December 2009 Archives

 

A friend sent me this story about a new iPhone app that lets you geotag your own musical journeys--and discover neighbors with similar tastes in music.

Think of it as Pandora with propinquity: Just like the popular internet radio station, Soundtrackr creates playlists based on users' favorite songs and artists. But then it goes one step further, allowing the user to tag favorite stations by where they listen. Then, by searching for similar locations and playlists, they can find out what others in their vicinity are tuning in to.

I knew that this day would come. I have been putting it off, ignoring it, pretending it wouldn't happen. I thought perhaps that if I didn't think about it, I wouldn't have to face reality. Sure, there were gentle reminders, the whispering in my ear that the clock was ticking. I brushed them aside, thinking "It's only October, it's only November, it's only..." But now the time has come.

It is time to write a blog about badgers.

Yes, badgers.

The gentle reminders? The ticking clock? Did you really think they were referring to the end of my internship? The reality is that I made a promise to my cousin Noah over a year ago, just as I began thinking about applying for this internship, that if I indeed went to work for National Geographic, I would write an article about badgers for him. He is a badger-fanatic, and feels that these furry guys just don't get enough press. I assured him that I if the opportunity presented itself, (not thinking it ever would) I would most surely write something about Meles meles.

Badger Victory #1: I got the internship.
Badger Set-Back #1: I was assigned to the Education Programs. "Sorry, Noah. Didn't get placed in the Magazine. Doesn't look like I'll be writing anything any time soon."
Badger Victory #2: The My Wonderful World blog. "Noah! I get to write for an NG blog! Badgers here we come!"
Badger Set-Back #2: I know absolutely nothing about badgers.

Since posting last week's entry, "Make a gingerbread global village," I've taken some better photos of my own attempts. Here they are, so that you might better study our engineering calculations and geographic detailings:

In the spirit of the holidays and the Copenhagen Climate Change talks, I am combining the two for this Five for Friday post- five ways to make your White Christmas green. Or, for those of you who live in warmer climes, five ways to make your Green Christmas greener.

1. Buy a re-plantable Christmas tree: I'd never heard of such a thing until fellow intern and green-queen extraordinaire Hilary told me her family does this every year. Although very few places in the United States actually market it, the idea is simple: Buy an evergreen with its root ball still attached, enjoy it for the holiday season; then return in to the nursery, plant it in your backyard, or donate it to a local park! Swanson's in Seattle, Washington is one such nursery that will take back the tree and re-plant it in Pipers Creek, a salmon habitat that needs conifers and other trees to maintain a healthy stream for the fish.

Another organization in the Pacific Northwest calls itself the "Original Living Christmas Tree Company." They pick up trees and replant them in watersheds all over the Northwest. They also have great tips on other ways to get a living Christmas tree if you don't live in the Portland, Oregon area.

Whatever kind of tree you buy, make sure it's real! According to the Environmental News Network, real trees are better for the environment than fake plastic ones. Check out the full story to read more.

2. Wrap gifts in recycled paper: My mother is the master of recycling wrapping paper (and ribbons) year after year. In fact, we have an entire closet in our house dedicated to wrapping materials, most of which have been used and re-used many times. Newspaper makes excellent (and often nicely-sized!) wrapping paper, especially if you use the Comics and other colored or graphic sections. Here at National Geographic, the Maps department frequently gives away old, rejected, or torn maps; I've been digging through the pile all semester, and plan to wrap all of my gifts this year in them! Ribbons and bows are also very easy to re-use. Grab a bag and see how many streamers, bows, and other gift-garnishes you can collect this year. You'll be surprised how fast your pile grows!

MWW learned about Alexandra Ramaeker Zahn, a 12-year-old from Iowa who has written four novels, through a friend's encounter with the her mother at a conference. Following the lead from our friend, we called Alexandra to learn more about her stories, which span the geography of the U.S. and Europe.

Alexandra is a middle school student who participates in multiple sports, as well as Mock Trial, Destination Imagination, Junior Achievement, Jazz Band and Chorus. She has traveled to 18 states and 2 countries with her family. She enjoys learning, in detail, facts about each of the places she has been to. She is curious about other cultures, landscapes, the science of things, and the dynamics of friendships.

Can you tell me the titles of the four novels you've written and give a brief synopsis of each?
Moving Streak is the story of an 8th grade girl named Abby who moves around the United States--to South Dakota, Iowa, and North Carolina. She doesn't know if she really fits in because she moves around so much. By the end of the novel, she finds out who her real friends are, and who she really is.

Deep Down Secrets is set in New York City. It is about a popular girl who doesn't really love being popular, and doesn't really know who she's become. With the help of her best friend, she comes to terms with herself.

Best Year Never is the sequel to Deep Down Secrets. It goes deeper into the friendships of the protagonist. Some kids still think she's stereotypically "cool," but others discover that she is different in important ways.

Princess of Anastesia takes place in Italy, in medieval times. It tells the story of a 12-year-old who lives with a farm family, but discovers that her real dad is a king, and she is a princess. Her father had to give her up because his kingdom was fighting a great war, and the enemies were trying to hurt her.

For the past several holiday seasons, we have plugged our favorite geography gifts. We share them again this year throughout the December newsletter and here on the blog. After all, we like to think we're experts on the topic! This time around, however, we thought we'd mix it up by stirring some new voices into the holiday mix. So we asked our favorite teachers and activist parents: What's on your shopping list?

We've combined our favorite responses into this delicious holiday list. Check out our Quick Guide for a list of these great ideas; then check out the comments for extra info. Thanks to everyone who contributed!

Quick Guide
Knock, Knock... Where am I? game (Maya Frost)
Passport to Culture board game (Maya Frost)
Bueno, entonces DVD set (Maya Frost)
Blank world map, rolled up with ribbon and with markers included (Maya Frost)
Cajun Night Before Christmas book (Kim Hulse)
Ken Burns Documentary Series: The National Parks, America's Best Idea DVD set (Kerry Jones)
National Geographic Map Bundles (Kerry Jones)
Great States Board Game (Kerry Jones)
Talking USA Puzzle Map (Melissa Martin)
The Scrambled States of America book and game (Melissa Martin)
Homemade jam in wooden carrying case (Sheila Keller-Powell)
Amazon Kindle (Nancy Sathre-Vogel)
Map of the World PlayScene game (Soultravelers3)
Dolly Dingle Goes around the World book (Soultravelers3)
EarthSearch book (Soultravelers3)
The Complete National Geographic DVD collection (Soultravelers3)

In brainstorming holiday craft ideas, I tried to come up with something that would be geographic, gender-neutral, and fun for all ages...Why not transform the traditional gingerbread house into a gingerbread global village? You could make an adobe abode for warm-weather dwellers, an igloo, a tee-pee, an eco-home...

So, like any good researcher, I grabbed my roommates and put the idea to the test this past weekend. They made an elaborate, traditional Victorian estate complete with an ice-skating rink and outhouse. I went less traditional--and only slightly less ambitious--and built a two-story adobe home and igloo.

Here are our tried-and-true recipes, tips and ideas.

You'll need:
--Gingerbread dough (recipe below)
--icing (recipe below)
--food coloring
--rolling pin
--measuring cups and spoons
--cookie sheets
--wax paper
--clean work surface
--pencils
--paper
--ruler
--scissors
--card stock or cardboard
--candy, such as gum drops, Life Savers, candy canes, Twizzlers, Pirouette cookies, etc.

We got the main recipe and instructions from "Elise" at Simply Recipes. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions.

Over 100 world leaders, President Obama included, will converge in Copenhagen this week and next for the UN Climate Change Conference, but they are not the only ones flocking to the Danish capital. Thousands of young people from all over the world, 500+ from the United States alone, are pouring into the Bella Convention Center to make delegates take notice. They may come from every corner of the planet, but they all share the same message: Now is the time to fight climate change. Here are two awesome groups leading the charge.

Expedition Copenhagen
Will Steger, the renowned polar explorer, educator, activist, and National Geographic Explorer in Residence Emeritus, is among the conference attendees. With him is Expedition Copenhagen, a dozen of the Midwest's most dedicated youth, intent on spreading the word about the impacts of climate change and elevating the status of youth voices around the world on this topic. As a Midwesterner myself, I am extremely proud of these young people and their dedication to the environment!

In our "Holiday Geocrafts and Treats" post, we suggested trying some traditional ethnic dishes. Of course, the possibilities are endless--nearly every culture on Earth from Mexico to Monaco has its own suite of seasonal recipes. So, to narrow the list, we stuck with our Geography in the News theme of Christmas in Denmark, and added a Chanukah recipe for good measure (of course, Jews are an important minority in Denmark as throughout much of Europe--ever read the excellent children's book "Number the Stars?")

So, without further ado, here are our favorite recipes for Danish rice pudding, Æbleskivers, and Jewish potato latkes.

Danish Rice Pudding
Rice pudding is consumed throughout the holiday season in Denmark. On Christmas Eve, it follows the traditional meal of goose--the lucky guest to find the almond hidden in the pudding gets a prize. Another serving is offered at night to appease the prankster elf Nisse, who might otherwise make mischief. On Christmas morning, rice pudding is even eaten for breakfast!

The holidays are a great time to explore the geography of a new travel destination, rediscover the geography of your local community, or take part in fun geography crafts and games at home. Try to plan at least one geography-themed family activity over the holidays. Here are a few ideas:

1) Play a geography trivia or board game like Brain Quest, World Wise, or Passport to Culture

2) If traveling, let the kids play navigator and program the GPS device. Or, go old-school and chart your route on a map.

3) Bake a cake or sheet of gingerbread. Using candy and icing, decorate it with a map of your holiday travel plans or an upcoming trip.

4) Bake a traditional ethnic treat, such as Danish rice pudding, able skiver pancakes, or potato latkes.

5) Instead of the traditional gingerbread house, build a global village out of candy! Make an adobe abode for warm-weather dwellers, an igloo, maybe even an eco-home. Get creative!

Here are some more holiday tips from National Geographic Kids:

A discussion of December happenings in Denmark (see previous post) would not be complete without Christmas, the nation's most celebrated holiday. Although climate change might alter the possibility of a white Christmas, Danish traditions are here to stay!

This holiday is big in Denmark, and even the Danish word for Christmas, Jul, means "feast," and modern traditions have origins in old Nordic culture. Good eats abound during the season, beginning on Christmas Eve. While we often eat a Christmas ham in the United States, the traditional meat in Denmark on this night is goose. After dinner, a popular dessert is rice pudding.  Hidden in the dish lies one whole almond, and the person who finds it wins a prize! On Christmas morning, Danes eat more sweet fare such as puddings, pies, or a traditional Danish treat called Æbleskiver.

Families and friends aren't the only ones who enjoy the Christmas treats: Danish folklore tells of Nisse, an elf who loves playing tricks on unsuspecting people. Rather than milk and cookies for Santa it is tradition to leave out a bowl of--you guessed it--rice pudding for Nisse on Christmas Eve to remain in his good graces and ward off any pranks.

Recipes for Danish Rice pudding, Æbleskiver, and other delicious holiday treats are coming soon, so check out the blog in the coming days!

Do you have a special holiday tradition in your home? Share them with us!

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is underway in Copenhagen. Over the course of the 12 day summit, participants from 192 countries representing governments, the business community, and civil society will attempt to agree on "an ambitious, global agreement that meets the challenge set by science," although many officials doubt that a solid treaty will be achieved. Instead, Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, outlined these four questions, and feels that if these questions are answered, a sufficient framework will be in place to solidify future plans:
 
1. How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?
 
2. How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?
 
3. How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?
 
4. How is that money going to be managed?
 
Hammering out all the little details will be tricky, de Boer says, but if conference participants can agree on these points, he'll be happy.

So why do we care as geographers?
This conference highlights environmental, political, and cultural issues... all topics that geographers study. The effect that this conference could have on climate legislation is clear, but just think about the logistics and cultural hurdles of getting representatives from every country in the UN together in one place to come to a solid agreement. A tricky game to play!
 

Jim is the Director of Learning at Leap Frog, which designs and develops innovative and creative educational products. He loves "the 'ah-ha"'moment of learning something new, the feeling of mastery that comes with practice, and the way learning opens up new worlds to explore."

Geo-literacy is the ability to think, act, and communicate in geographic terms.  It provides a fun way to promote healthy physical development, practical skills for navigating everyday life, and broad understandings for success in a global world.  For young children, it starts with the places, people, plants, animals, and things they encounter everyday.

 Healthy Development.  Children naturally learn basic geo-literacy skills as they use their bodies to explore and make sense of their surroundings, from crawling towards a favorite toy to bicycling around a city park.  They build body awareness and spatial understanding as they go up, down, forward, backward, around, and behind.  Games and activities that include communicating about locations, directions, and positions further build these geo-literacy skills.  Parents can support them by using locational language ("your doll is under the coffee table") and by encouraging games like hide-and-seek or free play on a jungle-gym.

Local Navigation.  From digital maps and Google Earth, to GPS-enabled cars, cameras, and phones, families are increasingly surrounded by geographic information and tools.  Parents can support children's geo-literacy by talking about the locations, directions, and places that children know best. "The sun is coming up, let's go to the East side of the house and see if the kitchen table is sunny yet."  "Let's go to the end of this aisle and turn right, I think that's where the oranges are."  "Look, there's our house on the satellite photo, do you see the green park?"  "Can you draw a map of your room that shows where you want the bed to be?"

Keep reading Jim's full post on his blog!
http://community.leapfrog.com/t5/The-Learning-Team-Jim-Gray-EdD/Geo-literacy-for-kids/ba-p/1476