t-shirt, a George Mason World Ball, and a subscription to either National Geographic magazine or National Geographic Kids magazine. Winners will be announced January 9, 2008.

Thanks for playing!

Sarah for My Wonderful World

For more on George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga and the World Ball project, visit worldball.gmu.edu.
You can also read MWW's previous posts on the subject: "Coach L Quiz deadline extended," "GAW 2007: in review," "George Mason tickets," and "The World at their fingertips."

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I’m compelled to share this video for a few reasons: 1) its direct relevance to geography, 2) perhaps relatedly—its capacity to evoke fond memories of a former National Geographic education coworker (and, incidentally, housemate) 3) its application to emergent web 2.0 technologies, and 4) its value as an entertainment and inspirational piece.

1. The video is one in a series following a young man’s quest to run an ultra-marathon along the Inca Trail from Cusco to Macchu Pichu, the famed UNESCO World Heritage site in the highlands of Peru. Nick hopes to raise enough money to build a school for an orphanage in Lima. At 54 miles and 12,000 ft., it’s no feat for the faint-of-heart. In the clip, Nick discusses the challenges of attempting to train at sea level. That’s geography for you, as are the reservations he expresses about trying to communicate in Spanish—especially considering that in this particular region of Peru, locals are likely to speak Quechua or another native language and may not speak Spanish at all (a fact Nick fails to consider)! I love the traditional pan flute music audible throughout the short three-minute segment, as well as an especially humorous highlight near the end in the form of a ‘cultural’ exchange about guinea pigs…

2. Nick’s story reminded me of a former coworker, we’ll call him “Morris,” who traveled to Peru this past summer. Morris hiked the Inca Trail and raved about the stunning diversity of the physical and cultural landscapes and the friendliness of the people he encountered. Morris was also one of the most physically fit individuals I’ve ever met: I could easily see him running an ultra-marathon through Peru--especially to promote the dual causes of education and cross-cultural understanding! Though Morris is undoubtedly a much better soccer player than Nick seems to be, they share the tendency of joining personal passion with altruism: a valuable lesson for us all (and an occasion, if I may, to remind you once again of the Donors Choose Challenge).

3. I found this video on the website Current.com, to which I was referred  by a friend who examines trends affecting Generation Y. Created by Al Gore and others, "Emmy award-winning Current TV has been the world's leading peer-to-peer news and information network. Current is the only 24/7 cable and satellite television network and Internet site produced and programmed in collaboration with its audience.”

That is, Current TV is a REAL television channel that features (primarily) user-generated and edited content (via the website). Pretty cool—and certainly of interest to those of us who target our audiences through blogging, viral communication, and other innovative online technologies.

Check out the video and let me know what you think! Then watch some of the other programming and Tell us: Would you continue to watch Current TV?

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'Tis the season of giving.
As you know, at My Wonderful World we believe in giving the gift of global knowledge...all year long.

To this end, one of our efforts has been to create a "My Wonderful World Challenge" on DonorsChoose.org. We've hand-picked creative, comprehensive proposals that directly support the My Wonderful World mission by integrating global learning into the curriculum and inspiring students to care about the world. I'm downright bowled over by the interdisciplinary scope and innovativeness of some of our most recent project additions, including:

Creating Culture through the Camera Lens
An educator at the Green School in Brooklyn, NY, would like cameras for a video technology class. Students will gain artistic, technological, and communication skills and explore personal, cultural, and global identities through a series of projects. Among these, they will create PSAs promoting renewable energy sources, and documentaries that examine issues of importance to their local community. Read the full description.

America's Next Top Model United Nations
A teacher at the Houston Academy for International Studies, a diverse public school whose mission is to "create global citizens," runs a dynamic Model United Nations program. Without a course textbook or school library to house resources, this educator would like a class set of Thomas Friedman's acclaimed bestseller The World is Flat Read the full description.

Who among us can't recall at least one groundbreaking teacher, project, or activity that broadened their horizons and imbued them with a new outlook on the world? For Campaign Director Anne it was a 10^th grade world geography class. For me, it was 11^th grade AP environmental science (fondly referred to as "APES").

So, if these or any of the other projects on our MWW Challenge seem compelling to you, we hope you'll consider a donation this month. Looking for a family, church, or community philanthropy activity? Why not sponsor a proposal! In search of the perfect gift for that activist friend? Donors Choose now offers gift certificates! And of course, if you know a teacher eager to bring global learning into the classroom, please encourage them to submit a proposal to the Challenge.

Just think: this holiday YOU could be the force behind that influential teacher who changes a student's life--and just maybe their perspective on the world.

A bit more on Donors Choose.org:
In this new millennium era of transparency and accountability, Donors Choose is the fair-trade, middleman-eliminating trailblazer of the education sector. Donors directly impact students in need by selecting teacher-submitted proposals, and then donating specifically to those projects. It's just plain genius, and equally adept in its utilization of web 2.0 technologies to pioneer a streamlined process. We are thrilled to be working with this innovative organization to support teachers and students!

Sarah for My Wonderful World

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We're gearing up for the holidays here at My Wonderful World and sharing stories about what makes the season special for our family and friends. Down in NC, my family traditions spring from our proximity to the coast and the temperate weather in the South. Our holiday party usually involves shucking oysters on the back deck and wearing short sleeves in the 70 degree weather!
Tell us, what are some of your favorite holiday traditions? What do they reveal about your culture and where you live?

Happy Holidays!

Alice for My Wonderful World

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Images of 1507 Waldseemuller map: Jim Young/Reuters, Brazilbrazil.com.

It may betray me as a nerd, but I’ll confess: I have an affinity for maps. Most geography majors will admit a certain childhood fascination with maps as underlying, at least in part, their eventual decision to specialize in the discipline. Many non-geographers are equally appreciative of these diagrams of the world. Let’s face it:  Maps are cool. They are visually interesting, practical, and in their ability to orient and provide perspective—at once both grounding and mind-expanding.

So imagine my delight when MWW intern Martha sent me the following intriguing article:

Map that named America is a puzzle for researchers:
“WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The only surviving copy of the 500-year-old map that first used the name America goes on permanent display this month at the Library of Congress, but even as it prepares for its debut, the 1507 Waldseemuller map remains a puzzle for researchers.”

Ahhh….this “map puzzle” is even better than the jigsaw version of the United States I used to play with as a child. I’ve always been interested in the science and history of cartography. After all, it’s one thing to create a map using the modern technologies of satellite imagery and GIS, but imagine what it would have been like 500 years ago??

The Mystery of the Map
As described in the Reuters article, that’s exactly what German Monk Martin Waldseemuller was commissioned to do in 1507. The world map eventually published in 1509 was “surprisingly accurate and modern.” In fact, it should have been impossible.

For starters, the west coast of South America is very nearly correct, though no Europeans are recorded to have crossed the continent prior to 1513--at the earliest. The mapmakers’ claims to have based their rendering on the ancient writings of Egyptian geographer Ptolemy and the late 15^th century Florentine Amerigo Vespucci are hardly convincing to contemporary researchers who believe that these accounts in themselves could not have been sufficient to generate the detail depicted on the 1507 map.

What’s more, later maps created by Waldseemuller would seem to indicate a virtual reversion in discovery: A map produced in 1513 displays part of the east coast of the Americas, but not the west coast, and refers to the land abutting the border as “Terra Incognita” rather than “America.” A 1516 mariner’s map retains similar regressive conventions, and takes a step further to reconnect North America with Asia. 

Some, like Library of Congress Chief of Geography and Maps John Herbert, have suggested that the prevailing European power politics of the time, particularly between the seafaring nations of Spain
and Portugal, could explain the apparent discrepancies. The 1507 map may evidence a Portugese influence, while the later maps may reveal a Spanish influence. But the jury is still out on the matter:

“Why did the mapmaker name the territory America and then change his mind later? How was he able to draw South America so accurately? Why did he put a huge ocean west of America years before European explorers discovered the Pacific?”

While I certainly don’t have any answers to these “conundrums,” you can bet I’ll take a stroll down to the Library of Congress when the exhibit of this “keystone” America map opens December 13^th. With a price tag of $10 million, I figure it’s at least worth a look.

Read the full Reuters article, or check out an abridged version from National Geographic News.

Map buff?
Expand your cartographic horizons: Props to MWW staff member Bobby for directing me to this awesome blog that features unique (and often bizarre) maps: Strange Maps

(Today's "strange map" is--coincidentally--germane to both the brazilbrazil.com reference cited in the current post, and my response to a reader comment about the previous feature: Curitiba, Brazil.)

For even more maps, check out the Chicago Festival of Maps, a “citywide celebration of humanity’s greatest discoveries and the maps that record our boldest explorations.” Of course, if you find yourself in the vicinity of the Windy City, you should pay a personal visit to the festival. For the rest of us, there is a wonderful online companion site with impressive visuals, historical information, and even a blog, interactive map, and database searchable by category. So get started on your own expedition into the world of maps!

Sarah for My Wonderful World

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 Map of Asia courtesy of National Geographic Xpeditions

It’s been over two weeks since “Geography Awareness Week,” National Geographic Education’s capstone annual event honoring our favorite topic. Now that we’ve all had some time to allow the adrenaline to wear off, let’s reflect on the events that made November 11-17 a success.

Passport to Asia
The 2007 theme was Asia, and this year we pulled out all the stops: Geo-stops, that is. Building on the success of the GAW 2006 Google Earth Africa Quiz, we went wild in 2007 and developed not only another interactive KML quiz, (the “Extreme Asia Challenge) but five additional KML geo-tours. Oh yeah, and an enlightening, Asia-focused instructional video on the amazing geospatial technology that is GIS.

Speaking of going Wild, did you dig the awesome Wild Chronicles footage in the “Asian Safari” tour? I’ll admit, I had never seen the National Geographic-supported program prior to its incorporation in the tour, and I’m a newly devoted fan--I’ve been watching clips on You Tube ever since (My favorite is "Hornet Hunters": Like honey? Try hornet terriyaki). If you missed “Asian Safari” or any or the other tours, don’t fret: Your Passport is far from expired. So dust off your virtual compass and come explore Asia!

Many thanks to our coalition members that helped to develop the content for these programs: Asia Society, ESRI, Google Earth, and the Smithsonian Freer and Sackler Galleries. I profiled the former two during Geography Awareness Week, and I’d like to now direct you toward the resources provided by our other partners. The Smithsonian is currently featuring an exhibit called “Patterned Feathers, Piercing Eyes: Edo Masters from the Price Collection” in their museum on the National Mall, and has additional Asia information available online at asia.si.edu. And did you know that Google has a special page with activities for educators, including creative applications of Google Earth? Add these sites to your list of geo-stops as you continue the journey across Asia’s physical and cultural landscapes this year.

Massive Map Give-away
What better reminder is there to “think globally” than to look at a big ‘ole map of the world—each and every day? That was the rationale behind our “massive map give-away.” Thanks to National Geographic Explorer, we provided over 8,000 world maps to D.C. area students and teachers. And we even threw in our “We are not alone” PSA posters as an additional reminder that there’s a big, wonderful world out there beyond our national borders. With the help of National Geographic Xpeditions, we were able to include an expansive set of standards-based, map activities for various grade levels on the blog. The map give-away was an especially rewarding project for us as part of our continuing efforts to provide educators with geography resources (check out our ongoing Donors Choose Challenge). We’re hopeful about the prospects to expand these programs to other regions of the country in future years.

World Ball Night
You won’t find too many regular-season games that rival “World Ball Night” in excitement--and I say this as a college cheerleader who’s participated in literally hundreds. The November 17^th event at George Mason University was undeniably a success. Some stats over which to ruminate: More than 7,000 fans attended the game, approximately 3,000 world maps were distributed, 100 youngsters received globe basketballs, and 30 local students participated in the half-time event on two of the world’s largest maps of Asia. The inside scoop from Coach Larranaga is that World Ball Night could become a model event for the NCAA to spur community involvement and demonstrate commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes--at every stage of the game of life. Of course, we would love to see sports crowds getting pumped about geography from New York to California!

Thanks once again to NG Live!, NG Explorer, George Mason University, GeoEye, and the Virginia and D.C. geographic alliances for their help in making this a memorable evening. Be sure to visit George Mason’s brand new “World Ball” site for footage from the game and more on the World Ball Project. And don’t forget to take the “Coach L Quiz”—the deadline has been extended to December 18^th!

Celebrate geography 365 days a year
Just because Geography Awareness Week has come and gone, doesn’t mean the fun and learning has to stop. The My Wonderful World Campaign was created to encourage people to expand their horizons all year long. So join the Campaign to receive tools and tips on how to incorporate geographic thinking into your daily activities. We think you’ll find it’s easier than you’d expect—and invaluable! After all, global knowledge is the gift that keeps on giving.

Sarah for My Wonderful World

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New Group:
My Wonderful World: A National Geographic-led Campaign

Excerpt from the description:
"Chances are you reside on this sphere commonly referred to as 'the world.' That's why you should join this group: My Wonderful World.

Pocahontas was right: We don't own the Earth; we share it with many other people and living things. Sadly, ever since Carmen Sandiego was canceled, SOME people out there in our nation don't know much about the world."

MWW has created an official group on the popular social networking site Facebook.com. So be our friend and join the cause! Just search for "My Wonderful World" in the global groups section. Show those in your networks that "We are not alone"--and help ensure that tomorrow's leaders get the message. Invite everyone you know to join! We have over 300 members so far, and we're looking to extend our reach to all those, especially young people, who support the mission to develop a globally aware and engaged citizenry--by expanding geographic education opportunities across the nation. 

First, follow the action steps outlined on the group page. Then, watch our television ad, print our PSA posters, and voice your opinions on the discussion board. The current compelling topic is "Which celebrity would you pick as a spokesperson for the campaign?" Be sure to keep checking back for new updates and ways to get involved!

If you're a not already a member of the Facebook network, visit www.Facebook.com and create an account by clicking the "Sign up" button. To get started, you'll just have to enter some simple personal information. It's a fun, easy, and secure way to connect with friends new and old!

Sarah for My Wonderful World

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You’re in luck!

The deadline for submission of the “Coach L World Basketball Quiz” has been extended two weeks to December 18^th. So make sure to visit George Mason University's World Ball site to download this fun, stimulating quiz and test your geography savvy! Just print and fill out the quick, ‘elite eight’-question quiz and send it to the address listed for a chance to win a World Ball, a subscription to National Geographic magazine, and a “We are not alone” t-shirt. You don’t even have to answer a single question correctly to be eligible for the prize! Drawings will take place on January 2, 2008, and winners will be notified by January 9, 2008. I’ll post answers on December 18^th, so make sure to keep reading the blog.

The quiz offers an opportunity for those who didn't have a chance to attend "World Ball Night" at Northern Virginia's George Mason University to join in our Geography Awareness Week celebration. If you did miss the event, you can watch video footage of the tip-off and half-time spectacular featuring the world's largest maps of Asia at worldball.gmu.edu.

Sarah for My Wonderful World

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