Maps and Legends

"Is he to be reached? He's not to be reached. .... "
So having used Google maps for the junior world history class at the end of last semester with Randy's help, much belly-aching from students, and some success I've decided to go it again but in a more sustained effort with my 9th grade geography class.

"Maybe he's caught in the legend..."
The students are building regionally focused maps that they each have one country to focus on to provide summary content from our geography themes: Physical geography, Population, Environment, Conflict, Interdependence/ Globalization, and Sustainable Development.

"Down the way the road's divided, Paint me the places you have seen. ..."
We have begun the initial version of these with students working in regional groups, choosing their county and then the specific information they want to include on their regional maps locating it appropriately on their country.  They were to include at least three specific facts/ points of information with corresponding visuals to represent that information.  

This first round of cartography will be focused on the themes of Physical and Population geography. I expect to see basic representations of physical landscape from their countries -- highest point, lowest point, major waterways, forests, national parks, deserts, etc. In population there should be at least basic demographic information - largest city, national population pyramids, education levels, etc.  They begin presenting their country information in class this Monday, Feb. 25th.  We'll see what they do.

"The map that you painted didn't seem real. ..."
After this first round the plan is to build on these initial maps with each successive theme. The students will move to a different region of the world and choose a new country to explore for the next two themes and build the maps with more detail focused on those themes.  With each successive unit theme the focus of content and the types of details will be focused towards the semester long theme of sustainable development.  My hope is that by the end the completed global picture we have collectively "painted" will allow students see the interconnections of these themes and have a clearer understanding of why the world looks the way it does and how they fit into this larger picture.

Here are examples of what they have so far, though they are still works in progress.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Americas
Central South Asia

With apologizes to R.E.M. for a slicing up of their song "Maps and Legends",on Fables of the Reconstruction, IRS Records, 1985.

Jumping back on...

OK so I fell off the wagon here with the break but I'm back and working on getting my tech cred back up to grade.  Finished the semester with a Google maps construction project in World History that was OK  I think both I and students need more practice with that to make it truly effective.  I have not given up on its potential though and will be working on integrating it into the two sections of World Geography I am teaching this semester as well as the other IB and regular world history sections.  The complete version of the Trade Routes map is here - Trade Routes Map Project
Take a look and let me know what you think: suggestions for things to include, leave out, work on with students to make more effective etc. I'm all ears.

I am also continuing to work out bugs with the blogging process I have set up for the IB students to extend class discussion and give them practice in responding to the IB test prompts that they will see at the end of their two year diploma work.  We are having difficulty in getting all students to be able to join the blog and post comments. So any insight here would be appreciated.  Also would like to have a better way to contact each "member" of the blog directly so my responses to their posts are not broadcast globally.  There are some wrinkles here that need to be worked out as well for how I can contact them through their member log-in.  Also a place where I am open to suggestions for improvement in e-community building.

That is it for the first blog of the new semester.  Lagging a bit on getting the portfolio more fully constructed but, as I said, the holidays are over so I'm back on the wagon and beating the drum.