Geography (US/World)

Introducing South Africa

— Google Arts and Culture

3-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://artsandculture.google.com/story/introducing-south-africa/uQISrgvLt3poLw Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Explore beautiful landscapes and visit famous South African museums with this Arts and Culture presentation from Google. Scroll through the page to take a 360-degree look at Cape Peninsula and Table Mountain. Learn about the Cape of Good Hope and Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias. Additional images share the flora that is unique to the country. On a more serious note, visit Robben Island, home to the imprisoned African leader Nelson Mandela from 1964 - 1982.

In the Classroom

Engage students with this interesting site by asking them to explore it independently to introduce your unit on African countries or when learning about Nelson Mandela and his home. Be sure to show students how to use the arrows to view images from the many different angles provided. As students begin your lessons, create a Google Jamboard, reviewed here, to share interesting information learned from students’ explorations. Use their notes to guide students toward enhancing learning by choosing specific areas to explore further. For example, some students may want to learn more about the geography found in South Africa, while others may want to learn about animals or famous people. Have students share the findings of their research by writing blogs using Edublogs, reviewed here, or use Google My Maps, reviewed here, to create virtual tours around South Africa that include links to images, videos, or student writing projects to tell the story of the country.

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  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): civil rights, south africa, africa,

BouncyMaps

— Mapping Worlds

4-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.bouncymaps.com/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

BouncyMaps provides maps from a different perspective than physical size, showing how large the map would be based on other criteria. Choose from the provided topics to see maps change size proportionally to population, economy, religion, and more. Use the button to toggle back and forth between the regular and bouncy maps. Scroll down past each map to view a list of countries and data used to create the map.

In the Classroom

BouncyMaps is an excellent way to help students visualize large numbers and provide perspective to data. Use the embed code found on the site to share on your webpage or download images and data using the provided links. Start a discussion using one of the regular maps and hover over countries to show details. After reviewing a standard map, switch to the BouncyMap to show how it changes based on data. This site is an excellent one to share with students to explore during computer centers or at home. After allowing students time to look on their own, ask them to choose one map that surprised them and discuss their findings. Ask them to research the information further with the goal of trying to learn why there are such differences between countries. When finished, ask students to share their findings by creating an infographic using Canva Infographic Creator, reviewed here, or another free infographic creation tool. When teaching world history, these maps provide context when teaching about major conflicts. For example, when teaching about tensions in the Middle East, refer students to the religious maps to help them understand how different populations of Jewish people and Muslims within that area are key to the conflicts.

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  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): population, agriculture, visualizations, religions, maps, minerals,

Printable World Maps

— Savetz Publishing

-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.printableworldmap.net/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

If you need a printable map, this site is for you! Choose from over 600 maps to download and print. Selections include a world map, maps of continents, countries, states, and even county maps for each state. There is even more...choose from maps with and without labels, state flags, Civil War states, the list goes on. After selecting a map, click on the link, and download the PDF.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and share this site for any number of uses. Print a labeled world map for each student to include in their social studies notebook to reference throughout the year. Find and print maps that correlate to novels and stories being read in class and ask students to label the character’s journey on the map. Use maps during science lessons to label locations and environmental features found throughout the globe. Use a map as an image and upload to ThingLink, reviewed here, then add web links, video links, and other information to add annotation to the map. Create infographics using information learned during your map studies with Canva Infographic Creator, reviewed here, that share information about different locations around the world such as population, income, and economic statistics.

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  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): stars, continents, countries, states, maps,

Road Maps: Around the World Adventure

— University of Arizona Latin American Studies

4-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://las.arizona.edu/road-maps-around-world-adventure Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Take a digital journey exploring Latin America and the Middle East’s cultures and history through this collaboration between the University of Arizona’s Centers of Latin American Studies and Middle Eastern Studies. Begin your journey as a student or view the teacher’s guide, including tips, exploration activities, and lesson extensions. As students complete each of the trips, they receive certificates of completion. All activities are provided through Google Word documents, maps, and forms. Some activities lead to videos hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

In the Classroom

Take advantage of these materials to engage students in an online adventure as they explore and learn about Latin America and the Middle East. As students learn about the different countries and cultures, engage curiosity by asking them to search and share additional information beyond the provided content. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to curate and share resources such as websites, articles, and books to supplement knowledge. Enhance student learning by asking students to choose a country of interest or cultural practices to explore further, then share their learning by creating a website using Carrd, reviewed here. Include students’ websites within your Padlet for others to use as a learning resource. Use this road map as a model for students to create road maps for other countries and cultures. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here, to create and share virtual field trips that include images, videos, and more.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): middle east, maps, central america, spain, cross cultural understanding, south america,

Mapping the Nation

— Susan Schulten

6-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.mappingthenation.com/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Mapping the Nation is the companion site to the book of the same title. It provides images and context to the book’s content that explores the rise of different mapmaking methods in the 19th Century. Browse the site by chapter, creator, or in chronological order to each map. In addition to the map images, each item includes extensive information including date of creation, type of map, notes, and much more. Many of the maps are available for download, use the notes included to find publishing rights.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and save this site to use in a variety of ways. Share maps with students that show information for different periods of time during the 19th Century. Because this site includes various types of maps, use these resources to provide a wider context of the time period. For example, choose the time from 1860-1870 to take a look at the Civil War era. Have students use the information found in the maps to research and understand population patterns in the United States, explore the slave population’s distribution, and understand the geographic locations of the south’s cotton regions. Help students understand the different content using Padlet, reviewed here, to organize and share information. Create columns within the Padlet to share maps, articles, and primary sources separated by content such as geography, weather, political information, or other important categories. Ask students to share their understanding using one of the many digital tools found at Adobe Spark in K-12, reviewed here. Have a group create videos that include downloadable maps found at this site to tell the story of the Civil War through a geographic lens, ask another group to create a web page sharing information from a journalist’s point of view, and have others create social media graphics featuring headlines of the day appealing to different areas of the country.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
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Tag(s): maps, primary sources, 1800s,

Images of Early Maps

— Tony Campbell

5-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://maphistory.info/webimages.html Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Images of Early Maps is a curation of links to free maps found on the Internet organized by continent and themes. Select a link to go to the list of map links that includes a short description of the map features and time period. Pay attention to the bolded words; these indicate links to high resolution and large collections of maps.

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site as a resource for you and your students to find maps from different periods around the world. Share maps with students using a bookmarking tool such as SearchTeam, reviewed here. Links to maps found through this site are perfect for use when creating a historical timeline. Have students include links using History in Motion, reviewed here, to tell the story of a state, country, or important changes over time.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): maps,

OK2Ask: Data and Charts and Graphs, Oh My! Let Google Tools Be Your Guide

— TeachersFirst

1-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://sourceforlearning.eventbuilder.com/event/39392 Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from February 2020. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session. rn

rnHumans respond to and process visual data better than any other type of data. Whether students are learning to collect, organize, graph, or interpret data, this webinar offers proven tools and strategies that assist learners in developing and applying those skills. Together we will explore and plan for the use of forms to collect data, web resources to access data, spreadsheets to manipulate and graph data, and Google MyMaps to visualize data. Students from beginner to advanced can use these tools to visualize and connect math, science, and social studies concepts to concrete, real-world applications. Let’s get students excited about learning and help them incorporate complex data literacy into their world view. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels. Participants will: 1. Understand how to use data visualization in the classroom; 2. Explore digital tools that will assist students with data visualization projects; and 3. Plan for the use of data visualization in the classroom. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.

In the Classroom

The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.

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Tag(s): professional development, data, visualizations, infographics, charts and graphs, Google,

Bing Maps

— Microsoft

-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.bing.com/maps Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Use Bing Maps as your online resource for mapping locations and more. Allow Bing to recognize your location, then find and map directions anywhere. Additional features allow you to view current traffic along the route. Additional icons offer nearby locations for restaurants, gas stations, and more. Choose different views for viewing maps including road, aerial, and street-side views. Sign in to Bing Maps using your Microsoft account to save and access your collections from any device.

In the Classroom

If you teach geography, this one’s a must. It is also helpful for showing students WHERE a story or news event takes place. In lower grades, use it to show students the basics of their community. Teach map skills by showing students their own community. Zoom in on their street or the school. This site is perfect for sharing on an interactive whiteboard. Set up a class Microsoft account (or use student accounts if permitted). Have students create their own custom route plans to tour historic sites. Challenge math students to plan the most economical route to visit several vacation destinations, including gas mileage and gas prices. Have students create place-marker files of the important places in the life of a famous person or the route traveled by a particular unit during the Civil War. Have student groups create place-marker files to show environmental sites, habitats, landforms, or anything you can place on a map. Share or embed student-created maps using the links and embed code provided.

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  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): Microsoft, directions, maps,

Google My Maps

— Google

3-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices https://www.google.com/maps/about/mymaps/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

You may already be familiar with Google Maps, reviewed here, but Google My Maps takes working with maps a step further. Use Google My Maps to create custom maps with features you add. Add points or shapes to any location, use the embedded search to find places then save to your map, import information from spreadsheets, and customize your map with colored icons and your uploaded images and videos. Collaborate on your project just like you would with Google Documents, then embed maps into your website or blog.

In the Classroom

Share Google My Maps on an interactive whiteboard or projector to create virtual trips for many situations. Create a trip to biomes around the world, visit places mentioned within books, map out battlefield locations for different wars, or find and save different kinds of landforms on your map. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination. Embed completed maps onto your class webpage or blog for students to view when reviewing for tests or quizzes. Have older students complete their own Google My Map project to create their own virtual field trips. This site is perfect to use in conjunction with TeachersFirst Reading Treks to follow the adventures of characters in the featured stories. Not ready to create your own maps? Use the explore feature on the site to find many examples of maps made by others.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): maps, virtual field trips,

ClustrMaps - Free Website Map Widget

— ClustrMaps

-11 0 favorites 0 promising practices http://www.clustrmaps.com/ Last updated: Fri, 08/27/2021 - 11:50 share

How It Works

Add a real-time map of your website or blog’s visitors with this geo-location hitmap. Download then customize the widget with your preference of colors, size, and stats available for viewing. Follow the steps to create your customized code then place on your site.

In the Classroom

Students will love seeing the wide variety of visitors to their classroom website. Have a student share locations of viewers with other students, then research to learn more about those areas around the world. Challenge students to create an interactive map with images and videos using a tool such as Stepmap, reviewed here, for where the visitors to their blog live. With Stepmap students can colorize specific areas including national parks, or the city and neighborhoods of their visitors to their blog; additional options include latitude and longitude lines, and icons. Ask students to create an annotated image of any location including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, reviewed here. Display a world map in your classroom and pin locations of viewers on the map for students to see at all times.

Technology Heads-up!
  • Find interactive ABC's, colors, etc.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
  • Donec rutrum congue leo eget malesuada. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a. Curabitur aliquet quam id dui posuere blandit. Mauris blandit aliquet elit, eget tincidunt nibh pulvinar a.
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Tag(s): maps, blogs, computers,
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