Always a teacher, Always a survivor

Tornado Tracks in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

2011-05-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

Tornado Tracks in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

From NASA's Earth Observatory website: Tornado "tracks"...satellite imagery showing a map of the fury's path.

2011-04-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

The Angel of the East, lesson plan

2011-02-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

Years ago I picked up this lesson plan during a geography conference ... fabulous VISUAL, hands-on ...to help kids remember the countries of the Middle East.

A couple of pages are missing from the original lesson plan now though., and so I have tried to locate this lesson plan on the internet to no avail. I'm reconstructing a couple of the items so as to provide a complete lesson plan here. (double click on images to enlarge and print).

Give students a blank, black-line outline map of the Middle East. Tell them an "Angel of the East" will appear when they hear the following poem..and the poem will help them learn the countries of the Middle East Region. Have them listen for clues in the poem as you read outloud (or show on smart board/chalkboard/overhead transparency). Outline the "Angel" on the map with a marker as countries/clues are given in the poem:

The Angel of the East (teaching poem)
byRebecca Scott
If you could look east
across the United States,
over the Atlantic Ocean and
the Mediterranean Sea
to a place between
Asia, Africa, and Europe,
you might see an angel--
and angel of the east--
setting on a sea of blue.
Her head hangs heavily, (Turkey)
bowed towards her chest ( Lebanon, Syria,)
as she holds her hands
together in prayer
facing west. (Egypt)
A tear has fallen
from her cheek. (Cyprus)
Her heart aches; (Israel)
the heart of three religions.
She would like to be
the angel for all people,
but it seems remote
on this southwest peninsula.
She is battle-worn
and war-torn,
this angel of the east--
praying someday for
a new world order and peace.

Other angel parts to identify:
wings (Iran, Afghanistan)
shoulder/arms (Iraq, Jordan)
body/dress (Saudi Arabia)
dress hem (Yemen, Oman, UAE)
Buttons on dress (Kuwait, Quatar, Bahrain)

"Man-made" coral reef

2011-02-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Winter Cloud Streets, North Atlantic

2011-02-21T07:21:00.000-08:00

Winter Cloud Streets, North Atlantic

Durrat Al Bahrain, Persian Gulf

2011-02-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

Beautiful photography from space!!!!!1

Durrat Al Bahrain, Persian Gulf

NASA Earth Observatory

2011-02-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

is one of my favorite websites.

It is loaded with current visual images of storms, volcanic eruptions, earthquake damage, etc. Beautiful satellite imagery, in public domain format and accessible to teachers. There are links to show comparative physical geography, email/newletter updates, and many other useful items useful for teaching geography!

Tropical Cyclone Yasi

2011-02-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

Tropical Cyclone Yasi

Historic Winter Storm Moves Across the U.S.

2011-02-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

Historic Winter Storm Moves Across the U.S.

Check out this great MSN video: Artist's 'Staple City' comes to life

2010-10-18T06:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this great MSN video: Artist's 'Staple City' comes to life

Family biking from Alaska to tip of South America

2010-09-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

http://familyonbikes.org/

WOW!! What an adventurous family...biking and home teaching the whole way!!
Teachers, help your students learn geography by following the travels and adventures on their travel blog!

This is who we are..Living in Utah video

2010-09-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Pause the music widget before playing this great video (scroll down...on right side)

Geospatial Revolution / Episode One

2010-09-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

SkyWatch Friday

2010-09-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

For more interesting skyviews:

http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/

A thunderstorm rumbled through our area recently...as the storm began to clear, the afternoon sunlight reflected off the heavy storm clouds creating a very beautiful "heavenly" view.

Cheers to SkyWatch Friday viewers!

Skywatch Friday...Moon & Jupiter

2010-08-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

Skywatch Friday
See other amazing sky images:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Light from the large waning moon was peaking through the clouds this morning......forming a "moondog"
(rainbow) of sorts. Pretty site with brightly shining Jupiter nearby.

The science of a Journey Through the Center of the Earth

2010-08-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

I've seen a lot of explanations about digging a hole through the earth.....but this on from Neil deGrasse Tyson / NOVA scienceNOW NOVA Short Journey Through the Center of the Earth is the best!!
(mute sound from playlist popout below before viewing video)

For lesson plans related to this subject, view my 2/21/09 blog post:
How to dig a hole to the center of the earth

BLOG UPDATE

2010-06-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

I've been away from my blog for awhile. My Mother had a massive stroke and my Father fell (crushed a vertebrae in his back & contacted MERSA in the hospital). My life has become a blurr of paperwork, hospitals and long term care facilities for both ......

Please feel free to search my blog for geography teaching tools and resources in the mean time...

Thanks for your patience and come back to visit soon!

Singing 13-Year-Old Wins National Geographic Bee

2010-06-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Singing 13-Year-Old Wins National Geographic Bee

Utah State Geographic Bee winner will compete in Finals today at NGS

2010-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

Anthony Cheng survived the preliminaries of the National Finals Geographic Bee Competition in WashingtonDC. He competes today as one of the top ten finalists in the Finals competion today. Good Luck Anthony!!!!

NPR: Along the Grank Trunk Road series....

2010-05-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

I've been away from my blog for awhile. My Mother had a massive stroke and my Father fell (crushed a vertebrae in his back & contacted MERSA in the hospital). My life has become a blurr of paperwork, hospitals and long term care facilities for both ......

But for now.... NPR radio has sponsored a series all week on their Morning Edition show: Alog The Grand Trunk Road. NPR reporters have been travelling and reporting their experiences from the old Asian "Grand Trunk Road". If you missed this series, it is all available on their website including audio files, slide shows, and maps of the grand journey....FABULOUS

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126395475

Why Geography Matters by Google Earth

2010-05-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

Earth Day links

2010-04-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

A terrific website for kids with lots of online geography (Earth Day) activities:

http://funschool.kaboose.com/globe-rider/earth-day/

National Park Week..free admission

2010-04-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

All national parks free for a week - The Denver Post: "All national parks free for a week
By The Denver Post
Posted: 04/16/2010 05:18:18 PM MDT
Updated: 04/16/2010 05:21:15 PM MDT

Admission to all 392 national parks — including four in Colorado — is free April 17-25 during National Park Week.
Colorado's parks are the Great Sand Dunes National Park in the San Luis Valley, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in western Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park along the Continental Divide, and southwest Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park.
The normal cost is $20 per vehicle in Rocky Mountain National Park, $15 per vehicle in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison park and $10 per vehicle in Mesa Verde. The regular cost in Great Sand Dunes is $3 per person.
Saturday, April 24, is National Junior Ranger Day, when kids can take part in special activities and earn an official Junior Ranger patch.
Most parks also are planning special volunteer events, giveaways and discounts during the week to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22.
Mesa Verde, for example, is offering 40 percent off T-shirts made from recycled material, as well as a free pack of Colorado wild flower seeds to each visitor all week.
For more information visit www.nationalparkweek.org or www.nps.gov."

Earth Day links

2010-04-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

From the Utah Geographic Alliance website:

40th Anniversary of Earth Day (April 22) Below are a few websites with resources that may be useful as you engage your students in the celebration of Earth Day.

http://earthday.net/greenschools http://earthday.wilderness.org/teachers/ http://earth911.com/for-students/ http://www.planetpals.com/earthday.html http://www.edhelper.com/EarthDay.htm http://www.epa.gov/kids/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/environment.html http://www.earthday.org/climaterally http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/18/g35/earthday.html http://www.ngslis.org/earth_current/20080229.html

Sun Size and Altitude - Earth Science Picture of the Day

2010-04-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

Great article and example of why we build telescopes on high mt. tops.
From a Great Website:Earth Science Picture of the Day!

Sun Size and Altitude - Earth Science Picture of the Day: "Sun Size and Altitude
April 21, 2010

Photographer: Rob Ratkowski
Summary Author: Rob Ratkowski

Astronomers are frequently asked why we have our observatories on high mountain tops. A big part of looking into deep space has to do with atmospheric transparency and freedom of particulates along with heat that causes blurring. A simple but effective understanding of this 'seeing' is to put a finger at arm’s length in front of the Sun and observe the aureole that’s produced. Held at arm’s length, a finger tip subtends about one half of a degree of sky – nearly the same amount of space that both the Sun and Moon take up. At sea level, observing is often compromised by the build up of heat, dust, moisture, haze, pollution, and aerosols that include ash and even salt. Higher up, there’s less of this to deal with since there’s less atmosphere to peer through. These three photos were taken on the Hawaiian island of Maui at (left to right) Baldwin Beach, Kula and Haleakala Observatory, respectively. The disk of the Sun is completely hidden by my index fingertip at 10,000 ft (about 3,050 m). Note, I can positively verify that my finger didn’t increase in size as a result of the thinner air.
Coordinates:
Baldwin Beach: 20.913502,-156.394544
Kula: 20.79222, -156.32694
Haleakala Observatory: 20.70825, -156.256678

Geography of U.S.National Parks

2010-04-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

CHECK THIS SITE OUT!
RACE TO THE MOMENT is a reality series were two families use their physical and geography skills to negotiate their way through Joshua Tree National Park. Watch the race, or design and map your own race in other U.S. National Parks!

1=25070#/show">http://racetothemoment.msn.com/?section=challenge&dataId=201&source=msn>1=25070#/show

Icelandic volcano eruption lesson plan

2010-04-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

See One of my favorite blogs and teacher geography resource blogs:

http://www.geogalot.com/

This blog's author, Richard Allaway, produced a webpage of resource to help teach about the Eyjafjallajoekull Eruption and Ash Cloud - you can read all about the resources here:
http://www.geogalot.com/experiences/2010/4/19/eyjafjallajoekull-eruption-ash-cloud-lesson-resources.html

Check out his blog and sign up for his newsletter...I've found tons of fabulous lesson plans and teacher resources from his blog!!!

NASA Observes Ash Plume of Icelandic Volcano

2010-04-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

NASA Observes Ash Plume of Icelandic Volcano

SkyWatch Friday

2010-04-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

See other interesting sky views:

http://skyley.blogspot.com/

PAIRS OF PLUMP PIGEONS (MORNING DOVES) PERCHED IN ORNAMENTAL PEAR TREES...

GLOBE AT NIGHT PROGRAM

2010-03-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

How many stars can you count in Orion from where you live? Help shed light on light pollution! Take a few minutes to monitor your local night sky brightness and submit your measurement online. With half the world’s population now living in cities, light pollution is a huge problem; yet you can easily be part of a local solution. The "GLOBE at Night" campaign runs from March 3 to March 16, 2010.

http://www.globeatnight.org/

This great little website has family and teacher activity packets available for download related to this event, as well as podcasts, posters, postcards and all kinds of graphs charts and maps dealing with light pollution.

Count the stars of Orion tonight and register your star count with this program....FUN

SkyWatch Friday: Moon caught in a tree

2010-03-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

See more intriguing sky sights at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Lucky me.. again I saw the moon "caught" in a tree!!

It can't get out without a doubt.

But it's okay for a post today....
a special picture for (SW) Friday!!

Cheers! & Happy SWFriday!!!

SkyWatch Friday: Tree that held up the Moon

2010-03-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

To see other groovey sky views:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

This not a real great photo, but I saw this big full, orange morning moon, and ran to get my camera.

I took several photos and this one was the 'best".
I was looking so much at the moon that I didn't realize how much of the tree was in the way....its funny the tree looks like its "holding" the moon up in its branches--a lunar ornament of sorts.

Cheers!!!

EARTH HOUR 2010

2010-03-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

TURN OUT YOUR LIGHTS FOR EARTH HOUR 2010: 8:30 PM

NASA - Google Earth Application Maps Carbon's Course

2010-03-04T13:00:00.000-08:00

Check out this new Google Earth application layer from NASA...INCREDIBLE!!

NASA - Google Earth Application Maps Carbon's Course: "Google Earth Application Maps Carbon's Course"

National Clearinghouse for United States-Japan Studies

2010-03-04T07:15:00.000-08:00

Need educational materials about Japan? See the SPICE program link to National Clearinghouse for U.S. - Japan Studies
http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/clearinghouse/

INTERNET TEACHER GUIDES:
http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/147

How the Chiliean Earthquake Moved the Earth

2010-03-03T06:25:00.000-08:00

A podcast from NPR radio, Morning Edition, 3/3/10
with more details about how the earth changed from the gigantic Chiliean earthquake:

Chili Quake effected the whole earth

2010-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

(turn down sound or pause music widget in dashboard before viewing video)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

SHAKE MAP OF CHILI EARTHQUAKE

2010-02-27T16:02:00.000-08:00

FROM USGS.GOV SITE:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/shakemap/

USGS Release: Chilean Earthquake Press Briefing (2/27/2010 1:21:06 PM)

2010-02-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

USGS Release: Chilean Earthquake Press Briefing (2/27/2010 1:21:06 PM)

SkyWatch Friday

2010-02-25T12:19:00.001-08:00

To see other interesting sky views:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

I LOOKED TO THE SKY AND WHAT DID I SEE?

A WEE BIT OF SPRING LOOKING BACK AT ME!!

CHEERS!
HAPPY SKYWATCH FRIDAY

Video for elementary teachers

2010-02-24T06:52:00.000-08:00

This is TOOO FUNNY....and SPOT ON!!! Enjoy!!
(Turn off background music in dashboard widget before viewing
so you can truly enjoy this video clip!)

This is from the show The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective Educators. Wavelength trains teachers. Learn more at www.wavelengthinc.com

Animaniacs: Nations of the World song

2010-02-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

Animaniac's: Nations of the world song
(turn down the music from the dashboard music widget
so you can hear this....)

geography songs

2010-02-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

If you ever needed or wanted a list of geography songs....try this HUGE geography song blog by
Eric Riback:

http://ericssonglists.blogspot.com/

also see his great blog: MAPVILLE !!!!!

http://mapville.blogspot.com/

Using children's literature to teach geography

2010-02-23T13:30:00.001-08:00

I found an EXCCELLENT geography lesson plan (using childrens' literature) from Geographic Alliance of Iowa:

http://www.uni.edu/gai/Lesson_plans/Teaching_Geography_using_literature.html

Minn of the Mississippi
Paddle-to-the-Sea
Seabird

"These books are by Holling Clancy Holling....and are very geography content laden.... it is appropriate to be used from grade 4-9. "

Book available at Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0395273994/litplanscom-20

James Michener on Geography

2010-02-23T12:37:00.000-08:00

James Michener on Geography
The Queenly Science

(A geography quote from About.com)

"The more I work in the social-studies field the more convinced I become that Geography is the foundation of all. When I call it the queenly science, I do not visualize a bright-eyed young woman recently a princess but rather an elderly, somewhat beat-up dowager, knowing in the way of power.
When I begin work on a new area – something I have been called upon to do rather frequently in my adult life – I invariably start with the best geography I can find. This take precedence over everything else, even history, because I need to ground myself in the fundamentals which have governed and in a sense limited human development. … Most geography books, like most geography courses, are drab affairs and a waste of time. I have dissipated many hours looking at geographies that were not worth the reading, but when you come upon something like Preston James' speculative works on South America the philosophical returns are apt to be high. However, even the poorest regional geography is better than none at all; it at least delimits the field, fixes certain relationships, and drives the reader to a contemplation of his own.

With growing emphasis on ecology and related problems of the environment, geography will undoubtedly grow in importance and relevance. I wish that the teaching of it were going to improve commensurately; most of the geography courses I have known were rather poorly taught and repelled the general student like me.

I could make the same wish about geographical writing. It ought to be much better than it is, with more emphasis upon generalization and philosophical meaning. Television has done much to awaken the general viewer to geographical matters – but this is merely a pleasant tourism, sight-seeing. What is required is the perceptive analysis of the land and man's relationship to it. If one has this solid footing, then the television travelogue can be of enormous additional value. Without it, the television program is harmless entertainment and provides little evident for reaching conclusion on major problems.

If I were a young man with any talent for expressing myself, and if I wanted to make myself indispensable to my society, I would devote eight to ten years to the real mastery of one of the earth's major regions. I would learn languages, the religions, the customs, the value systems, the history, the nationalisms, and above all the geography, and when that was completed I would be in position to write about that region, and I would be invaluable to my nation, for I would be the bridge of understanding to the alien culture. We have seen how crucial such bridges can be.

Believe me, if I were well schooled in one of these vital areas and if I had even a modest gift for writing I would have an insurance policy for the rest of my life, because we need perceptive books about these cultures."

Extract from "The Mature Social Studies Teacher," Social Education, November, 1970. pp. 760-767

EarthSky.org -- Geography podcasts

2010-02-23T12:31:00.000-08:00

http://earthsky.org

Listen to FREE, ONLINE ,daily, EarthSky.org podcasts...fascinating science, space and geography subjects! You may download the daily/weekly podcasts or embed their podcasts into a blog, etc.

I used them every morning with my 6th grades classes as a "listening" (comprehension) class starter. The kids listened to the podcast, jotted down a few notes about what they heard and we discussed the topic for a few minutes. The kids turned in their "Earth&Sky" notes every Friday...I was able to give them a comprehension and class participation grade from their work.

(turn off the music gadget in the sidebar if you wish to listen to the podcasts now...)

2010-02-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

Not a geography topic, but a great inspirational video:

It's the struggles in life that help us to become greater individuals!!

SkyWatch Friday

2010-02-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

See other exciting skyviews:
http://skyley.blogspot.com

It was a dark and dreary winter morning...menacing clouds piled up against the Wasatch Mountains in Utah County. For a brief moment the sun attempted to scatter a few rays of light onto those of us waiting so desperately for spring to arrive. This picture made me a feel a little less snowbound and a lot more springy... Cheers and Happy Sky Watching!!!

Storm could mean snow on ground in all 50 states - USATODAY.com

2010-02-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

Several articles and news items have shown up today talking about all 50 states having snow on the ground.
Here's the article from USATODAY.com:

Storm could mean snow on ground in all 50 states - USATODAY.com

This same website/article above has a great interactive map showing snow in all the States:

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2010-02-11-nationwide-snow_N.htm?csp=hf

2010 Olympic Medal Tracker

2010-02-12T06:55:00.001-08:00

Lots of opportunities to teach geography during the Winter Olympics!!
Start by downloading this free widget from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics site:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/widgets/index.html
Give each student a large black-line world map to use during the Olympics...students can begin by identifying on the world map the countries participating in the Winter Olympics..then marking tally marks on countries winning medals.

OR CHECK OUT THIS SITE: http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-medals/geo-view/
The official Vancouver Winter Olympics has a interactive online world map showing all of the participating countries that will show an ongoing tally of medals for each country....THANK YOU VANCOUVER WINTER OLYMPICS FOR ADDING A GEOGRAPHY COMPONENT TO YOUR OLYMPICS!!!

Another idea that I have used with my students in the past:
Record,download,watch online from the websites, the opening ceremony of the Olympics...especially where the teams enter the stadium with their country's flags. Show the recording to students...(you can leave the sound off)..and as each country's flag pass...students identify the flag and identify the country on a black-line map of the world. (Current World Almanacs will help with flag identification).

SkyWatch Friday

2010-02-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

To see other interesting sky views:
http://skyley.blogspot.com

A cold Utah County morning....after a big snow storm. The light on these trees made the scene very "painted' or unreal looking...brrrrr.

Bring on Spring!!!

GEOGRAPHY QUOTE

2010-02-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

"In his last years my father would sit on the porch of his Long Island nursing home looking out on the sea, and between long silences he would speak. “You know, sometimes I see a little dot way out there, and then it gets bigger and finally turns into a ship.” I explained that the earth was a sphere and so forth. In his 80 years he had never had time to sit and watch the sea. He had employed hundreds of people and made tens of thousands of coats and shipped them to towns and cities all over the States, and now at the end he looked out over the sea and said with happy surprise, “Oh. So it’s round!”

Arthur Miller, Timebends

SkyWatch Friday

2010-02-05T06:54:00.001-08:00

To see other interesting sky views:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

I found a cool website to help explain the following moon pictures:
http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moonring/ey.blogspot.com/

*Moon halo?

*Moon dog?

*paraselene?

*ring around the Moon?

*Moon corona?

What ever you wish to call this pretty moon site..took me quite awhile and lots of shots to capture these three pictures. Either the clouds covered the moon or the "rainbow colors" were not visible enough. I was excited to get these three!

HAPPY SKYWATCHING!

NGChannel: "A Traveler's Guide to THE PLANETS"

2010-02-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

A Traveler's Guide to the Planets | National Geographic Channel

"See new interactive companion site to NGS Channel program "A TRAVELER' GUIDE TO THE PLANETS"...STARTING 2/14/10 7 PM"

The Traveler's Guide to the Planets is the ultimate travel guide to the solar system.

View >>

NOVA: Ghosts of Machu Picchu

2010-02-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

PBS/NOVA is premiering new program today : The Ghosts of Machu Picchu.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/machupicchu/ The companion website is loaded with all kinds of teacher materials and resources. The entire program can be viewed online starting 2/3/10.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/lessonideas/3704_machupicchu.html
From the "Teacher Resource" link above see media-rich lesson plans using this program.

Cross-Quarter Days

2010-02-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

REPOSTING:

Happy Ground Hog Day ..with an

"astronomy-geography" connection!!!

Did you know that Ground Hog Day

is a cross-quarter day?

For more information about astronomy and Cross-Quarter Days, see:

http://www.astronomy.ohiostate.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Unit2/time.html

A cross-quarter day is a day falling approximately halfway between a solstice and an equinox. These days originated as pagan holidays in Sweden, Norway, Finland, United Kingdom and Ireland, and survive in modern times as neopagan holidays.

The Cross-Quarter Days:
1 November

2 February
1 May )
1 August

From Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-quarter_day

"There are Christian and secular holidays that correspond roughly with each of these four, and some argue that historically they originated as adaptations of the pagan holidays, although the matter is not agreed upon. The corresponding holidays are:
St.Brigids Day (1 February), Groundhog Day (2 February), and Candlemas (2 or 15 February)
Walpurgis Night (30 Apr) and May Day (1 May)
Lammas (1 August)
Halloween (31 October), All Saints (1 November), and All Souls' Day (2 November)"

For more Cross-Quarter Day information see:

http://www.clarkfoundation.org/astro-utah/vondel/

Cross-Quarter Day lesson plan:

http://digitaliseducation.com/curricula/halloween-astronomy.rtf

SkyWatch Friday

2010-01-28T16:34:00.000-08:00

See other interesting sky sites
http://skyley.blogspot.com

I just stepped out my back door and
saw this pretty view! The snowy peak of
Mt. Timpanogos is poking up from the
hazy valley smog, and the sunset light is tinting
the mountain a pretty pink..paired with a white
moon...blue, pink, white,....nice site!!!

(Mt. Timpanogos is part of the Wasatch Front Mountains in Utah County, Utah, USA)

Another Great Geography Quote

2010-01-27T09:17:00.000-08:00

Another great geography quote from the book:
"Big Tiger and Christian" by Fritz Muhlenweg.

Big Tiger had never had a map in his hand before, but he pretended to know all about maps and remarked airily: “I can’t read the names on this one because they’re in English.” Christian realized he would have to show his friend how to read a map. “The top is north,” he said. “The little circles are towns and villages. Blue means rivers and lakes, the thin lines are roads and the thick ones railways.” “There’s nothing at all here,” said Big Tiger pointing to one of the many white patches. “That means it’s just desert,” Christian explained. “You have to go into the desert to know what it looks like.”….. “That’s a fine map,” said Big Tiger. “It’s useful to be able to look up beforehand the places we reach later.”….. “Are there bandits about here?” asked Christian. “Perhaps it’s written on the map,” Big Tiger ventured. “Look and see.”….. "

Article about this book:
http://www.allthingsransome.net/rrreviews/bigtigerandchristian.html

Holocaust Remembrance Day

2010-01-27T08:25:00.000-08:00

Did you see this?

News about International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day (VIDEO) Marked By Netanyahu
Netanyahu marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day - The Jewish community must continue to fight anti-Semitism, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Monday. Speaking in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the Jewish ... - Post Chronicle

http://www.bing.com/newsq=International+Holocaust+Remembrance+Day&FORM=TASKCB

Other online resources:

*For an online virtual tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau:
http://www.remember.org/auschwitz/aus.php

*UNESCO.org World Heritage Site:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/31

*Jewish Virtual library: Auschwitz-Birkenau:
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/auschbirk.html

*The interactive Web site, located at www.footnote.com/holocaust
, offers more than 1 million Holocaust-related documents. It is a collaboration between the National Archives and Records Administration, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Footnote.com, based in Lindon, UTAH.

Weekly EarthSky.org podcast player

2010-01-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

http://earthsky.org

Listen to FREE, ONLINE ,daily, EarthSky.org podcasts...fascinating science, space and geography subjects! You may download the daily/weekly podcasts or embed their podcasts into a blog, etc.

I used them every morning with my 6th grades classes as a "listening" (comprehension) class starter. The kids listened to the podcast, jotted down a few notes about what they heard and we discussed the topic for a few minutes. The kids turned in their "Earth&Sky" notes every Friday...I was able to give them a comprehension, geography, grammar, and class participation grades from their work.

(turn off the music gadget in the sidebar if you wish to listen to the podcasts now...)

GEOGRAPHY QUOTE

2010-01-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite quotes from "Heart of Darkness", by Joseph Conrad

"Now when I was a little chap, I had a passion for maps. I would look for hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia, and lose myself in all the glories of exploration. At that time there were many blank spaces on the earth, and when I saw one that looked particularly inviting on a map, (but they all looked like that) I would put my finger on it and say, “When I grow up I will go there.”

CHILDREN'S GEOGRAPHY LITERATURE

2010-01-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

CHILDREN'S GEOGRAPHY LITERATURE:

"PEOPLE" by Peter Spier
("People" explores diversity of the world's population. Looks at various cultures, homes, food, games, clothing, faces and religions.)

I found many lesson plans for this book, mostly for K-3 usage like this link:
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/3254
I found this lesson plan for 4+grades usuage:
http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=3042

Amazon.com link:
http://www.amazon.com/People-Peter-Spier/dp/038524469X#noop

2010-01-27T06:46:00.000-08:00

I am going to start posting recommended geography-based literature WITH LESSON PLANS...SO MANY GREAT PICTURE/NOVEL BOOKS to help teach geography using literature!!!

Starting with this title: "By the Great Horn Spoon!", by Sid Fleischman"

Related lesson plan found at this link:
http://education.boisestate.edu/compass/Facultyroom/LessonvaultAIG/GeoLit.htm

Book available through Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Horn-Spoon-Sid-Fleischman/dp/0316286125

Helping your child learn Geography

2010-01-24T15:05:00.000-08:00

The following information comes from an older, but very useful booklet, produced by the US Geological Survey and US dept of Education: "Helping Your Child Learn Geography". It is in public domain and so duplication rights are allowed. I used this booklet for years...gave many copies to parents at back to school night or during parent/teacher conferences... to encourage the teaching of geography at home.

The whole booklet 9for download) can be found at the following website:
http://readyweb.crc.uiuc.edu/virtual-library/1990/geo/helpgeo.html

This booklet has a useful list of geography based literature picture/reading/story books and other resources (some outdated)...in the back of the book ..

Helping Your Child Learn Geography

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Table of Contents

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Position on the Earth's Surface

Chapter 2: Place: Physical and Human Characteristics

Chapter 3: Relationships within Places: Humans and Environments

Chapter 4: Movement: People Interacting on the Earth

Chapter 5: Regions: How They Form and Change

Conclusion
References
Glossary
Free or Inexpensive Materials
Books
Acknowledgments

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This booklet is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part for educational purposes is granted.

Return to the Virtual Library page.
Return to the ReadyWeb Home Page.

Stage an International Fair

2010-01-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

This activity is from an older National Geographic Society's Geography Awareness Week packet of materials...This is an activity that could be used any time during the year to study geography/countries!! Permission was granted for teachers to copy and use the materials in the GAW packet:

"GEOGRAPHY: PASSPORT TO THE WORLD
INTERNATIONAL FAIR

INTRODUCTION:
Here's a chance to highlight geography in your class, your school, and your community-and have a great time while you're at it. Convert your classroom or your entire school into a fanfare of "countries," with students representing peoples and their cultures around the world. Then, on the last day of Geography Awareness Week, hold an international fair and include parents, other members of the community, and the media. Get a lively press release out ahead of time. The message for geography as a passport to the world will fly far and wide.
MATERIALS:
To make passport stamps: potatoes, paring knives, stamp pads or paint-or other materials for other kinds of stamps.
PROCEDURE:
Divide the class into small groups. Have each group choose a country. (If you recruit other classes to participate in this activity, each classroom can represent one country.) Ask the students to research the culture of their country during the course of the week, and prepare to show aspects of the culture on the day of the fair. Some ideas for country booths:

• Wear national dress
• Play indigenous music
• Display local textiles
• Stage language demonstrations and lessons
• Perform folk dances
• Show official currency
• Set out guidebooks, travel brochures, maga-zines, and newspapers
• Demonstrate games
• Display pictures of political figures and national heroes
• Serve local food
• Invite someone who has visited that country or lived there to show slides and give a talk
• Paint the country flag on tagboard or on a bedsheet

Have each group of students design an official passport stamp for their
country to be used in other students' passports. If possible, have the class examine actual passport stamps, or use the ones on this page as models. Possible means of making stamps: Carve the stamp from a large potato sliced in half; assemble a stamp from rubber letters and numbers; decorate small white adhesive labels and cut them into official shapes.
Appoint immigration officers to stamp passports as tourists enter the countries, and designate tourist information officers to answer questions
about the country. On the day of the fair or the last day of Geography
Awareness Week--divide each country group so that the students can take turns running their country and visiting other countries. The students should use the passports made in the activity on page 3 (see passport below) for stamped entry into other countries.Invite students from other rooms to visit¬carrying their own passports, of course. Though the fair takes place on the last day of the week, the activity will work best if students select their countries on the first day and devote time daily to preparation. You may want to start preparing for this activity before the week begins." (double click on each of the two images below to enlarge & print.)

"Passport Assembly:
Photocopy the two 8 1/2 x 11" passport templates at right (above) and distribute one set to each student. Have the students assemble their passports in the following way:

A. Cut the two 8 1/2" x 11" pages apart along the dotted line if they were photocopied together.

B. Place each of the two pages, blank side down, on a flat surface in front of you so that you can read the words "PASSPORT" and "Vital Statistics" correctly.

c. Fold each page in half, across the center, with type facing outward. The words "PASSPORT" and "Vital Statistics" should now read across near the top of each fold.

D. Fold each paper again, like a book, so that the words "PASSPORT" and "Vital Statistics" are on the covers.

E. Insert the section with "Vital Statistics" into the center of the "PASSPORT" section and staple together along the edge of the spine-so that the staple ends are on the back side of the booklet. "

SkyWatch Friday

2010-01-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

To see other interesting sky views:

http://skyley.blogspot.com

These photos are not necessarily sky views, but definitely sky-ward looking!
These rock formations are found in Weber Canyon (Wasatch "back" of the Wasatch Front Range Mountains in Utah) and are locally called "The Devil's Slide". I found a great Utah Geological Survey website that describes how this formation came to be as seen today.
http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/geosights/devilsslide.htm

SkyWatch Friday

2010-01-15T11:55:00.001-08:00

See other interesting sky views:
http://skyley.blogspot.com

A flock/covey of morning doves have taken up residency in
my backyard; mostly harvesting the morsels of food from three
flowering pear and two crabapple trees. This is not exactly a
a sky view, but it has been so smoggy and foggy here lately that
our Utah mountains and skies are hidden...catching a picture or two of the
birdies is just about the only thing not hidden in the fog.

HURRY UP SPRING, PLEASE!!!

USGS earthquake resource for Haiti earthquake info

2010-01-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Strikes Haiti

Listen to a USGS CoreCast (podcast) detailing the earthquake in Haiti:
http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ep=117

Also download a Haiti earthquake summary poster
http://education.usgs.gov/

Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Strikes Haiti

2010-01-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Strikes Haiti

Shake map of Haiti earthquake damage:

2010-01-14T14:13:00.000-08:00

Shake map of Haiti earthquake damage:

Desert Ecosystems

2010-01-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

Lake Mead National Recreation Area has a guided walking tour showing 5 different examples of desert ecosystems. These are my photos from the tour. This site has a TEACHER section with many resources and geography based lesson plans
http://www.nps.gov/lame/index.htm

DESERT WASH ECOSYSTEM

CREOSOTE BUSH COMMUNITY

DESERT SPRING COMMUNITY

JOSHUA TREECOMMUNITY

CLIFF COMMUNITY

The Known Universe

2010-01-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

From American Museum of Natural History...AMAZING

The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010.

Data: Digital Universe, American Museum of Natural History
http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/univ...

SkyWatch Friday

2010-01-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

See other interesting sky views:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Two contrasting photos taken during the cold, smog-filled Utah Valley skies typical of inversions this time of the year. The first "darker" image taken as the sun was setting...you can almost see a sundog around the hiding sun. The second photo is of Wasatch Mountains peaking up through the smog...A.M.

Our Sun "eats" a comet!

2010-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212277269.shtml

EarthSky.org Geography podcasts

2010-01-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Partners Video Magazine

2010-01-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

Partners is an award-winning video magazine produced by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). It highlights the programs and accomplishments of the partnership between CSREES and the Land Grant University System in the areas of research, education, and extension.

Great Resources for teachers and students. Videos available for FREE download..many subjects. See the following link for more information about the Partners Video Magazine from CSREES:

Partners Video Magazine

Economic Geography

2010-01-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for lesson plans for economic geography subjects, THE best place to head for teacher resources and lesson plans is THE COUNCIL FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION:
http://www.councilforeconed.org

This website is LOADED will all types of lesson plans and teacher resources on curriculum based, grade-leveled , economic subjects (many geography based!!).

Teacher training, newsletters, reports, publications and lesson plans available at this website.
Virtual Economics has thousands of lesson plans (subscription fee), but EconEdLink &
Civics & Government, & Economics International links have hundreds of FREE lesson plans!!!

Check out their website...too many GREAT resources to list everything here......

The following video was downloadable from the above website:

Footsteps of Alexander the Great: History/Geography

2010-01-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, PBS created a fabulous TV series titled: "In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great."

The series was about Michael Wood's multi-year project of retracing on land the travels of Alexander the Great...following ancient writings, modern folk lore and rumors the trip became an award winning documentary.

This series used to be supported on the PBS website with TONS of educational materials, but it is no longer available. Only the series is available in DVD or book..both of these are available from Amazon.com

Social Studies/history teachers that teach about Ancient Greece...This series is an excellent documentary not just for the history component, but for teaching geography as well .

This series is well worth watching &/or adding to your personal teaching materials. I showed many portions of the video and had the students map his journey on their own maps of Asia.

You may be able to check this out at a public library or check your district or school's media center ...maybe available at these places?

The DVD set & paperback book are available from Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Footsteps-Alexander-Great-Region/dp/B0002CH90K/ref=pd_sim_b_3

RARE BLUE MOON TONIGHT

2009-12-31T16:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977970564

Gallery | New Year's around the world | accessatlanta.com

2009-12-31T14:40:00.001-08:00

Gallery | New Year's around the world | accessatlanta.com

Posted using ShareThis

SkyWatch Friday

2009-12-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

For more interesting sky views see:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Two interesting photos.

I took the first photo this Fall from my front porch looking westward toward "West Mt." (part of the Oquirrh Mountain range that divides Tooele County N/S from Salt
Lake and Utah Counties). This "fan" cloud filled most of my view to the west....I think this is called a "gravity wave" type of cloud?

See information about the Oquirrh Mts. here: http://desertisland.org/utahmaps.htm

This photo was taken Christmas Day. We were traveling north to Utah County on I-15. It was a COLD, windy, but clear day, and these clouds were being blown into the
mountains along the Wasatch Front Range mountains....example of orographic lifting. You can see the cloud stream bring driven up and backward by the mountain face.

Happy New Year!!.....Keep your eyes skyward to 2010!!!

Make a globe: pattern

2009-12-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

This cut-out and assemble globe pattern really helps kids see why putting a map on a round surface causes distortions, and also helps teach continents, oceans, and hemispheres. Have the kids color (color pencils work best) the water and continents, cut out and assemble. Glue sticks work better than reg. glue when assembling. Also before final assembly, place crumpled/wadded paper inside to help hold the shape of the globe. It will probably help to have the students work in pairs when putting the hemispheres together...these can be hung from the ceiling, etc if you glue string on the inside and thread the string up through the "north pole"before final glue-up as well.

Thank you Janet Allen, Ellis Elementary, Logan Utah for this pattern!

(double-cick on the images to enlarge and print)

MATH & GEOGAPHY

2009-12-31T11:09:00.000-08:00

I have used this GREAT, simplified, geography, math, & art activity for many years to show students rules of coloring maps. These pages were from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, NCTM Student Math Notes, 11/90.

Their website is filled with many other geography/math links, but I did not find this one that I've posted. However, page 4 gives permission to reproduce the activity for classroom use!

(double click on each image to enlarge and print)

More information on the 4-color theorem for coloring maps:
http://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/Map_coloring

additional examples (worksheets): http://www.ctl.ua.edu/math103/mapcolor/mapws.htm

"SPICE" up your holidays (world spices) RE-POST

2009-12-26T15:40:00.000-08:00

WORLD SPICES: For those teachers looking for a fun geography activity to start the new year--"spice" up your curriculum by studying spices from around the world!

I found many really great websites with terrific lesson plans, mapping activities, art activities, research sites, books/texts, games, teacher and student information sites, and webquests all about world spice locations. I also found many websites about how spices effected history, the spice trades, and Christopher Columbus connections.

Assign your students a spice, and fill up your room with "scent-sational" geography reports about where spices come from around the world....

Some of the better sites are listed below with brief descriptions:

http://42explore.com/spices.htm

(website loaded with links about spice facts, history, geography, suggestions for activities, information for teachers and students!)

http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1707/spices-of-the-world

(board game involves collecting and trading spices from around the world)

http://www.spicesinworldhistory.com/index.html

(website for “Spices--a global history” by Fred Czarra.

http://www.oldandsold.com/articles07/foods-28.shtml

(spice history essay)

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/16/gk2/spices.html

(Xpeditions/National Geographic, K-3 lesson plan, “Spices of the world”)
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/16/g35/favfoods.html

(Xpeditions/National Geographic, gr 3-5 lesson plan, “Spices in your favorite food”)
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/16/spiceworld.html

Xpeditions/National Geographic, lesson plan, “Spice world”)

http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001970.shtml

(many spice websites, lesson plans, and teacher/student resources)
http://www.a1spiceworld.com/sitemap.html

(spice encyclopedia)
http://www.bsu.edu/web/tjrobinson/spiceworldassignment.htm

(spice world lesson and assignment)
http://www.livescience.com/history/080512-hs-spicetrade.html

(essay, how spices effected world history)

http://www.hawaii.edu/hga/GAW97/pepper.html

(GREAT lesson plan about pepper)
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=494

(lengthy, but wonderful lesson plans and activities involving the travels and trading of Marco Polo)

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/tildenms/departments/FACS/cuisinelp.html

(class activity/webquest to research foods and spices of countries)
http://www.baltimorecp.org/lessons/5/5OGeo.htm

(multiple lessons with literature connections concerning the spice trade routes)
http://orias.berkeley.edu/spice/textobjects/overview.htm

(webquest/lesson plans for spice and silk routes)
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2009/2452545.htm

Title: Out of the East: Spices and the Medieval Imagination
Author: Paul Freedman
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780 3001 1199 6

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/dailylife/foods_spices.htm (ancient Egyptian spices)

http://www.hawaii.edu/hga/GAW97/trade.html

(GREAT lesson plans for beginning of European spice trade routes) http://www.mccormick.com/Spices101/SpiceFieldReports.aspx

(spice reports from spice company)
http://inapinchspices.com/mapofworldspices/spicemapworld.html

(world map/locations of spices)
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/spice_geo.html

(spice information per continent)

TRACK SANTA AS HE TRAVELS THE WORLD

2009-12-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

http://www.northpole.com/

Visit Santa at his North Pole site and track his wanderings from the NORAD Tracks Santa link starting Dec. 24th!!!

This Must be Utah! - UEN

2009-12-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

This Must be Utah! - UEN

This is a FREE Teacher's guide of WONDERFUL lesson plans written by the Utah League of Cities and Towns for 4th and 7th graders to show how Utah Municipalities develop over time. "These lesson will provide an understanding of the way in which geography, history, culture and tradition have made Utah such a unique & fascinating place in which to live."

These lesson plans have been adopted for use as example lesson plans for use with the Utah State Core Curriculum and are available online through the UEN (Utah Education Network) link above:

Snow Storm Buries the U.S. East Coast

2009-12-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=41979&src=eorss-nh
From NASA Earth Observatory website:

The Mid-Atlantic states were completely white on Sunday, December 20, 2009, in the wake of a record-breaking snow storm. The storm deposited between 12 and 30 inches of snow in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. on December 19, according to the National Weather Service. For many locations, the snowfall totals broke records for the most snow to fall in a single December day.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this view of the Chesapeake Bay region as the clouds were clearing on December 20. The snow highlights the courses of the Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers from the Appalachian Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. The ridges and valleys of the Appalachian Mountains are similarly highlighted. The forested peaks are darker than the snow-covered valleys.
The massive snow storm was a Nor’easter, a powerful storm characterized by a strong low-pressure center that forms in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean and moves northward up the Eastern seaboard. In the Northern Hemisphere, winds flow in toward the center of a low-pressure area in a counter-clockwise spiral, which means that as the storm heads north, the leading winds come in off the ocean from the northeast.
References
CNN. (2009, December 20). East Coast storm heads north, leaving snowfall records in its wake. Accessed December 21, 2009.
National Weather Service Forecast Office. Preliminary totals ending December 19, 2009. Accessed December 21, 2009.
NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. Caption by Holli Riebeek.
Instrument: Aqua - MODIS Image Location

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? using music to teach geography

2009-12-21T11:39:00.000-08:00

A YouTube video "enhancing" the original game/tv/cartoon series....great way to use a theme song such as 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?' for a geography lesson!

(background information about the TV series)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_in_the_World_Is_Carmen_Sandiego%3F_(game_show)

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?..lyrics:

Well she sneaks around the world from Kiev to Carolina,
She's a sticky-fingered filcher from Berlin down to Belize,
She'll take you for a ride on a slow boat to China,
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Steal their Seoul in South Korea, make Antarctica cry Uncle,
From the Red Sea to Greenland they'll be singing the blues,
Well they never Arkansas her steal the Mekong from the jungle,
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

She go from Nashville to Norway, Bonaire to Zimbabwe,
Chicago to Czechoslovakia and back!

Well she'll ransack Pakistan and run a scam in Scandinavia,
Then she'll stick 'em up Down Under and go pick-pocket Perth,
She put the Miss in misdemeanor when she stole the beans from Lima,
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
Oh tell me where in the world is... Oh tell me where can she be?

Ooh, Botswana to Thailand, Milan via Amsterdam,
Mali to Bali, Ohio, Oahu...!

Well she glides around the globe and she'll flimflam every nation,
She's a double-dealing diva with a taste for thievery,
Her itinerary's loaded up with moving violations,
Tell me where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Check out this great MSN Video: Mayon volcano turns up the heat

2009-12-21T06:46:00.000-08:00

Check out this great MSN Video: Mayon volcano turns up the heat

SkyWatch Friday

2009-12-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

See other interesting sky views at:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

These photos maybe a bit of a stretch for SkyWatch, but hope you enjoy the humor here anyway. I was recently traveling on "old" highway 91 from Santa Clara, Utah (south west corner of Utah) connecting to I-15 southbound in Nevada. Highway 91 goes through some really desolate, dry, mountainous desert terrain. The vegetation of area is mostly, pinion pine, dry grasses and juniper trees, and an area near the Shivwits Paiute Indian Reservation...was pretty much burned to the ground from a "forest" fire. However, as we came around one hill, there was an area that had escaped the fires and trees were preserved....Someone had decorated with Christmas ornaments...in the middle of almost nowhere... a pinion pine-- spared from fire--on the hill. I had to stop and take a picture...it was priceless!! Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!!!!!

New Under water oceanic volcano discovered

2009-12-18T14:40:00.000-08:00

South East of Samoa, a new spectacular underwater oceanic volcano is currently errupting and showing scientists real "fireworks" under the sea!

SkyWatch Friday

2009-12-18T11:49:00.001-08:00

See other interesting sky views:

http://skyley.blogspot.com

I have a large flowering pear tree that is frequently visited by woodpeckers during the winter months...This noisy guy was chasing all the other birds out of "his tree".

(Lehi, Utah County, No./central Utah, USA)

Check out this great MSN Video: Giant iceberg aims for Australia

2009-12-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

Check out this great MSN Video: Giant iceberg aims for Australia

Check out this great MSN Video: Thai Moon Festival

2009-12-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

Check out this great MSN Video: Thai Moon Festival

For more information about Thailands Full Moon Festival:
http://www.fullmoonparty-thailand.com

California as an island, utopia in the shape of a skull, and other strange maps. - By Frank Jacobs - Slate Magazine

2009-12-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

I saw a great article and slide show from Slate Magazine today reviewing some really strange..but cool maps:

California as an island, utopia in the shape of a skull, and other strange maps. - By Frank Jacobs - Slate Magazine

http://www.slate.com/id/2236256/pagenum/all/

The maps for the article are from the most interesting, crazy, map lovers blogsite: STRANGE MAPS http://www.strangemaps.wordpress.com/

The maps from above blogsite are now in an atlas: "Strange Maps: An Atlas of Cartographic Curiosities" by Frank Jacobs

Geography podcasts

2009-12-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

http://earthsky.org

Listen to FREE, ONLINE ,daily, EarthSky.org podcasts...fascinating science, space and geography subjects! You may download the podcasts or embed their podcasts into a blog, etc.

I used them every morning with my 6th grades classes as a "listening" (comprehension) class starter. The kids listened to the podcast, jotted down a few notes about what they heard and we discussed the topic for a few minutes. The kids turned in their "Earth&Sky" notes every Friday...I was able to give them a comprehension and class participation grade from their work.

(turn off the music gadget in the sidebar if you wish to listen to the podcasts now...)

Up Pompeii, courtesy of Google Streetview

2009-12-04T07:17:00.001-08:00

Studying about the Ancient Roman Civilization? Take your students on a tour of Ancient Pompeii...NEW & now available courtesy of Google Streetview!

Up Pompeii, courtesy of Google Streetview

Posted using ShareThis

Google Earth/Sketchup Competition

2009-12-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

PLACE, one of the important 5 themes of teaching geography, is sometimes a daunting subject. What characteristics make a town, city, community, state, country or region unique or different from any other similar location on earth? City architecture and building designs often distinguish a location....and Google Earth/Sketchup has a competition that may inspire your students to create 3D portraits of places in their communities that make them unique.
Information about the GOOGLE Model Your Town Competition follows (from the Google Sketchup site):

GOOGLE MODEL YOUR TOWN COMPETITION
http://sketchup.google.com/intl/en/competitions/modelyourtown/index.html

"Get Started Entries accepted until March 1, 2010

Google Model Your Town Competition

What makes your town an incredible place to live?
Show your civic pride (and maybe win a prize) by creating a 3D portrait of your community and sharing it with the world. You have the power to get your town on the map – and there's no bigger map than Google Earth.

See what other towns have done (Google Earth file)
The Google Model Your Town Competition is open to people from all over the world.
All you have to do is build 3D models of the buildings in your community. Model whichever structures you think are necessary to show the planet what's special about your town. Be recognized by your community for doing something great. Having a 3D model of your town in Google Earth helps residents and visitors understand it in a way that flat maps and photographs can't. You can be a local hero by making a contribution to your town's future.

Getting started is easy.
You can enter on your own or recruit up to five of your fellow citizens to help you form a team, and the software tools you need are free.

Get started today
Details, details . You can model as many structures as you like – which types of buildings you choose to include is entirely up to you. The important thing is that your choices say something about the character and history of your town. Modeling teams may include up to six members.
Buildings can be modeled with SketchUp, a free and relatively easy-to-use 3D modeling program from Google. You use SketchUp in combination with Google Earth to give models a precise geographic location. Buildings can also be modeled with Google Building Maker if your town is located in an area where Building Maker data is available. These models can also be edited and improved with Google SketchUp. Each completed building model should be uploaded to a dedicated town collection on the Google 3D Warehouse"

SkyWatch Friday

2009-12-03T14:43:00.000-08:00

See other exciting sky views at:
www.skyley.blogspot.com

I was returning home the other night, and saw these lovely, dusky, sun rays peaking over the Oquirrh Mts...west of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Geography of Aids

2009-12-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

December 1, 1009:
World AIDS day

SEE>>>>>>>
PBS:FRONTLINE program

THE AGE OF AIDS...excellent informative website from PBS:Frontline.

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/aids/

This 2006 website is loaded with lots of information about the worldwide AIDS epidemic: Country and global maps/statistics, online video segments of the entire program discussing AIDS information, AIDS timeline, interviews, discussion groups, & a Reality Check Quiz. (above map not from PBS site)

LESSSON PLANS FROM NGS XPEDITIONS WEBSITE:
AIDS in Africa I: ThevScope of the problem (for grades 9-12)
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g912/africaaidsI.html
AIDS in Africa II: More than Sympathy (for grades 9-12)
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g912/africaaidsII.html
A Geographic Prospective of Africa (for grades 9-12)
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/18/g912/gpafrica4.html